CVE-2026-81849

Public on 2026-08-28
Modified on 2026-10-01
Description
Improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory in the aws:downloadContent plugin in amazon-ssm-agent before 3.3.4515.0 might allow an authenticated remote user whose ssm:SendCommand permission is restricted to the AWS-DownloadContent document, to write arbitrary files outside the intended download directory with root privileges, via crafted object keys in the S3 source the document is directed to retrieve. This issue may lead to arbitrary code execution as root if specific sensitive files are overwritten.



To remediate this issue, customers should upgrade amazon-ssm-agent to version 3.3.4515.0 or later.
Severity
Important severity
Important
See what this means
CVSS v3 Base Score
8.8
See breakdown

Affected Packages

Platform Package Release Date Advisory Status
Amazon Linux 2 - Core amazon-ssm-agent Pending Fix
Amazon Linux 2023 amazon-ssm-agent Pending Fix
Amazon Linux 2027 Preview amazon-ssm-agent Not Affected

CVSS Scores

Score Type Score Vector
Amazon Linux CVSSv3 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H