# CVE-2020-11652: SaltStack Salt Path Traversal

> Authenticated users can exploit improper path sanitization in SaltStack Salt to access arbitrary directories on the master server.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Nov 2021 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 Apr 2020
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vp49-2g4r-m3x3, PYSEC-2020-103, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-11652

## What is CVE-2020-11652?

CVE-2020-11652 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 30 Apr 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, 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 allows access to some methods that improperly sanitize paths. These methods allow arbitrary directory access to authenticated users.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-11652?

5 open source packages ship an affected version, including salt. It affects 6 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: Blackberry Workspaces Server, Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Opensuse Leap, Saltstack Salt, Vmware Application Remote Collector.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-11652?

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-2020-11652 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-11652 in the wild since at least 3 Nov 2021.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2020-11652 & CVE-2020-11651 (github_poc): https://github.com/Al1ex/CVE-2020-11652
- This is a fix POC CVE-2020-11651 & CVE-2020-11651 (github_poc): https://github.com/limon768/CVE-2020-11652-POC
- SaltStack Salt Master Server Root Key Disclosure (metasploit)
- SaltStack Salt Master/Minion Unauthenticated RCE (metasploit)
- Saltstack 3000.1 - Remote Code Execution (exploitdb)
- saltstack CVE-2020-11652  (github_poc): https://github.com/fanjq99/CVE-2020-11652

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2021-22155](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22155/): Auth bypass in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-11652 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-11652 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 30 Apr 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2020-11652 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-2020-11652/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11652/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-11652
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11652
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-11652

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11652/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.