# CVE-2019-17361: SaltStack Salt is vulnerable to command injection

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2019-17361-saltstack-salt-is-vulnerable-to-command-injection  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2020-01-17  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2019-17361 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2020-01-17

In SaltStack Salt through 2019.2.0, the salt-api NET API with the ssh client enabled is vulnerable to command injection. This allows an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the API endpoint to execute arbitrary code on the salt-api host.

Technologies: [salt (PyPI)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/pypi-salt). Vendors: [PyPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2019-17361 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2019-17361 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2019-17361?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 17 January 2020.

**Which products and versions are affected?** salt (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2019.2.1, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2019.2.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2019-17361?** Yes. salt (PyPI): upgrade to 2019.2.1, 2019.2.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**Am I affected by CVE-2019-17361?** Check whether you run salt (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- salt (PyPI): upgrade to 2019.2.1, 2019.2.3 or later

  ```sh
  pip install "salt>=2019.2.3"
  ```


## Affected products

- salt (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2019.2.1, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2019.2.3

## Identifiers

- CVE-2019-17361
- GHSA-q53j-p6r2-g2v4
- PYSEC-2020-177

## Related threats

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- [PYSEC-2026-1902 - Salt Authentication Protocol Version Downgrade Allows Minion Impersonation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-62349-salt-authentication-protocol-version-downgrade-allows-minion)
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- [PYSEC-2026-1895 - Salt's file contents overwrite the VirtKey class](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-22241-salt-s-file-contents-overwrite-the-virtkey-class)
- [PYSEC-2026-1898 - Salt's on demand pillar functionality vulnerable to arbitrary command injections](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-22237-salt-s-on-demand-pillar-functionality-vulnerable-to-arbitrary)
