MEDIUM CVSS 5.3
Published: 2017-04-13

CVE-2015-1838

saltstack salt Security Advisory (CVE-2015-1838)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2015-1838 impacting saltstack salt. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 5.3 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
modules/serverdensity_device.py in SaltStack before 2014.7.4 does not properly handle files in /tmp.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
Low (C:L)
Partial information leakage
Integrity
Low (I:L)
Partial data modification possible
Availability
Low (A:L)
Partial service performance degradation

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product saltstack / salt
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-19

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2015-1838 impacting saltstack salt.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2015-1838.yaml
id: cve-2015-1838

info:
  name: saltstack salt - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2015-1838 affecting saltstack salt.
    Evaluation: modules/serverdensity_device.py in SaltStack before 2014.7.4 does not properly handle files in /tmp....
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2015-1838
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
    cvss-score: 5.3
    cve-id: CVE-2015-1838
    cwe-id: CWE-19
  tags: cve,cve-2015-1838,saltstack,salt,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "salt"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2015-1838.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2015-1838
# Target: saltstack salt | CVSS: 5.3 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2015-1838 (saltstack salt)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against saltstack salt scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2015-1838.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2015-1838
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install salt 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade salt 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update salt

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i salt 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i salt

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2015-1838 in saltstack salt?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update saltstack salt packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2015-1838?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2015-1838?

CVE-2015-1838 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.3 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
5.3
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2015-1838
Weakness CWE-19
Vendor saltstack
Product salt
Published 2017-04-13
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L