Description
An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 3002.5. The minion's restartcheck is vulnerable to command injection via a crafted process name. This allows for a local privilege escalation by any user able to create a files on the minion in a non-blacklisted directory.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 9 | salt | 2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u7 | DLA-2815-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | salt | 2017.7.4+dfsg1-1ubuntu18.04.2+esm1 | USN-6948-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | salt | 2015.8.8+ds-1ubuntu0.1+esm2 | USN-6948-1 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP2 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0630-1 |
| SLES 15 SP1 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0631-1 |
| SLES 15 | salt | 3000-5.106.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0628-1 |
| SLES 12 | salt | 3000-46.129.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0627-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | salt | 2016.11.10-43.69.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:14650-1 |
Show 17 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 11 SP3 | salt | 2016.11.10-43.69.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:14650-1 |
| SLES 2 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0630-1 |
| SLES for SAP 15 SP1 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0631-1 |
| SLES for SAP 15 | salt | 3000-5.106.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0628-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 SP1 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0631-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 | salt | 3000-5.106.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0628-1 |
| SUSE Manager Server Module 4.1 | py26-compat-salt | 2016.11.10-6.8.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0624-1 |
| SUSE Manager Server Module 4.0 | py26-compat-salt | 2016.11.10-10.22.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0626-1 |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.1 | release-notes-susemanager | 4.1.5.1-3.38.1 | SUSE-RU-2021:0633-1 |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.0 | release-notes-susemanager | 4.0.12.1-3.68.1 | SUSE-RU-2021:0632-1 |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.0 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0631-1 |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.1 | release-notes-susemanager-proxy | 4.1.5.1-3.26.1 | SUSE-RU-2021:0633-1 |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.0 | release-notes-susemanager-proxy | 4.0.12.1-0.16.52.1 | SUSE-RU-2021:0632-1 |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.0 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0631-1 |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.1 | release-notes-susemanager-proxy | 4.1.5.1-3.26.1 | SUSE-RU-2021:0633-1 |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.0 | release-notes-susemanager-proxy | 4.0.12.1-0.16.52.1 | SUSE-RU-2021:0632-1 |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.0 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0631-1 |
| SUSE Manager Client Tools 12 | salt | 3000-46.129.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0627-1 |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 12 SP2 | salt | 3000-46.129.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0627-1 |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 6 | salt | 3000-24.1 | SUSE-SU-2021:0631-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 15.2 | salt | 3000-lp152.3.27.1 | openSUSE-SU-2021:0347-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
GitHub 1 repository
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stealthcopter/CVE-2020-28243 ★ 20 · Dec 22, 2020
CVE-2020-28243 Local Privledge Escalation Exploit in SaltStack Minion
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | salt | < 2015.8.13 | 2015.8.13 | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | >= 2016.3.0, < 2016.11.5 | 2016.11.5 | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | >= 2016.11.7, < 2016.11.10 | 2016.11.10 | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | >= 2017.5.0, < 2017.7.8 | 2017.7.8 | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | >= 2018.2.0, <= 2018.3.5 | — | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | >= 2019.2.0, < 2019.2.8 | 2019.2.8 | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | >= 3000, < 3000.7 | 3000.7 | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | >= 3001, < 3001.5 | 3001.5 | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | >= 3002, < 3002.3 | 3002.3 | GHSA-phhw-3wc9-8q75 |
| PyPI | salt | < 2015.8.10 · >= 2015.8.11, < 2015.8.13 · >= 2016.3.0, < 2016.3.4 · >= 2016.3.5, < 2016.3.6 · >= 2016.3.7, < 2016.3.8 · >= 2016.11.0, < 2016.11.3 · >= 2016.11.4, < 2016.11.5 · >= 2016.11.7, < 2016.11.10 · >= 2017.7.0, < 2017.7.8 · >= 2018.3.0rc1, < 2019.2.0rc1 · >= 2019.2.0, < 2019.2.5 · >= 2019.2.… | 2015.8.10, 2015.8.13, 2016.3.4, 2016.3.6, 2016.3.8, 2016.11.3, 2016.11.5, 2016.11.10, 2017.7.8, 2019.2.0rc1, 2019.2.5, 2019.2.8, 3000.6, 3001.4, 3002.5 | PYSEC-2021-73 |
Advisories 13
- USN-6948-1 salt vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jun 25, 2026
- DLA-2815-1 salt - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- SUSE-RU-2021:0632-1 Recommended update for SUSE Manager 4.0.12.1 Release Notes SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2021:0624-1 Security update for py26-compat-salt SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2021:0626-1 Security update for py26-compat-salt SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2021:0628-1 Security update for salt SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2021:0627-1 Security update for salt SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2021:14650-1 Security update for salt SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2021:0630-1 Security update for salt SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2021:0631-1 Security update for salt SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-RU-2021:0633-1 Recommended update for SUSE Manager 4.1.5.1 Release Notes SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2021:0347-1 Security update for salt SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 7, 2025
- WID-SEC-2023-2845 SaltStack Salt: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Aug 8, 2024
References
- https://saltproject.io/security_announcements/active-saltstack-cve-release-2021-feb-25/
- https://github.com/stealthcopter/CVE-2020-28243
- https://sec.stealthcopter.com/cve-2020-28243/
- FEDORA-2021-904a2dbc0c vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2021-5756fbf8a6 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2021-43eb5584ad vendor-advisory
- GLSA-202103-01 vendor-advisory
- [debian-lts-announce] 20211110 [SECURITY] [DLA 2815-1] salt security update mailing-list
- DSA-5011 vendor-advisory
- [debian-lts-announce] 20220103 [SECURITY] [DLA 2480-2] salt regression update mailing-list
- GLSA-202310-22 vendor-advisory