What is GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG?

GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG is a low-severity security vulnerability in basti-cdk (npm), affecting versions < 1.0.1. It is fixed in 1.0.1.

Which versions of basti-cdk are affected by GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG?

basti-cdk (npm) versions < 1.0.1 is affected.

Is there a fix for GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG?

Yes. GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG is fixed in 1.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG 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.

What actually determines whether GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG 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.

GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG in basti-cdk

Q: Which versions of basti-cdk are affected by GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG?

basti-cdk (npm) versions < 1.0.1 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG?

Yes. GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG is fixed in 1.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG 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.

Q: What actually determines whether GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG 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.

Q: How do I fix GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG?

Upgrade basti-cdk to 1.0.1 or later.

Summary

Minimal basti IAM Policy Allows Shell Access

The provided Minimal IAM Policy for bastic connect does not include ssm:SessionDocumentAccessCheck. This results in the ability to get a shell session on the bastion, not just the intended access for Port Forwarding.

Details

basti connect is designed to "securely connect to your RDS/Aurora/Elasticache/EC2 instances", using a bastion instance "with AWS Session Manager port forwarding capability to make the target available on your localhost."

The Minimal IAM Policy allows port forwarding via the following statement:

 {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": "ssm:StartSession",
      "Resource": [
        "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:document/AWS-StartPortForwardingSessionToRemoteHost",
        "arn:aws:ec2:<your-region>:<your-account-id>:instance/<your-basti-instance-id>"
      ]
    }

This statement does not include the following condition:

"Condition": {
    "BoolIfExists": {
        "ssm:SessionDocumentAccessCheck": "true"
    }
}

As a result, the basti connect minimal policy is logically identical to:

 {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": "ssm:StartSession",
      "Resource": [
        "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:document/AWS-StartPortForwardingSessionToRemoteHost",
        "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:document/SSM-SessionManagerRunShell",
        "arn:aws:ec2:<your-region>:<your-account-id>:instance/<your-basti-instance-id>"
      ]
    }

A basti admin would expect users under the minimal policy to be able to port forward. However, they could also get a shell on the bastion.

For more details on this footgun, see: https://ramimac.me/ssm-iam

PoC

Complete instructions, including specific configuration details, to reproduce the vulnerability.

Impact

Impact would depend on configuration/hardening of the bastion. I've seen examples where bastions have credentials to downstream systems in configuration or memory that would be exposed.

Affected versions

basti-cdk (< 1.0.1)

Security releases

basti-cdk → 1.0.1 (npm)

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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Remediation advice

Upgrade basti-cdk to 1.0.1 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG? GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG is a low-severity security vulnerability in basti-cdk (npm), affecting versions < 1.0.1. It is fixed in 1.0.1.
Which versions of basti-cdk are affected by GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG? basti-cdk (npm) versions < 1.0.1 is affected.
Is there a fix for GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG? Yes. GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG is fixed in 1.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG 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-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG 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-Q4PP-J36H-3GQG? Upgrade basti-cdk to 1.0.1 or later.