CVE-2021-31607 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

SaltStack Salt 2016.9 through 3002.6 is affected by a command injection vulnerability in the snapper module, enabling local privilege escalation on a minion. This CVE was published by MITRE on April 23, 2021.

Understanding CVE-2021-31607

SaltStack Salt versions between 2016.9 and 3002.6 are prone to a command injection flaw in the snapper module, leading to local privilege escalation on a minion.

What is CVE-2021-31607?

CVE-2021-31607 is a vulnerability in SaltStack Salt software that allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands locally, resulting in unauthorized privilege escalation.

The Impact of CVE-2021-31607

This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to elevate their privileges on a minion, potentially leading to further compromises within the system.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-31607

The following details shed light on the technical aspects of CVE-2021-31607.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a command injection flaw in the snapper module, which can be abused by an attacker to escalate privileges on a minion.

Affected Systems and Versions

SaltStack Salt versions from 2016.9 through 3002.6 are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker needs to create a file with a specific pathname backed up by snapper, following which the master must call the snapper.diff function, which is executed unsafely through popen.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting your system from CVE-2021-31607 requires immediate action and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Implement the patch provided by SaltStack immediately to mitigate the vulnerability.
Regularly monitor and audit minion systems for any unauthorized changes or activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct regular security training for system administrators and users to raise awareness of potential threats and best practices.
Keep SaltStack Salt updated to the latest secure version to prevent known vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Refer to the provided vendor advisories and security updates to patch your system against CVE-2021-31607.