GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78

Summary
AWS CLI is a command line tool for interacting with AWS services. When the cli_history feature is enabled, the history database file is created with default permissions, potentially allowing other local users on a multi-user system to read the file.

Impact
When cli_history is enabled, AWS CLI stores command history including command parameters and API request/response data in a local SQLite database. On multi-user Unix systems, the default file permissions may allow other local users to read this file, potentially exposing sensitive information. This issue only affects users who have explicitly enabled cli_history, which is disabled by default.

Impacted versions: 1.13.0 - 1.44.37 (v1), 2.0.0 - 2.33.20 (v2)

Patches
This issue has been addressed in the latest versions 2.33.21 and 1.44.38 of AWS CLI. We recommend upgrading to the latest version and ensuring any forked or derivative code is patched to incorporate the new fixes.

Workarounds
Users can manually set restrictive permissions on the history database file. Alternatively, disable cli_history by removing cli_history = enabled from the AWS config file.

Resources
If there are any questions or comments about this advisory, contact AWS Security via the vulnerability reporting page or directly via email to [email protected]. Please do not create a public GitHub issue.

GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, no 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 (1.44.38); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78? GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in awscli (pip), affecting versions >= 1.13.0, < 1.44.38. It is fixed in 1.44.38.
2. How severe is GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78? GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (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 GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78? awscli (pip) versions >= 1.13.0, < 1.44.38 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78? Yes. GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78 is fixed in 1.44.38. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78 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 GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78 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 GHSA-747P-WMPV-9C78? Upgrade awscli to 1.44.38 or later.