Critical

Unauthenticated AWS CLI Command Injection RCE in aws-mcp-server

IdentifiersCVE-2026-5059CWE-78· Improper Neutralization of Special…

CVE-2026-5059 is a command injection vulnerability in the community-maintained aws-mcp-server project. The flaw exists in the handling of the allowed commands list, where a user-supplied string is not properly validated or sanitized before being incorporated into a system call. Because aws-mcp-server translates Model Context Protocol requests into AWS CLI commands, an attacker can supply crafted input that appears to match an allowed command while injecting additional shell metacharacters or commands. Successful exploitation results in arbitrary code execution in the context of the MCP server process. The issue is described as affecting aws-mcp-server version 1.3.0; the status of other versions is currently not available. The vulnerability was disclosed by ZDI as ZDI-26-245 and was previously tracked as ZDI-CAN-27969.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the host running aws-mcp-server, with the privileges of the MCP server process. This can lead to full compromise of the server instance, theft of locally accessible data, installation of persistence mechanisms, and use of the host for further lateral movement. In deployments where AWS credentials are mounted or otherwise accessible to the server process, an attacker can read and exfiltrate those credentials, potentially enabling compromise of associated AWS resources or accounts. The published CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H reflects high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Until a patch is available, do not expose aws-mcp-server to untrusted networks. Restrict access to trusted local-only use where possible, and prefer stdio/local transport over network-accessible streamable HTTP deployments. If HTTP transport is required, bind only to localhost or place the service behind strong network ACLs, VPN, or equivalent access controls. Remove or minimize AWS credentials available to the server process, use least-privilege IAM roles, and avoid mounting long-lived credentials such as ~/.aws into the runtime where possible. Monitor for unexpected child process execution and outbound connections from the server host.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

No patch was available at the time of the referenced disclosure. If a fixed release becomes available, upgrade aws-mcp-server immediately to the vendor-supported version that corrects command construction and input validation in the allowed commands handling path. The underlying remediation should eliminate shell interpretation of user-controlled input, avoid passing attacker-influenced strings to system calls, and enforce strict allowlisting and argument separation for AWS CLI invocation.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 1 candidate as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 1 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

Amazon Web ServicesAws-Mcpapplication

Amazon Web ServicesAws-Mcp-Serverapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

9 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

9 SOURCESView more in app

cvefeed high severityNews

Apr 11, 2026

CVE-2026-5059 - aws-mcp-server AWS CLI Command Injection Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

A remote code execution vulnerability in aws-mcp-server caused by improper validation of a user-supplied string in the allowed commands list, leading to command injection and arbitrary code execution without authentication.

zeropath blogNews

Apr 10, 2026

Brief Summary: CVE-2026-5059 - Unauthenticated Command Injection in aws-mcp-server Enables Full Remote Code Execution - ZeroPath Blog | ZeroPath

An unauthenticated OS command injection vulnerability in the community-maintained aws-mcp-server that can allow remote arbitrary command execution and potentially lead to AWS credential theft and full AWS account compromise when credentials are mounted.

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity6