SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
SaltStack Salt contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in the salt-master process ClearFuncs due to improperly validating method calls. The vulnerability allows a remote user to access some methods without authentication, which can be used to retrieve user tokens from the salt master and/or run commands on salt minions. Salt users who follow fundamental internet security guidelines and best practices are not affected by this vulnerability.
- Vendor
- SaltStack
- Product
- Salt
- CVSS
- 9.8
- EPSS (exploit probability)
- 96.6%
- Status
- kev
- CISA patch-by (BOD 22-01)
- Added to KEV
Is CVE-2020-11651 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-11651 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on . CISA only lists a CVE when it has reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild.
FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 96.6% (scored October 14, 2026).
- CISA KEV[ LISTED ]
- ENISA EUVD (exploited)[ — ]
- CIRCL KEV[ — ]
Catalog snapshot 2026-10-21. Full cross-catalog view: /kev-comparison
What to do
CISA required actionApply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal civilian agencies must remediate by (181 days after listing) under BOD 22-01. Everyone else: that deadline is a sensible upper bound, not a target. Vendor guidance and the NVD record are linked under Source above.
Other SaltStack Salt CVEs we track
| CVE / Vulnerability | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Added to KEV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2020-16846 SaltStack Salt Shell Injection Vulnerability | [ CRITICAL ] | 9.8 | 99.6% | |
| CVE-2020-11652 SaltStack Salt Path Traversal Vulnerability | [ MEDIUM ] | 6.5 | 86.2% |