CVE-2026-81849

HIGHPre-NVD 8.88.8
EchelonGraph scoreLOW confidence

This high-severity CVE scores 8.8 under a secondary CVSS source (NVD's own analysis pending). EPSS exploit-prediction score not yet available (the EPSS model rescores nightly; freshly-published CVEs typically appear within 48 hours). GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).

Triggered by: NVD CVSS baseline
Sources: secondary
Trending — 3 sources updated this week
8.8EG
EchelonGraph verdictPlan a fixSerious severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet.
  • High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS PROB: 1%CVSS: 8.8Exploit: None knownExposed: 0

No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.

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. This issue may lead to arbitrary code execution as root if specific sensitive files are overwritten.

To remediate this issue, customers should upgrade amazon-ssm-agent to version 3.3.4515.0 or later.

CVSS v3
8.8
EG Score
8.8(low)
EG Risk
44(Track)
EG Risk 44/100SSVC: Track

EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).

How it’s computed
Severity88% × 45%
Exploitation0% × 40%
Automatability30% × 15%
Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence.
EPSS PROB
1%
EPSS %ILE
44%
KEV
Not listed

Published

August 28, 2026

Last Modified

August 28, 2026

Advisory Details (2)

Auto-updated Aug 28, 2026
Patch available. Sources: github_release.
generic

CVE-2026-81849 - Path traversal in the aws:downloadContent plugin in amazon-ssm-agent

https://aws.amazon.com/security/security-bulletins/2026-091-aws/
github_release Patch Available

Amazon SSM Agent - Release 3.3.4515.0 - 2026-05-21

Patch available: aws/amazon-ssm-agent 3.3.4515.0

https://github.com/aws/amazon-ssm-agent/releases/tag/3.3.4515.0

Vendor Advisories for CVE-2026-81849(1)

These vendors published their own advisory mentioning this CVE — often with vendor-specific remediation steps + affected product lists not in NVD.

Weakness Classification(1)

MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.

Data Freshness Timeline

(refreshed 4× in last 7d / 4× in last 30d)

Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.

  1. 2026-08-30 01:22 UTCEPSS rescore
  2. 2026-08-28 20:25 UTCEG score recompute
  3. 2026-08-28 19:38 UTCEG score recompute
  4. 2026-08-28 19:36 UTCMITRE cvelistV5first tracked

Related CVEs(same CWE)

Frequently asked(5)

What is CVE-2026-81849?
CVE-2026-81849 is a high vulnerability published on August 28, 2026. 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…
When was CVE-2026-81849 disclosed?
CVE-2026-81849 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on August 28, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
Is CVE-2026-81849 actively exploited?
CVE-2026-81849 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. FIRST EPSS estimates a 1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, which ranks it in the top 55.6% of all scored CVEs.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-81849?
CVE-2026-81849 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.8 (NVD). The EG score is currently aggregating — additional source signals are being incorporated as they become available..
How do I remediate CVE-2026-81849?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2026-81849, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.

Dependency Blast Radius

Explore the affected products and dependency analysis for CVE-2026-81849

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