CVE-2022-22967Network attack vector

Continued command execution via omitted PAM account check

Published Jun 22, 2022 · Updated May 5, 2025

Incorrect authorization in Salt before 3002.9, 3003.5, or 3004.2 allows remote authenticated users with locked accounts to run commands. The PAM eAuth backend accepts valid credentials without enforcing the PAM account-status result, so locking an account does not revoke its Salt authorization. Reachability requires prior authorization and PAM eAuth through salt-api, or an existing local shell session; commands retain the account's configured Salt permissions.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability2.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in Salt before 3002.9, 3003.5, or 3004.2 allows remote authenticated users with locked accounts to run commands. The PAM eAuth backend accepts valid credentials without enforcing the PAM account-status result, so locking an account does not revoke its Salt authorization. Reachability requires prior authorization and PAM eAuth through salt-api, or an existing local shell session; commands retain the account's configured Salt permissions.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-22967
Published
Jun 22, 2022
Updated
May 5, 2025
Vendor
Salt Project
Product
Salt
Classifications
CWE-863, T1078
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 22, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 5, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=SaltStack Salt prior to 3002.9, 3003.5, 3004.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Salt Project · Saltversion=SaltStack Salt prior to 3002.9, 3003.5, 3004.2

Published CVSS scores

8.8CISACVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5Salt ProjectCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-863Incorrect Authorization
T1078Valid Accounts

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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