# CVE-2025-22241: CVE-2025-22241 salt advisory

> Attackers can overwrite files in the PKI directory via path traversal in on-demand pillar requests, potentially escalating privileges in Salt deployments.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 13 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 17 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7f3f-x5f5-79gw, PYSEC-2026-1895, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-22241

## What is CVE-2025-22241?

CVE-2025-22241 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in VMware SALT, published on 13 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

File contents overwrite the VirtKey class is called when “on-demand pillar” data is requested and uses un-validated input to create paths to the “pki directory”. The functionality is used to auto-accept Minion authentication keys based on a pre-placed “authorization file” at a specific location and is present in the default configuration.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-22241?

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


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `salt` | PyPI | From 3006.0rc1 | 3006.12 |
| `salt` | PyPI | From 3006.0rc1 | 3006.12 |
| `salt` | PyPI | From 3007.0rc1 | 3007.4, 3006.12 |
| `salt` | PyPI | From 3007.0rc1 | 3007.4 |
| `salt` | PyPI | From 3007.0rc1 | 3007.4 |

## How do I fix CVE-2025-22241?

Upgrade salt to a fixed version for your release line: 3006.12 or 3007.4.

## Is CVE-2025-22241 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-22241 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-22241 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-22241 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in VMware SALT, published on 13 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-22241 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- salt (PyPI): affected from 3006.0rc1; fixed in 3006.12
- salt (PyPI): affected from 3006.0rc1; fixed in 3006.12
- salt (PyPI): affected from 3007.0rc1; fixed in 3007.4, 3006.12
- salt (PyPI): affected from 3007.0rc1; fixed in 3007.4
- salt (PyPI): affected from 3007.0rc1; fixed in 3007.4

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-2025-22241/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22241/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-22241
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-22241
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-22241

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-22241/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.