The vulnerability stems from the ClearFuncs class in Salt's salt-master process failing to validate method calls. The advisory explicitly identifies ClearFuncs as the source, and the patched versions introduced allowlists for exposed methods. Critical methods like _prep_auth_info (token retrieval), publish (command execution), and wheel (master-level operations) were accessible without authentication. These functions align with the CVE's description of token theft and remote code execution. The confidence is high due to the direct correlation between the vulnerability's mechanics and the functions' roles in Salt's RPC architecture.