Summary
aws-cdk-lib: OS Command Injection in NodejsFunction Docker Bundling
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 issue in the NodejsFunction Docker bundling pipeline in aws-cdk-lib before 2.260.0 that might allow an actor who controls dependency version strings in a project's package.json file to execute arbitrary commands on the host running the CDK toolchain via injected shell metacharacters in the OsCommand helper. This issue requires the actor to control the content of a package.json dependency version string that is processed during Docker-based bundling with nodeModules specified.
Impacted versions:
< 2.260.0
Workarounds
Ensure that the modules listed in the nodeModules bundling option - and the version strings declared for them in your project's package.json, as well as the versions of the corresponding installed packages - come only from trusted sources, and audit third-party constructs and dependencies that introduce them. Using local bundling instead of Docker-based bundling avoids the affected code path. 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
We would like to thank the external researcher Mostafa Ashraf who reported this issue through the AWS Vulnerability Disclosure Program (HackerOne @kaporia) for collaborating on it through the coordinated vulnerability disclosure process.
Impact
During Docker-based Lambda bundling, when the nodeModules option is specified, NodejsFunction assembled a shell command string, including file-operation commands generated by an internal OsCommand helper, from the version strings of the modules listed in nodeModules, and executed it via a shell (bash -c) inside the bundling container. These version strings were interpolated without shell escaping, so values containing shell metacharacters could execute arbitrary commands inside the bundling container - which has read/write bind mounts to the host filesystem - with the privileges of the user running cdk synth, cdk deploy, or cdk diff. Leveraging this issue requires an actor to control a dependency version string for one of the listed modules - for example via an untrusted npm package referenced through nodeModules.
Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host. Typical impact: code execution in the application's environment.
CVE-2026-13760 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 (2.260.0); 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.
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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
This issue has been addressed in aws-cdk-lib version 2.260.0 (PR #38133). 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-2026-13760? CVE-2026-13760 is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in aws-cdk-lib (npm), affecting versions < 2.260.0. It is fixed in 2.260.0. Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host.
- How severe is CVE-2026-13760? CVE-2026-13760 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-2026-13760? aws-cdk-lib (npm) versions < 2.260.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-13760? Yes. CVE-2026-13760 is fixed in 2.260.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-13760 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-13760 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-2026-13760 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-2026-13760? Upgrade
aws-cdk-libto 2.260.0 or later.