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SaltStack Salt API Unauthenticated RCE through wheel_async client

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SaltStack Salt API Unauthenticated RCE through wheel_async client

Disclosed
02/25/2021
Created
04/01/2021

Description

This module leverages an authentication bypass and directory traversal vulnerabilities in Saltstack Salt's REST API to execute commands remotely on the `master` as the root user. Every 60 seconds, `salt-master` service performs a maintenance process check that reloads and executes all the `grains` on the `master`, including custom grain modules in the Extension Module directory. So, this module simply creates a Python script at this location and waits for it to be executed. The time interval is set to 60 seconds by default but can be changed in the `master` configuration file with the `loop_interval` option. Note that, if an administrator executes commands locally on the `master`, the maintenance process check will also be performed. It has been fixed in the following installation packages: 3002.5, 3001.6 and 3000.8. Also, a patch is available for the following versions: 3002.2, 3001.4, 3000.6, 2019.2.8, 2019.2.5, 2018.3.5, 2017.7.8, 2016.11.10, 2016.11.6, 2016.11.5, 2016.11.3, 2016.3.8, 2016.3.6, 2016.3.4, 2015.8.13 and 2015.8.10. This module has been tested successfully against versions 3001.4, 3002 and 3002.2 on Ubuntu 18.04.

Author(s)

  • Alex Seymour
  • Christophe De La Fuente

Platform

Linux,Unix

Architectures

cmd, x86, x64

Development

Module Options

To display the available options, load the module within the Metasploit console and run the commands 'show options' or 'show advanced':

msf > use exploit/linux/http/saltstack_salt_wheel_async_rce
msf exploit(saltstack_salt_wheel_async_rce) > show targets
    ...targets...
msf exploit(saltstack_salt_wheel_async_rce) > set TARGET < target-id >
msf exploit(saltstack_salt_wheel_async_rce) > show options
    ...show and set options...
msf exploit(saltstack_salt_wheel_async_rce) > exploit

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