CRITICAL CVSS 9.8
Published: 2017-08-09

CVE-2015-6941

saltstack salt_2015 Security Advisory (CVE-2015-6941)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2015-6941 impacting saltstack salt_2015. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
win_useradd, salt-cloud and the Linode driver in salt 2015.5.x before 2015.5.6, and 2015.8.x before 2015.8.1 leak password information in debug logs.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product saltstack / salt_2015
Affected Versions 5.0
Weakness Enumeration CWE-534

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-2015-6941 impacting saltstack salt_2015.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2015-6941.yaml
id: cve-2015-6941

info:
  name: saltstack salt_2015 - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2015-6941 affecting saltstack salt_2015.
    Evaluation: win_useradd, salt-cloud and the Linode driver in salt 2015.5.x before 2015.5.6, and 2015.8.x before 2015.8.1 leak password information in debug logs....
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2015-6941
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.8
    cve-id: CVE-2015-6941
    cwe-id: CWE-534
  tags: cve,cve-2015-6941,saltstack,salt_2015,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "salt_2015"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2015-6941.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2015-6941
# Target: saltstack salt_2015 | CVSS: 9.8 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2015-6941 (saltstack salt_2015)...")
    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_2015 scope (5.0).")
        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-2015-6941.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2015-6941
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install salt_2015 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade salt_2015 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update salt_2015

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i salt_2015 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i salt_2015

# 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-2015-6941 in saltstack salt_2015?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update saltstack salt_2015 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-2015-6941?

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-2015-6941?

CVE-2015-6941 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.8
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2015-6941
Weakness CWE-534
Vendor saltstack
Product salt_2015
Published 2017-08-09
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H