Zenity Labs reported an attack chain dubbed AgentCorruption that could let an external attacker obtain temporary AWS credentials through a single malicious prompt sent to a public-facing Amazon Bedrock AgentCore agent. Prompt injection induced the agent’s web or shell tool to access instance metadata endpoints, exploiting insufficient network isolation. Overly broad execution-role permissions then enabled access to other agents, container images, source code, conversations, memories, and connected-service secrets within the same AWS account and region. Researchers also demonstrated persistent memory manipulation that could influence agent behavior in future sessions. The findings describe a demonstrated attack chain, not a confirmed customer breach.
Zenity began disclosure in December 2025, and AWS made IMDSv2 mandatory on February 14, 2026. Excessive permissions remained unresolved during a June 22 check, but Zenity said AWS had addressed the outstanding issues by September 29, including removing broad permissions. AWS disputed the vulnerability characterization, saying execution-role credential access was expected behavior. Organizations using AgentCore should enforce least-privilege execution roles, restrict agent network access, monitor credential use and memory changes, and implement controls to prevent bypassing AgentCore Gateway.

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Zenity's final review found that AWS had addressed the outstanding problems, including removing permissions enabling broad agent invocation, chat access, and AWS Secrets Manager access. Zenity stated that the reported issues were fixed.
A follow-up check by Zenity found that AgentCore's excessive permissions remained unremediated despite the earlier metadata-service update and report closure.
AWS classified Zenity's report as informative and closed it, citing the switch to IMDSv2.
AWS updated AgentCore to require IMDSv2, addressing the IMDSv1 metadata-access path described in Zenity's report.
Zenity provided AWS with additional findings showing that default execution-role permissions were not restricted to an individual agent. Exposed credentials could consequently enable access to other agents and sensitive resources in the same AWS account and region.
Zenity disclosed the metadata-access issue to AWS, showing how an agent could be prompted to retrieve temporary credentials for its execution role.
During its late-2025 investigation, Zenity Labs found that AgentCore agents could access instance metadata endpoints using IMDSv1. Researchers attributed the exposure to insufficient network isolation within AgentCore's Firecracker microVMs.
AWS described access to an agent's own execution-role credentials as expected and documented behavior, disputing the characterization as a vulnerability. It recommended least-privilege execution roles and controls preventing callers from bypassing AgentCore Gateway through direct runtime access.
Zenity described how a single prompt could trigger metadata requests through an agent's tools, exposing credentials usable to retrieve container images, read conversations, and access connected-service secrets. Researchers also demonstrated creating false memories that could influence future sessions; the reporting did not establish an actual customer breach.
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