+44 1865 950 828 Secure Your Business
Actively exploited

CVE-2020-11652 SaltStack Salt Path Traversal Vulnerability

SaltStack Salt contains a path traversal vulnerability in the salt-master process ClearFuncs which allows directory access to authenticated users. Salt users who follow fundamental internet security guidelines and best practices are not affected by this vulnerability.

From the CISA KEV catalogue version 2026.11.06, with Cybergen analysis. Updated 6 Nov 2026.

Our Assessment

Should You Worry?

Patch urgentlyCybergen assessment
  • CISA confirmed exploitation in the wild and added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 3 Nov 2021.
  • Rated Medium severity (CVSS 6.5, scored by CISA).
  • It has been in the catalogue for 1,829 days. Systems still unpatched now have almost certainly been scanned for it.
The Vulnerability

What It Is

An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 2019.2.4 and 3000 before 3000.2. The salt-master process ClearFuncs class allows access to some methods that improperly sanitize paths. These methods allow arbitrary directory access to authenticated users.

From Watch to Action

What To Do Now

  1. 1

    Find it

    Search your asset inventory and external attack surface for SaltStack Salt. Include cloud images, appliances and anything a supplier runs for you.

    Attack Surface Management
  2. 2

    Fix it

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

    Vulnerability Management
  3. 3

    Hunt for compromise

    If an affected system was reachable before you patched, assume it may have been hit. Check logs, new accounts, web shells and outbound connections from the date of exposure.

    Incident Response
  4. 4

    Prove it is fixed

    Rescan or test the system after patching. Upgrades that fail silently and forgotten secondary instances are common.

    Penetration Testing

Vendor Advisories

Regulation

The Compliance Clock

Cyber EssentialsCyber Essentials requires high and critical updates (CVSS 7.0 or above) within 14 days of release. Treat any exploited flaw the same way.NIS2If exploitation causes a significant incident, essential and important entities owe their CSIRT an early warning within 24 hours and a notification within 72 hours.DORAFinancial entities must classify ICT incidents and send an initial notification for a major incident within strict deadlines, with exploited flaws a common cause.US federal (BOD 22-01)Federal civilian agencies had until 3 May 2022 to remediate. A sensible benchmark for everyone else.

General guidance, not legal advice. Your obligations depend on your sector, scope and jurisdiction.

Stay Ahead

More Exploited SaltStack Flaws

Get alerts for SaltStackWe email you when a new SaltStack vulnerability is confirmed as exploited. Add more vendors on Threat Watch.

By signing up you agree to receive Threat Watch alerts. Unsubscribe at any time. See our Privacy Policy.

CVE-2020-11651SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass VulnerabilityAdded 3 Nov 2021CVE-2020-16846SaltStack Salt Shell Injection VulnerabilityAdded 3 Nov 2021

All 3 exploited SaltStack vulnerabilities

Not Sure If You Are Exposed?

Our attack surface and vulnerability teams can check your internet-facing estate for CVE-2020-11652 and every other exploited flaw on the list.

Check My Exposure
Evidence

Sources

  1. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue
  2. NVD: CVE-2020-11652
  3. CVE record: CVE-2020-11652
  4. FIRST EPSS
  5. docs.saltstack.com/en/latest/topics/releases/2019.2.4.html
  6. github.com/saltstack/salt/blob/v3000.2_docs/doc/topics/releases/3000.2.rst
  7. lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-04/msg00047.html
  8. packetstormsecurity.com/files/157560/Saltstack-3000.1-Remote-Code-Execution.html
  9. debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4676
  10. vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0009.html
  11. packetstormsecurity.com/files/157678/SaltStack-Salt-Master-Minion-Unauthenticated-Remote-Code-Execut
  12. tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-salt-2vx545AG