Athena — CraftedSignal Threat Feed

Amazon Athena ODBC Driver OS Command Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2026-5485)

hello@craftedsignal.io — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

CVE-2026-5485 is an OS command injection vulnerability affecting the Amazon Athena ODBC driver before version 2.0.5.1 on Linux systems. The vulnerability resides in the browser-based authentication component of the driver. A local attacker can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious connection parameters that are then processed by the driver during a locally initiated connection attempt. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system with the privileges of the user running the ODBC driver. This poses a significant risk to systems using vulnerable versions of the driver. The vulnerability was published on April 3, 2026.

Attack Chain

An attacker gains local access to a Linux system with the vulnerable Amazon Athena ODBC driver installed (version before 2.0.5.1).
The attacker crafts specially crafted connection parameters designed to inject OS commands. This could involve manipulating fields expected by the driver to trigger command execution.
The attacker initiates a connection to Amazon Athena using the vulnerable ODBC driver and the crafted connection parameters.
The ODBC driver attempts to authenticate using the browser-based authentication component, loading the malicious connection parameters.
Due to the vulnerability, the crafted parameters are not properly sanitized, leading to OS command injection.
The injected OS commands are executed on the system with the privileges of the user running the ODBC driver.
The attacker can leverage the command execution to install malware, create new user accounts, or exfiltrate sensitive data.

Impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-5485 allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on a vulnerable Linux system. The impact includes potential data theft, system compromise, and lateral movement within the network. Given the nature of command injection, the attacker has significant control over the compromised system, allowing for a wide range of malicious activities. Organizations using the affected Amazon Athena ODBC driver on Linux should prioritize patching to mitigate this risk.

Recommendation

Upgrade the Amazon Athena ODBC driver to version 2.0.5.1 or later on all Linux systems to remediate CVE-2026-5485.
Monitor process creation events on Linux systems for unusual processes spawned by the ODBC driver using the Sigma rules provided below.
Implement strict access control policies on Linux systems to limit the ability of attackers to leverage local access to exploit the vulnerability.
Enable logging for ODBC driver activity and review logs for suspicious connection attempts.
Deploy the provided Sigma rule to detect potential exploitation attempts by monitoring for command line arguments indicative of command injection.

Amazon Athena ODBC Driver Man-in-the-Middle Vulnerability

hello@craftedsignal.io — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 21:17:12 +0000

A man-in-the-middle (MitM) vulnerability has been identified in the Amazon Athena ODBC driver. Specifically, versions prior to 2.1.0.0 exhibit improper certificate validation within the identity provider connection components. This flaw allows a threat actor positioned in the network to intercept authentication credentials when the driver attempts to connect to external identity providers. This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2026-35560, poses a significant risk to organizations utilizing affected versions of the Athena ODBC driver with external identity providers. The lack of proper certificate validation can lead to credential compromise and subsequent unauthorized access to sensitive data within Athena. This does not affect connections directly to Athena.

Attack Chain

The attacker positions themselves in a privileged network location between the user’s machine and the external identity provider.
The user attempts to establish a connection to Amazon Athena using the vulnerable ODBC driver version (prior to 2.1.0.0). The connection is configured to use an external identity provider for authentication.
The ODBC driver initiates a connection to the configured external identity provider.
The attacker intercepts the network traffic between the ODBC driver and the identity provider.
Due to the lack of proper certificate validation in the vulnerable ODBC driver, the attacker can present a fraudulent certificate to the driver without triggering an error.
The ODBC driver, trusting the fraudulent certificate, proceeds with the authentication process and transmits the user’s credentials to the attacker-controlled server.
The attacker captures the user’s authentication credentials (e.g., username and password or an access token).
The attacker uses the stolen credentials to authenticate to the external identity provider or directly to resources protected by those credentials, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data within Amazon Athena or other connected services.

Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows a man-in-the-middle attacker to intercept authentication credentials used to connect to external identity providers. This could lead to unauthorized access to an organization’s Amazon Athena data and other resources protected by the compromised credentials. The severity of the impact depends on the privileges associated with the compromised user account. If successful, the attacker could potentially read, modify, or delete sensitive data stored in Athena, leading to data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. The number of potential victims is directly proportional to the number of organizations using affected versions of the Athena ODBC driver with external identity providers.

Recommendation

Upgrade the Amazon Athena ODBC driver to version 2.1.0.0 or later to remediate the improper certificate validation vulnerability as documented in CVE-2026-35560.
Monitor network traffic for unexpected connections to external identity providers from machines running the Athena ODBC driver. Use network connection logs to identify suspicious activity.
Implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of a successful man-in-the-middle attack, reducing the attacker’s ability to intercept traffic.

Amazon Athena ODBC Driver Authentication Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2026-35561)

hello@craftedsignal.io — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 21:17:12 +0000

CVE-2026-35561 identifies a critical vulnerability within the Amazon Athena ODBC driver, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.1.0.0. This flaw resides in the browser-based authentication components, where insufficient security controls could enable attackers to intercept or hijack legitimate authentication sessions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate protection mechanisms within the authentication flows, leaving users susceptible to unauthorized access. To mitigate this risk, Amazon recommends that users immediately upgrade to version 2.1.0.0 of the Athena ODBC driver. The affected driver is used on Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems to connect to the Amazon Athena service. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access and manipulation within the victim’s Athena environment.

Attack Chain

The attacker identifies a target using a vulnerable version of the Amazon Athena ODBC driver (prior to 2.1.0.0).
The attacker intercepts the browser-based authentication flow initiated by the ODBC driver. This could involve techniques such as man-in-the-middle attacks or exploiting vulnerabilities in the underlying browser or network infrastructure.
Due to insufficient security controls, the attacker is able to extract or manipulate the authentication credentials or session tokens.
The attacker uses the stolen credentials to authenticate to Amazon Athena as the compromised user.
The attacker queries sensitive data stored within Athena databases.
The attacker modifies data within the Athena environment, potentially injecting malicious code or altering existing records.
The attacker pivots to other AWS services accessible with the compromised account.

Impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-35561 can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in Amazon Athena. The impact includes potential data breaches, data manipulation, and lateral movement to other AWS services if the compromised user has sufficient permissions. Given that Athena is often used to analyze large datasets, the compromise could expose significant amounts of business-critical information. The CVSS score of 7.4 highlights the severity of this vulnerability, particularly the high confidentiality and integrity impact.

Recommendation

Immediately upgrade the Amazon Athena ODBC driver to version 2.1.0.0 or later across all affected systems to remediate CVE-2026-35561.
Monitor network traffic for suspicious authentication patterns related to Amazon Athena, using a network intrusion detection system (IDS) or firewall logs.
Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all AWS accounts accessing Amazon Athena to mitigate the impact of compromised credentials.
Deploy the Sigma rule “Detect Suspicious Athena ODBC Driver User Agent” to identify potentially vulnerable or malicious driver versions in use.
Review and enforce least privilege access controls for all IAM roles and users accessing Amazon Athena to limit the potential impact of unauthorized access.

Amazon Athena ODBC Driver Command Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2026-35558)

hello@craftedsignal.io — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 21:17:11 +0000

The Amazon Athena ODBC driver versions prior to 2.1.0.0 are susceptible to a command injection vulnerability, identified as CVE-2026-35558. This flaw arises from the driver’s failure to properly neutralize special elements within connection parameters during the authentication process. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious connection strings that, when processed by the vulnerable driver, allow for the execution of arbitrary code on the system or redirection of the authentication flow. The vulnerability was disclosed on April 3, 2026. Organizations utilizing the affected Amazon Athena ODBC driver versions on Windows, Linux, and macOS systems are at risk. Upgrade to version 2.1.0.0 to mitigate the risk.

Attack Chain

An attacker identifies a system using a vulnerable version of the Amazon Athena ODBC driver (prior to 2.1.0.0).
The attacker crafts a malicious ODBC connection string containing special characters or commands designed to be executed by the underlying operating system.
A user or application attempts to connect to Amazon Athena using the crafted connection string.
The vulnerable Amazon Athena ODBC driver processes the connection string, failing to properly neutralize the special elements.
The injected commands are executed by the operating system, potentially allowing the attacker to gain control of the system. This is due to the driver calling system functions to process the parameters without proper sanitization.
The attacker could install malware, exfiltrate sensitive data, or pivot to other systems on the network.
Alternatively, the attacker can redirect the authentication flow to a malicious server.
The attacker gains unauthorized access to the Athena database or the system.

Impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-35558 allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system with the privileges of the user running the application using the ODBC driver. This can lead to complete system compromise, including data theft, system corruption, or use of the compromised system as a foothold for further attacks within the organization’s network. While specific victim numbers are unknown, any system using a vulnerable version of the Amazon Athena ODBC driver is at risk. Sectors impacted depend on which organizations use Athena and the vulnerable ODBC driver.

Recommendation

Immediately upgrade the Amazon Athena ODBC driver to version 2.1.0.0 or later on all affected systems (Windows, Linux, macOS) to remediate CVE-2026-35558, as recommended by Amazon in their security bulletin.
Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all connection parameters passed to the Amazon Athena ODBC driver to prevent exploitation of command injection vulnerabilities, mitigating the risk even if an older driver version is temporarily in use.
Enable process creation logging with command line arguments and monitor for unusual processes spawned by the Athena ODBC driver executable (e.g., AmazonAthenaODBC.exe on Windows) to detect potential command injection attempts.