NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2020-11652: An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 2019.2.4 and 3000 before 3000.2.

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Now (action score 82/100)

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Nov 3, 2021). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: May 3, 2022.
A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 86.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.7% of all records.
Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
Fixed version: salt (Debian:10) 2018.3.4+dfsg1-6+deb10u1; salt (Debian:8) 2014.1.13+ds-3+deb8u1; salt (Debian:9) 2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u4, 2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u3.
Mentioned 2 times in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Patch today or shut off access. Upgrade to salt (Debian:10) 2018.3.4+dfsg1-6+deb10u1; salt (Debian:8) 2014.1.13+ds-3+deb8u1; salt (Debian:9) 2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u4, 2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u3 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS

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.

MediumCVSS 6.5 · v3.1KEVWeaponized Fix available

Path traversal

Published: Apr 30, 2020
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
EPSS: 86.1% · 99th percentile
CWE: CWE-22

Report tools

JSON

Action score

Now

Patch today or shut off access.

CVSS: 26 / 40 · 6.5 / 10
CISA KEV: 30 / 30 · Listed
EPSS: 26 / 30 · 86.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation: active
Automatable: no
Technical impact: partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021. That signals real attacks, not theory.

Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: May 3, 2022.

Get told when this record changes

In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
Weaponized exploit exists
A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

Vendor	Product	CPE
saltstack	salt	cpe:2.3:a:saltstack:salt
opensuse	leap	cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap
debian	debian linux	cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux
canonical	ubuntu linux	cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux
blackberry	workspaces server	cpe:2.3:a:blackberry:workspaces_server
vmware	application remote collector	cpe:2.3:a:vmware:application_remote_collector

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

blackberry workspaces server8.0.0 and later · up to 8.2.6 inclusive
blackberry workspaces serverup to 7.1.3 inclusive
blackberry workspaces server9.1.0
canonical ubuntu linux16.04
canonical ubuntu linux18.04
debian debian linux10.0
debian debian linux8.0
debian debian linux9.0
opensuse leap15.1
saltstack saltbefore 2019.2.4
saltstack salt3000 and later · before 3000.2
vmware application remote collector7.5.0
vmware application remote collector8.0.0

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

Ecosystem	Package	Affected range	Fix
Debian:10	salt	before 2018.3.4+dfsg1-6+deb10u1	2018.3.4+dfsg1-6+deb10u1
Debian:8	salt	before 2014.1.13+ds-3+deb8u1	2014.1.13+ds-3+deb8u1
Debian:9	salt	before 2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u4	2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u4
Debian:9	salt	before 2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u3	2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u3
openSUSE:Leap 15.1	salt	before 3000-lp151.5.21.1	3000-lp151.5.21.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.1	salt	before 2019.2.0-lp151.5.15.1	2019.2.0-lp151.5.15.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2	salt	before 3002.2-lp152.3.36.1	3002.2-lp152.3.36.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.3	python-distro	before 1.5.0-3.5.1	1.5.0-3.5.1
PyPI	salt	from 3000 · before 3000.2	3000.2
PyPI	salt	before 2019.2.4	2019.2.4
SUSE:Enterprise Storage 5	salt	before 2016.11.4-48.10.1	2016.11.4-48.10.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOS	salt	before 3002.2-37.1	3002.2-37.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS	salt	before 3000-5.78.1	3000-5.78.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS	salt	before 2019.2.0-5.67.1	2019.2.0-5.67.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP1	salt	before 2019.2.0-6.27.1	2019.2.0-6.27.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP1	salt	before 3000-6.37.1	3000-6.37.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2	python-distro	before 1.5.0-3.5.1	1.5.0-3.5.1
SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12	python-singledispatch	before 3.4.0.3-1.5.1	3.4.0.3-1.5.1
SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12	salt	before 3000-46.101.1	3000-46.101.1
SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12	salt	before 2019.2.0-46.91.1	2019.2.0-46.91.1

Same product

saltstack: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

CVE-2020-16846An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt through 3002.KEV
99Now
CVE-2020-11651An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 2019.2.4 and 3000 before 3000.2.KEV
98Now
CVE-2021-25282An issue was discovered in through SaltStack Salt before 3002.5.
64This week

Published before and after this one in the same product

← EarlierCVE-2018-15751Oct 24, 2018 · SaltStack Salt before 2017.7.8 and 2018.3.x before 2018.3.3 allow remote attackers to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary commands v
40Plan
← EarlierCVE-2019-17361Jan 16, 2020 · In SaltStack Salt through 2019.2.0, the salt-api NET API with the ssh client enabled is vulnerable to command injection.
44Plan
Later →CVE-2020-17490Nov 6, 2020 · The TLS module within SaltStack Salt through 3002 creates certificates with weak file permissions.
22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / package	Fixed version	Source
debian:salt	2014.1.13+ds-3+deb8u1 · Debian:8	Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:python-distro	1.5.0-3.5.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.3	Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:salt	2019.2.0-lp151.5.15.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.1	Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:salt	2019.2.4	Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:salt	3000.2	Package registry (OSV)
suse:python-distro	1.5.0-3.5.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2	Package registry (OSV)
suse:python-singledispatch	3.4.0.3-1.5.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12	Package registry (OSV)
suse:salt	2019.2.0-46.91.1 · SUSE:Manager Client Tools 12	Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

Metasploit module ×2
Exploit-DB entry ×1
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×3

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
Source	Kind	Date
Exploit-DB entry	remote	2020-05-05
Metasploit module	auxiliary/gather/saltstack_salt_root_keySaltStack Salt Master Server Root Key Disclosureauxiliary	2020-04-30
Metasploit module	exploit/linux/misc/saltstack_salt_unauth_rceSaltStack Salt Master/Minion Unauthenticated RCEexploit	2020-04-30
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:0	2020-05-22
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:5	2020-12-25
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:4	2024-01-17

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

MetasploitApr 30, 2020-1 d
PublishedApr 30, 2020
First PoCMay 5, 2020+4 d
CISA KEVNov 3, 2021+551 d
TodayOct 31, 2026+2375 d

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

TR-20-299 · May 4, 2020(IBM Ürünleri Güvenlik Güncellemesi)
TR-20-297 · May 4, 2020(SaltStack Güvenlik Güncellemesi)

All national notices →

Technical details

Attack conditions

Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
A low-privileged account is enough.
No user action is required.
No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality: high · data can be read
Integrity: none
Availability: none

Attack vector: Network
Attack complexity: Low
Privileges required: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality impact: High
Integrity impact: None
Availability impact: None

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

nvd-primary

Root cause

A user-supplied file name is joined with the allowed directory, but the result is never checked to confirm it is still inside that directory.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-22 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

1const file = path.join(ROOT, req.query.name);
2res.sendFile(file);

Fixed

1const file = path.resolve(ROOT, req.query.name);
2if (!file.startsWith(ROOT + path.sep)) {
3  return res.sendStatus(400);
4}
5res.sendFile(file);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Attack patterns (CAPEC)

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

Fix✗ → ✓Sep 28, 2026, 10:47 PM UTC

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

usn.ubuntu.com/4459-1/

Show all references (11 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records

Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

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Data sources and verification

CNA: mitre

CVE.org (CNA)Oct 21, 2025, 11:35 PM UTC
CISA ADPOct 21, 2025, 11:35 PM UTC
NVDJun 16, 2026, 10:50 PM UTC
FIRST EPSSOct 29, 2026, 12:00 AM UTC
OSV / GHSAOct 31, 2026, 3:18 AM UTC
Exploit-DBOct 31, 2026, 3:17 AM UTC
MetasploitOct 31, 2026, 3:18 AM UTC
PoC-in-GitHubOct 31, 2026, 3:18 AM UTC

Each line is when that source was last processed for this record.