Search threats, CVEs… ⌘K
Back to vendor advisories
AWS Security BulletinsCVE-2026-81849

CVE-2026-81849 - Path traversal in the aws:downloadContent plugin in amazon-ssm-agent

Bulletin ID: 2026-091-AWS Scope: AWS Content Type: Important (requires attention) Publication Date: 08/28/2026 11:00 AM PDT Description: AWS Systems Manager Agent (amazon-ssm-agent) is Amazon software that runs on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances, edge devices, on-premises servers, and virtual machines (VMs). Amazon-ssm-agent makes it possible for Systems Manager to update, manage, and configure these resources. We identified CVE-2026-81849, where an 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. Impacted versions: Amazon amazon-ssm-agent from 2.0.767.0 to 3.3.4364.0 Please refer to the article below for the most up-to-date and complete information related to this AWS Security Bulletin.

Read the vendor bulletin
Not listedCVSS not listedNot listed severity
Scope

What the vendor says is affected

The collected bulletin did not provide a separate affected-products list. Check the original bulletin before making an exposure decision.

Next step

What the vendor recommends

Amazon-ssm-agent makes it possible for Systems Manager to update, manage, and configure these resources.

Review the complete instructions on the vendor's site
Update history

What changed in later vendor updates

SecurityAlert records field-level changes from the point we begin following a bulletin. Earlier vendor changes may not have a field-by-field record.

    • The vendor changed the advisory's last-updated date.
    • The vendor changed the advisory's last-updated date.
Timeline

When this advisory changed

  1. Added to SecurityAlert

    We collected the advisory from the official source.

  2. Published by AWS

    The publication date reported by the vendor.

  3. Confirmed at the source

    Our collector saw this advisory during a later source check.

Vulnerabilities

CVEs named in this advisory

CVE-2026-81849View CVSS, KEV, EPSS, and threat context
Keep investigating
See every advisory from this vendor