Summary
AWS CDK (aws-cdk-lib) is an open-source framework for defining cloud infrastructure in code and provisioning it through AWS CloudFormation. OS command injection in the NodejsFunction local bundling pipeline in aws-cdk-lib before 2.245.0 (2.246.0 on Windows) might allow a threat actor who controls the value of one or more bundling properties (externalModules, define, loader, inject, or esbuildArgs) to execute arbitrary commands on the host running the CDK toolchain via injected shell metacharacters. This issue requires the threat actor to control the value of one or more of the affected bundling properties in the CDK application.
Impacted versions:
< 2.245.0 (on Windows, < 2.246.0)
Workarounds
Ensure the values supplied to NodejsFunction bundling properties (externalModules, define, loader, inject, esbuildArgs) originate only from trusted sources, and audit third-party constructs and pull requests that set them. Upgrading to a fixed version is the recommended remediation.
References
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, we ask that you contact AWS Security via our vulnerability reporting page or directly via email to [email protected]. Please do not create a public GitHub issue.
Acknowledgement
AWS would like to thank the external researcher Hesham Ashraf who reported this issue through the AWS Vulnerability Disclosure Program (HackerOne) for collaborating on it through the coordinated vulnerability disclosure process.
Impact
During local Lambda bundling, NodejsFunction assembled an esbuild command string from the bundling properties externalModules, define, loader, inject, and esbuildArgs and executed it via a shell (bash -c on Linux/macOS, cmd /c on Windows) through spawnSync. The property values were interpolated without escaping or validation, so values containing shell metacharacters could execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the user running cdk synth, cdk deploy, or cdk diff. Exploitation requires a threat actor to control one or more of the affected property values in the CDK application, for example via an untrusted npm dependency that vends a wrapper construct, or via a pull request that introduces untrusted values.
Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host. Typical impact: code execution in the application's environment.
CVE-2026-11417 has a CVSS score of 7.3 (High). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.246.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
This issue has been addressed in aws-cdk-lib version 2.245.0 (PR #37292), with a Windows-specific regression fix in 2.246.0 (PR #37412). The fix replaces shell-based command execution with array-based spawnSync invocation that does not invoke a shell. We recommend upgrading to the latest version and ensuring any forked or derivative code is patched to incorporate the new fixes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-11417? CVE-2026-11417 is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in aws-cdk-lib (npm), affecting versions < 2.246.0. It is fixed in 2.246.0. Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host.
- How severe is CVE-2026-11417? CVE-2026-11417 has a CVSS score of 7.3 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of aws-cdk-lib are affected by CVE-2026-11417? aws-cdk-lib (npm) versions < 2.246.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-11417? Yes. CVE-2026-11417 is fixed in 2.246.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-11417 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-11417 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-11417 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-11417? Upgrade
aws-cdk-libto 2.246.0 or later.