How severe is CVE-2021-3197?

CVE-2021-3197 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-3197 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 72% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-3197?

CVE-2021-3197 primarily affects Saltstack Salt. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-3197?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2021-3197 published?

CVE-2021-3197 was published on 2021-02-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-3197

CVE-2021-3197 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Saltstack Salt with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 72% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-74.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 72% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-74
Affected product: Saltstack Salt
Published: 2021-02-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 3002.5. The salt-api's ssh client is vulnerable to a shell injection by including ProxyCommand in an argument, or via ssh_options provided in an API request.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-3197?: An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 3002.5. The salt-api's ssh client is vulnerable to a shell injection by including ProxyCommand in an argument, or via ssh_options provided in an API request.
How severe is CVE-2021-3197?: CVE-2021-3197 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-3197 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 72% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-3197?: CVE-2021-3197 primarily affects Saltstack Salt. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-3197?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-3197 published?: CVE-2021-3197 was published on 2021-02-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:a:saltstack:salt:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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