CVE-2026-81849 - Path traversal in the aws:downloadContent plugin in amazon-ssm-agent
Description
CVE-2026-81849 is a path traversal vulnerability in the aws:downloadContent plugin of amazon-ssm-agent before version 3.3.4515.0. It allows an authenticated user with restricted ssm:SendCommand permission to write arbitrary files outside the intended directory with root privileges by using crafted S3 object keys. This can lead to arbitrary code execution as root if sensitive files are overwritten. The issue affects amazon-ssm-agent versions from 2.0.767.0 up to 3.3.4364.0. AWS has released version 3.3.4515.0 to fix this vulnerability. No workarounds are available.
Affected software
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
AWS Systems Manager Agent (amazon-ssm-agent) versions 2.0.767.0 through 3.3.4364.0 contain a path traversal vulnerability (CVE-2026-81849) in the aws:downloadContent plugin. An authenticated remote user with ssm:SendCommand permission restricted to the AWS-DownloadContent document can exploit improper pathname limitation to write files outside the intended download directory with root privileges. This is achieved via crafted object keys in the S3 source targeted by the document. Exploitation may result in arbitrary code execution as root if critical files are overwritten. AWS has addressed this issue in amazon-ssm-agent version 3.3.4515.0 and recommends upgrading to this version or later. No workarounds exist.
Potential Impact
An authenticated user with limited ssm:SendCommand permissions can exploit this vulnerability to write arbitrary files with root privileges outside the intended directory. This can lead to arbitrary code execution as root if sensitive system files are overwritten, potentially compromising the affected system's integrity and security.
Mitigation Recommendations
AWS has released an official fix in amazon-ssm-agent version 3.3.4515.0. Customers should upgrade to version 3.3.4515.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. There are no available workarounds. Ensure any forked or derivative code is also patched accordingly.
Technical Details
- Classification
- {"confidence":0.95,"severitySource":"heuristic","classifier":"rss-v2"}
- Article Source
- {"url":"https://aws.amazon.com/security/security-bulletins/rss/2026-091-aws/","fetched":true,"fetchedAt":"2026-08-28T18:17:18.968Z","wordCount":235}
Threat ID: 6a91d0aeacd9273b492fa906
Added to database: 08/28/2026, 18:17:18 UTC
Last enriched: 09/07/2026, 11:07:37 UTC
Last updated: 10/11/2026, 06:48:19 UTC
Views: 106
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