CVE-2025-1969 is a vulnerability identified in AWS's Temporary Elevated Access Management (TEAM) component for AWS IAM Identity Center. The root cause is an origin validation error classified under CWE-346, where the system fails to properly validate the source of requests. This flaw enables an attacker with low privileges to intercept and modify a legitimate request to TEAM, spoofing an approval that grants temporary elevated access without proper authorization. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network, increasing its risk profile. The impact is primarily on integrity, as unauthorized privilege escalation can occur, potentially allowing attackers to perform actions reserved for higher privilege roles. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium severity), reflecting the ease of exploitation (low complexity, no user interaction) but limited impact on confidentiality and availability. AWS has addressed this vulnerability in TEAM version 1.2.2, urging users to upgrade promptly. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but given the critical role of IAM in cloud security, the vulnerability warrants immediate attention. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to 1.2.2, and organizations relying on AWS IAM Identity Center with TEAM should verify their deployment versions and apply the patch. This vulnerability highlights the importance of strict origin validation in access management workflows to prevent spoofing and unauthorized privilege escalation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized privilege escalation within AWS cloud environments, potentially leading to misuse of elevated permissions and unauthorized access to sensitive resources. Given the widespread adoption of AWS in Europe, especially among enterprises and public sector organizations, exploitation could disrupt critical business operations and compromise data integrity. The flaw could be leveraged to bypass approval workflows, undermining internal security controls and compliance requirements such as GDPR. While the vulnerability does not directly impact confidentiality or availability, the integrity compromise could facilitate further attacks or data manipulation. Organizations with complex IAM policies or those relying heavily on automated approval processes are particularly vulnerable. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. Prompt patching and access policy reviews are essential to mitigate the impact.

1. Upgrade AWS Temporary Elevated Access Management (TEAM) to version 1.2.2 or later immediately to apply the fix for CVE-2025-1969. 2. Review and tighten IAM policies to minimize the number of users with privileges to request or approve elevated access, implementing the principle of least privilege. 3. Enable and monitor detailed logging and alerting on TEAM approval workflows to detect suspicious or anomalous approval activities. 4. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for users involved in elevated access requests and approvals to add an additional security layer. 5. Conduct regular audits of temporary elevated access grants to ensure they align with business needs and have proper approvals. 6. Use AWS CloudTrail and AWS Config rules to monitor changes in IAM roles and permissions related to TEAM. 7. Educate administrators and users about the risks of privilege escalation and the importance of following secure approval procedures. 8. Consider network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of TEAM interfaces to trusted networks only.