CVE-2026-13769

AWS CLI: Overly permissive File Permissions

The AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) is a unified tool for managing AWS services from the command line. Certain CLI subcommands wrote credential and configuration files with world-readable permissions on Unix-like systems with a default umask, allowing other local users on the same host to read credentials.

On Unix-like systems with a default umask, the following AWS CLI subcommands wrote credential or configuration files with world-readable permissions (0644) instead of owner-only (0600): 

• aws codeartifact login 

• aws iam create-virtual-mfa-device  

• aws deploy register

Any other local user on the same host could read these files and obtain the credentials.  

Impacted versions: <=1.44.77 (v1) AND <=2.34.28 (v2)

A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended. Typical impact: unauthorized read, modification, or execution of the resource.

CVE-2026-13769 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (1.44.78); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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This issue has been addressed in AWS CLI v1 version 1.44.78 and AWS CLI v2 version 2.34.29. We recommend upgrading to the latest version and ensuring any forked or derivative code is patched to incorporate the new fixes. 

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.

1. What is CVE-2026-13769? CVE-2026-13769 is a medium-severity incorrect permission assignment for critical resource vulnerability in awscli (pip), affecting versions <= 1.44.77. It is fixed in 1.44.78. A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-13769? CVE-2026-13769 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). 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.
3. Which versions of awscli are affected by CVE-2026-13769? awscli (pip) versions <= 1.44.77 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-13769? Yes. CVE-2026-13769 is fixed in 1.44.78. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-13769 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-13769 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-13769 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-13769? Upgrade awscli to 1.44.78 or later.

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