CVE-2021-31607
CVE-2021-31607 is a high-severity vulnerability in Saltstack Salt with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-78.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
- CVSS v2: 4.6
- EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-78
- Affected product: Saltstack Salt
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
In SaltStack Salt 2016.9 through 3002.6, a command injection vulnerability exists in the snapper module that allows for local privilege escalation on a minion. The attack requires that a file is created with a pathname that is backed up by snapper, and that the master calls the snapper.diff function (which executes popen unsafely).
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2021-31607?
- In SaltStack Salt 2016.9 through 3002.6, a command injection vulnerability exists in the snapper module that allows for local privilege escalation on a minion. The attack requires that a file is created with a pathname that is backed up by snapper, and that the master calls the snapper.diff function (which executes popen unsafely).
- How severe is CVE-2021-31607?
- CVE-2021-31607 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2021-31607 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2021-31607?
- CVE-2021-31607 primarily affects Saltstack Salt. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2021-31607?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- When was CVE-2021-31607 published?
- CVE-2021-31607 was published on 2021-04-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/11/msg00009.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/6BUWUF5VTENNP2ZYZBVFKPSUHLKLUBD5/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ACVT7M4YLZRLWWQ6SGRK3C6TOF4FXOXT/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/LDKMAJXYFHM4USVX3H5V2GCCBGASWUSM/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MBAHHSGZLEJRCG4DX6J4RBWJAAWH55RQ/
- https://sec.stealthcopter.com/saltstack-snapper-minion-privledge-escaltion/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-22
- https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-5011
Affected products (4)
- cpe:2.3:a:saltstack:salt:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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