# CVE-2020-11651: SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass

> Remote attackers can bypass authentication to retrieve tokens and execute arbitrary commands on Salt minions via the salt-master process.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Nov 2021 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 Apr 2020
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pjhf-vpx3-33r3, PYSEC-2020-102, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-11651

## What is CVE-2020-11651?

CVE-2020-11651 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 30 Apr 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 2019.2.4 and 3000 before 3000.2. The salt-master process ClearFuncs class does not properly validate method calls. This allows a remote user to access some methods without authentication. These methods can be used to retrieve user tokens from the salt master and/or run arbitrary commands on salt minions.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-11651?

5 open source packages ship an affected version, including salt. It affects 5 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `salt` | PyPI | All versions | 2019.2.4, 3000.2 |
| `salt` | PyPI | All versions | 2019.2.4 |
| `salt` | PyPI | All versions | 2019.2.4 |
| `salt` | PyPI | From 3000 | 3000.2 |
| `salt` | PyPI | From 3000 | 3000.2 |

Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Opensuse Leap, Saltstack Salt, Vmware Application Remote Collector.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-11651?

Upgrade salt to a fixed version for your release line: 2019.2.4 or 3000.2. US federal agencies must fix it by 3 May 2022.

## Is CVE-2020-11651 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-11651 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

Public exploit code:

- PoC exploit of CVE-2020-11651 and CVE-2020-11652 (github_poc): https://github.com/jasperla/CVE-2020-11651-poc
- Salt security backports for CVE-2020-11651 & CVE-2020-11652 (github_poc): https://github.com/rossengeorgiev/salt-security-backports
- https://github.com/dozernz/cve-2020-11651 (github_poc): https://github.com/dozernz/cve-2020-11651
- CVE-2020-11651: Proof of Concept (github_poc): https://github.com/0xc0d/CVE-2020-11651
- CVE-2020-11651&&CVE-2020-11652 EXP (github_poc): https://github.com/ssrsec/CVE-2020-11651-CVE-2020-11652-EXP
- Checks for CVE-2020-11651 and CVE-2020-11652 (github_poc): https://github.com/chef-cft/salt-vulnerabilities

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2020-7247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7247/): OpenSMTPD Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-16928](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16928/): Exim Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-6789](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6789/): Exim Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2590/): Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-0422](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-0422/): Oracle JRE Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-11651 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-11651 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 30 Apr 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-11651 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- salt (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2019.2.4, 3000.2
- salt (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2019.2.4
- salt (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2019.2.4
- salt (PyPI): affected from 3000; fixed in 3000.2
- salt (PyPI): affected from 3000; fixed in 3000.2

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-11651
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11651
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-11651

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.