In plain language
What this advisory means
A security vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-13760, was found in the AWS Cloud Development Kit's NodejsFunction Docker bundling process. This flaw could let a malicious actor run unauthorized commands on the computer used to build the software, but only if they can control certain dependency version information in a project file called package.json. AWS fixed this issue in version 2.260.0 of aws-cdk-lib and recommends upgrading to this or a later version. As a temporary measure, users should ensure all package versions come from trusted sources or use local bundling instead of Docker bundling.
Technical explanation
How the issue affects the environment
CVE-2026-13760 is an OS command injection vulnerability identified in the NodejsFunction Docker bundling pipeline within aws-cdk-lib versions prior to 2.260.0. The vulnerability arises because the tool parses dependency version strings from a project's package.json file during Docker-based bundling with nodeModules enabled. If an attacker can inject shell metacharacters into these version strings—which the underlying OsCommand helper then executes—they can run arbitrary shell commands on the host machine running the AWS CDK toolchain. This issue requires control over the package.json dependency version field. The fix implemented in aws-cdk-lib v2.260.0 sanitizes or restricts this input to prevent command injection.
Operational impact
Why teams should care
If exploited, this vulnerability lets attackers run arbitrary commands on the host machine performing the AWS CDK build process. This could lead to unauthorized access, data compromise, or disruption of AWS infrastructure deployment workflows. Organizations that use Docker-based NodejsFunction bundling with untrusted package.json dependencies risk operational exposure. Upgrading to the fixed version or applying strict controls on dependency sources mitigates these risks and helps maintain secure cloud infrastructure provisioning.
Immediate action
Upgrade aws-cdk-lib to version 2.260.0 or later where the vulnerability is fixed. Verify that any forked or derivative repositories of aws-cdk-lib incorporate the patch. Confirm that dependency version strings in package.json files are from trusted sources to prevent injection attacks. Use local bundling instead of Docker-based bundling as an interim workaround to avoid the vulnerable code path.
Affected and fixed releases
Temporary risk reduction
Use local bundling instead of Docker-based bundling for NodejsFunction to bypass the vulnerable Docker bundling pipeline. Additionally, ensure that all nodeModules dependencies and their version strings in package.json are strictly from trusted sources to prevent command injection through manipulated version strings.
Evidence and validation checklist
- AWS Security Bulletin 2026-050-AWS describing CVE-2026-13760
- Official AWS advisory dated 2026-07-01 recommending upgrade to 2.260.0
- Acknowledgement of external reporter collaboration via AWS Vulnerability Disclosure Program
- Description of vulnerability propagation via dependency version strings in package.json during Docker bundling
Authoritative reference
AWS Security Bulletins
QCS detected and normalized this record from the official source. Vendor guidance remains authoritative.