{"id":"CVE-2020-11651","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2020-11651"],"related":[],"title":"SaltStack Salt: SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass Vulnerability","description":"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.\n\nCISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.","summary":"SaltStack Salt's salt-master ClearFuncs component does not validate method calls, so a remote user can call some methods without logging in. An attacker can retrieve user tokens from the salt master and run commands on salt minions.","severity":"critical","cvss":9.8,"epss":0.96614,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2021-11-03T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"SaltStack Salt","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["exploited","infrastructure","infrastructure-automation","salt-master","saltstack","self-hosted"],"not_affected_if":["default-config"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":"Upgrade SaltStack Salt to a patched release per vendor instructions; exact fixed versions are not stated in the sources.","status":"open","published_at":"2020-04-30T17:15:12+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:43:28+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:34+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.8,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:43:28Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Upgrade SaltStack Salt to a patched release per vendor instructions; exact fixed versions are not stated in the sources.","reach":"network","impact":"high","summary":"SaltStack Salt's salt-master ClearFuncs component does not validate method calls, so a remote user can call some methods without logging in. An attacker can retrieve user tokens from the salt master and run commands on salt minions.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["saltstack","salt-master","self-hosted","infrastructure-automation"],"confidence":0.8,"needs_auth":"no","worst_case":"Remote attacker runs commands on minions and steals master tokens.","analyst_note":"Find the affected and fixed version ranges and a check command for the salt-master in the vendor advisory (SaltStack/CISA KEV entry for CVE-2020-11651).","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["default-config"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"critical"},"cost_usd":0.000473,"input_tokens":2911,"output_tokens":364,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":"queued","analyst_note":"Find the affected and fixed version ranges and a check command for the salt-master in the vendor advisory (SaltStack/CISA KEV entry for CVE-2020-11651).","search":"'-11651':10A,13A '-2020':9A,12A 'access':95C 'action':137C 'affect':131C 'allow':90C 'and/or':112C 'appli':138C 'attack':53B 'authent':5A,72C,99C 'autom':20B 'best':127C 'bypass':6A,73C 'call':40B,46B,87C 'cisa':135C 'clearfunc':34B,81C 'command':64B,114C 'compon':35B 'contain':70C 'cve':8A,11A 'due':82C 'exploit':16B 'follow':121C 'fundament':122C 'guidelin':125C 'host':27B 'improp':84C 'infrastructur':17B,19B 'infrastructure-autom':18B 'instruct':142C 'internet':123C 'log':50B 'master':23B,33B,61B,79C,111C 'method':39B,48B,86C,97C 'minion':67B,117C 'per':140C 'practic':128C 'process':80C 'remot':43B,92C 'requir':136C 'retriev':55B,105C 'run':63B,113C 'salt':2A,4A,15A,22B,29B,32B,60B,66B,69C,78C,110C,116C,118C 'salt-mast':21B,31B,77C 'saltstack':1A,3A,14A,24B,28B,68C 'secur':124C 'self':26B 'self-host':25B 'token':57B,107C 'updat':139C 'use':103C 'user':44B,56B,93C,106C,119C 'valid':38B,85C 'vendor':141C 'vulner':7A,74C,89C,134C 'without':49B,98C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2020-04-30T17:15:12+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2020-11651","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2020-11651","severity":null,"published_at":"2021-11-03T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T11:39:18+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2020-11651","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-11651","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:43+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:43+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2020-11651","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11651","severity":null,"published_at":"2020-04-30T17:15:12+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T02:50:33+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:34+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:34+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}