CVE-2025-62348 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code) found in the Salt Project's Salt automation framework, specifically within the junos execution module. The root cause is the unsafe use of YAML deserialization functions that do not properly validate or sanitize input before processing. This flaw allows an attacker to craft a malicious YAML payload that, when processed by the vulnerable junos module, results in arbitrary code execution under the privileges of the Salt process. The affected version is Salt 3006.0. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, indicating high severity, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no public exploits are known at this time, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the potential for full system compromise. Salt is widely used for configuration management and automation, including managing network devices such as Juniper routers via the junos module. The vulnerability could be exploited by an insider or an attacker who has gained limited access to the system running Salt, enabling them to escalate privileges or disrupt operations by executing arbitrary commands. The unsafe YAML loading practice is a common security pitfall, emphasizing the need for secure deserialization methods or sandboxing. The vulnerability was reserved in October 2025 and published in January 2026, with no patch links currently provided, indicating that remediation may still be pending or in progress.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-62348 is substantial. Salt is commonly used in enterprise IT environments for automation and orchestration, including critical infrastructure sectors such as telecommunications, energy, and finance. Exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with Salt process privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise, data breaches, service disruptions, or lateral movement within networks. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means sensitive data could be exfiltrated or destroyed, configurations altered maliciously, and critical services interrupted. Given the local attack vector and low privilege requirement, attackers who gain limited access to Salt-managed systems could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges or implant persistent backdoors. This risk is heightened in environments where Salt manages network devices like Juniper routers, which are integral to network stability and security. Disruption or compromise of such devices could have cascading effects on network availability and security posture. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high severity score underscores the urgency for European organizations to address this vulnerability promptly.

1. Monitor Salt Project advisories closely and apply official patches or updates as soon as they become available for version 3006.0 or affected releases. 2. Until patches are released, restrict access to Salt management systems and the junos execution module to trusted administrators only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 3. Implement strict input validation and sanitization for YAML data processed by Salt, especially from untrusted sources, to prevent malicious payloads. 4. Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to limit the execution context of Salt processes and reduce the impact of potential code execution. 5. Conduct regular audits of Salt configurations and logs to detect unusual activity or unauthorized code execution attempts. 6. Harden the underlying operating systems hosting Salt by applying the principle of least privilege, disabling unnecessary services, and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms. 7. Consider network segmentation to isolate Salt management infrastructure from critical production environments to limit lateral movement in case of compromise. 8. Educate administrators and operators about the risks of unsafe YAML deserialization and secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in custom modules or scripts.