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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2020-16846

SaltStack Salt Shell Injection Vulnerability

Published Nov 6, 2020 · catalog updated Jun 16, 2026 · SaltStack Salt

Patch now

CVE-2020-16846 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due May 3, 2022. Confirm SaltStack Salt against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Severity
Critical9.8
Known exploitation
CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
99.59%
Remediation
Remediation guidance
Affected products
cpe debian/debian linux · cpe fedoraproject/fedora · cpe opensuse/leap · cpe saltstack/salt · vendor SaltStack Salt

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.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe debian/debian linux9.0
  • cpe fedoraproject/fedora31
  • cpe opensuse/leap15.1
  • cpe saltstack/saltversion unspecified
  • vendor SaltStack Saltversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2020-16846

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

CVE-2020-16846 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due May 3, 2022. Confirm SaltStack Salt against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with debian/debian linux 9.0. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-78: OS Command Injection. EPSS 99.59%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Nov 6, 2020 · Catalog

    Detected

    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.

  2. Nov 3, 2021 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  3. May 3, 2022 · CISA KEV

    Remediation due

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  4. Jun 16, 2026 · Catalog

    Updated

    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.

Sources

  • CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2020-16846

    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.

    cisa.gov
  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2020-16846

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2020-16846

    30-day exploitation probability 99.6%

    first.org
  • Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_linux/http/saltstack_salt_api_cmd_exec

    Public module reference (excellent). Module source is not copied into this catalog.

    rapid7.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2020-16846

    An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt through 3002. Sending crafted web requests to the Salt API, with the SSH client enabled, can result in shell injection.

    nvd.nist.gov
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160039/SaltStack-Salt-REST-API-Arbitrary-Command-Execution.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2020-16846

    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.

    vulncheck.com

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.