Summary
Key Caching behavior in the DynamoDB Encryption Client.
Workarounds
Users who cannot upgrade to use the CachingMostRecentProvider can call clear() on the cache to manually flush all of its contents. Next use of the key will force a re-validation to occur with the key provider.
Impact
This advisory concerns users of MostRecentProvider in the DynamoDB Encryption Client with a key provider like AWS Key Management Service that allows for permissions on keys to be modified.
When key usage permissions were changed at the key provider, time-based key reauthorization logic in MostRecentProvider did not reauthorize the use of the key. This created the potential for keys to be used in the DynamoDB Encryption Client after permissions to do so were revoked at the key provider.
The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.
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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Fixed as of 1.15.0. We recommend users to modify their code and adopt CachingMostRecentProvider.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-W736-HF9P-QQH3? GHSA-W736-HF9P-QQH3 is a low-severity missing authorization vulnerability in com.amazonaws:aws-dynamodb-encryption-java (maven), affecting versions < 1.15.0. It is fixed in 1.15.0. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
- Which versions of com.amazonaws:aws-dynamodb-encryption-java are affected by GHSA-W736-HF9P-QQH3? com.amazonaws:aws-dynamodb-encryption-java (maven) versions < 1.15.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-W736-HF9P-QQH3? Yes. GHSA-W736-HF9P-QQH3 is fixed in 1.15.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-W736-HF9P-QQH3 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-W736-HF9P-QQH3 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-W736-HF9P-QQH3 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-W736-HF9P-QQH3? Upgrade
com.amazonaws:aws-dynamodb-encryption-javato 1.15.0 or later.