CVE-2026-81849 - Path traversal in the aws:downloadContent plugin in amazon-ssm-agent
AWS Security Bulletins has published a new security advisory. Here is a summary and what to do.
Key points
- New advisory from AWS Security Bulletins.
- Review affected versions in the advisory.
- Apply updates promptly.
AWS Security Bulletins published a security advisory titled “CVE-2026-81849 - Path traversal in the aws:downloadContent plugin in amazon-ssm-agent”.
At a glance
- Publisher
- AWS Security Bulletins
- CVEs
- CVE-2026-81849
What the advisory says
Bulletin ID: 2026-091-AWS Scope: AWS Content Type: Important (requires attention) Publication Date: 08/28/2026 11:00 AM PDT Description: AWS Systems Manager Agent (amazon-ssm-agent) is Amazon software that runs on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances, edge devices, on-premises servers, and virtual machines (VMs). Amazon-ssm-agent makes it possible for Systems Manager to update, manage, and configure these resources. We identified CVE-2026-81849, where an improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory in the aws:downloadContent plugin in amazon-ssm-agent before 3.3.4515.0 might allow an authenticated remote user whose ssm:SendCommand permission is restricted to the AWS-DownloadContent document, to write arbitrary files outside the intended download directory with root privileges, via crafted object keys in the S3 source the document is directed to retrieve. Thi
What should you do?
- Read the full vendor advisory linked below and confirm whether you run affected versions.
- Schedule the recommended update, prioritising internet-facing systems.
- Watch for exploitation reports; unpatched edge devices are frequent targets.
What to do and how to stay safe: CVE-2026-81849
- Vulnerability severity scores ignore your specific architecture and context.
- Exploitability depends on network exposure and user behavior, not just code flaws.
- Prioritization requires continuous asset inventory and threat intelligence alignment.
Risk-based vulnerability management focuses your limited resources on the flaws that actually threaten your business. Start by mapping your critical assets and checking for active exploits to prioritize your backlog.
Step-by-step guide: Risk-Based Vulnerability Management: Prioritize Fixes by Actual Danger
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
