CVE-2021-25281
CriticalExploitedPublic exploitSaltStack Salt Improper Authentication vulnerability
Published May 24, 2022 · Updated Jul 8, 2026 · Also known as GHSA-xxw3-765m-f37p, PYSEC-2021-50, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-25281
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2021-25281 is a critical-severity vulnerability (CVSS 9.8 v3.1) affecting Salt (Saltstack), Debian Linux, Fedora (Fedoraproject) and 22 more products.
- It is exploited in the wild, listed in Industry KEV feed since Jan 14, 2026. Public exploit code is available.
- EPSS estimates a 73% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- Fixed versions are available, including py26-compat-salt 2016.11.10-10.22.1, py26-compat-salt 2016.11.10-6.8.1, python2-salt 3000-24.1.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.
CVSS v3.1
9.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
73%
Higher than 99.4% of all scored CVEs
Exploited in the wild
Yes
1 catalog listing
Public exploit code
Available
Proof-of-concept or weaponized module
Get the full CVE-2021-25281 brief as a PDF
Every affected product and fixed release, exploitation status and a first 24 hours response checklist, emailed within minutes.
Description
An issue was discovered in through SaltStack Salt before 3002.5. salt-api does not honor eauth credentials for the wheel_async client. Thus, an attacker can remotely run any wheel modules on the master.
Known-Exploited Catalog Listings
| Catalog | Added | Remediation due | Ransomware use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry KEV feed | Jan 14, 2026 | n/a | Not reported |
Required action: Apply remediations or mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if remediation or mitigations are unavailable.
Affected Products
334 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| SaltSaltstack | See advisory | 2015.8.10 |
| Debian LinuxDebian | 10.0, 11.0, 9.0 | n/a |
| FedoraFedoraproject | 32, 33, 34 | n/a |
| salt3-apiphoton | See advisory | 3003-1.ph4 |
| salt3-cloudphoton | See advisory | 3003-1.ph4 |
Patched Releases
py26-compat-salt
2016.11.10-10.22.1, 2016.11.10-6.8.1
python2-salt
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1
python3-salt
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
release-notes-susemanager
4.0.12.1-3.68.1, 4.1.5.1-3.38.1
release-notes-susemanager-proxy
4.0.12.1-0.16.52.1, 4.1.5.1-3.26.1
Salt
2015.8.10, 2015.8.13, 2015.8.8+ds-1ubuntu0.1+esm2, 2016.11.10, 2016.11.10-43.69.1, 2016.11.2+ds-1+deb9u7, 2016.11.3, 2016.11.5, 2016.3.4, 2016.3.6, 2016.3.8, 2017.7.4+dfsg1-1ubuntu18.04.2+esm1, 2017.7.8, 2019.2.0rc1, 2019.2.4-2.ph1, 2019.2.5, 2019.2.8, 3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3000.6, 3000.7, 3001.4, 3001.5, 3002.2-6.1, 3002.3, 3002.5, 3002.5-3, 3002.5-r0
salt-api
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-bash-completion
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-cloud
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-doc
2016.11.10-43.69.1, 3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-fish-completion
3000-24.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-master
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-minion
2016.11.10-43.69.1, 3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-proxy
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-ssh
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-standalone-formulas-configuration
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-syndic
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt-transactional-update
3002.2-6.1
salt-zsh-completion
3000-24.1, 3000-46.129.1, 3000-5.106.1, 3000-lp152.3.27.1, 3002.2-6.1
salt3
2019.2.4-2.ph1, 2019.2.8-3.ph3, 3003-1.ph4
salt3-api
3003-1.ph4
salt3-cloud
3003-1.ph4
salt3-master
3003-1.ph4
salt3-minion
3003-1.ph4
salt3-proxy
3003-1.ph4
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
May 24, 2022
Added to Industry KEV feed
Jan 14, 2026
Last updated
Jul 8, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-287 Improper Authentication
References
- advisoryhttps://bugzilla.suse.com/1181550
- advisoryhttps://bugzilla.suse.com/1181556
- advisoryhttps://bugzilla.suse.com/1181557
- advisoryhttps://bugzilla.suse.com/1181558
- advisoryhttps://bugzilla.suse.com/1181559
FAQ
Common Questions.
An issue was discovered in through SaltStack Salt before 3002.5.
Affected: Salt (Saltstack); Debian Linux versions 10.0, 11.0, 9.0; Fedora (Fedoraproject) versions 32, 33, 34, among others. The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is exploited in the wild, listed in Industry KEV feed since Jan 14, 2026.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Public exploit code is available.
Fixed versions are available, including py26-compat-salt 2016.11.10-10.22.1, py26-compat-salt 2016.11.10-6.8.1, python2-salt 3000-24.1.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is listed as exploited in the wild.
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