Summary
AWS SDK for Java 2.0: Improper Handling of Special Characters in CloudFront Signing Utilities
This notification is related to the CloudFront signing utilities in the AWS SDK for Java v2, which are used to generate Amazon CloudFront signed URLs and signed cookies. A defense-in-depth enhancement has been implemented to improve handling of special characters, such as double quotes and backslashes, in input values.
Impacted versions:
2.18.33 - 2.41.29
Workarounds
No workarounds are needed, but customers should ensure that your application is following security best practices:
- Implement proper input validation in your application code before passing values to CloudFront signing utilities
- Update to the latest AWS SDK release on a regular basis
- Follow AWS security best practices for SDK configuration
Resources
If there are any questions or comments about this advisory, contact [AWS/Amazon] Security via our vulnerability reporting page or directly via email to [email protected]. Please do not create a public GitHub issue.
Acknowledgement
AWS SDK for Java 2.0 thanks the Amazon Inspector Security Research team for identifying this issue and working with us through the coordinated process.
Impact
The CloudFront signing utilities build policy documents that define access restrictions for signed URLs and cookies. If an application passes unsanitized input containing special characters to these utilities, the resulting policy document may not reflect the application's intended access restrictions. While the SDK was functioning safely within the requirements of the shared responsibility model, additional safeguards have been added to support secure customer implementations. Applications that already follow AWS security best practices for input validation are not impacted.
The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.
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
On 2026.02.16, an enhancement was made to AWS SDK for Java v2 version 2.41.30. The enhancement ensures that special characters in input values are correctly handled. We recommend upgrading to the latest version.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H? GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H is a high-severity improper input validation vulnerability in software.amazon.awssdk:cloudfront (maven), affecting versions >= 2.18.33, <= 2.41.29. It is fixed in 2.41.30. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
- Which versions of software.amazon.awssdk:cloudfront are affected by GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H? software.amazon.awssdk:cloudfront (maven) versions >= 2.18.33, <= 2.41.29 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H? Yes. GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H is fixed in 2.41.30. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H 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 GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H 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 GHSA-443W-3RQ3-5M5H? Upgrade
software.amazon.awssdk:cloudfrontto 2.41.30 or later.