CVE-2020-16846 SaltStack Salt: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline May 3, 2022
What to do
- Install SaltStack's security update for Salt. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- SaltStack Salt Shell Injection Vulnerability
- Product
- SaltStack Salt
- CISA description
- SaltStack Salt allows an unauthenticated user with network access to the Salt API to use shell injections to run code on the Salt API using the SSH client. This vulnerability affects any users running the Salt API.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection (CWE-78)
- Confirmed exploited
- Nov 3, 2021
- US federal patch deadline
- May 3, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2020-16846 ·
Questions about CVE-2020-16846
Is CVE-2020-16846 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-16846 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2020-16846?
Install SaltStack's security update for Salt. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2020-16846?
Only if you use SaltStack Salt. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.