AWS Research and Engineering Studio OS Command Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2026-5707)

hello@craftedsignal.io — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:16:25 +0000

CVE-2026-5707 is an OS command injection vulnerability affecting AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES) versions 2025.03 through 2025.12.01. The vulnerability resides in the virtual desktop session name handling, where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being used in an OS command. A remote, authenticated attacker can exploit this flaw by providing a specially crafted session name, leading to arbitrary command execution as root on the virtual desktop host. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to gain full control over the affected host, potentially compromising sensitive data and disrupting services. Users are advised to upgrade to RES version 2026.03 or apply the corresponding mitigation patch to their existing environment. The vulnerability was reported on April 6, 2026.

Attack Chain

The attacker authenticates to the AWS RES environment with valid credentials.
The attacker initiates a request to create a new virtual desktop session.
The attacker crafts a malicious session name containing OS command injection payload.
The malicious session name is passed to the vulnerable function in AWS RES without proper sanitization.
The vulnerable function executes an OS command, incorporating the unsanitized session name.
The injected command within the session name is executed with root privileges on the virtual desktop host.
The attacker gains arbitrary command execution, allowing them to install malware, create new users, or modify system configurations.
The attacker achieves complete control of the virtual desktop host.

Impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-5707 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the virtual desktop host. This can lead to a complete compromise of the system, potentially affecting all users and data within the AWS RES environment. The attacker can steal sensitive information, install persistent backdoors, or disrupt critical services. The exact number of potential victims is unknown, but any organization utilizing vulnerable versions of AWS RES is at risk.

Recommendation

Immediately upgrade AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES) to version 2026.03 or apply the recommended mitigation patch to address CVE-2026-5707.
Implement input validation and sanitization for all user-supplied data, especially session names, to prevent OS command injection vulnerabilities.
Monitor AWS RES logs for suspicious activity related to session creation and command execution on the virtual desktop hosts.
Deploy the Sigma rule “Detect Suspicious Session Names with OS Command Injection Characters” to identify potential exploitation attempts.
Review and harden the security configurations of the virtual desktop hosts to limit the impact of potential command execution.

AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES) RCE via FileBrowser API Vulnerability

hello@craftedsignal.io — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:16:25 +0000

CVE-2026-5709 affects AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES), a cloud-based platform for research and engineering workflows. The vulnerability resides in the FileBrowser API and is present in versions 2024.10 through 2025.12.01. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to the FileBrowser functionality, leading to arbitrary command execution on the underlying cluster-manager EC2 instance. This could allow attackers to gain complete control over the RES environment, potentially compromising sensitive data and disrupting critical research activities. AWS recommends that users upgrade to RES version 2026.03 or apply a mitigation patch.

Attack Chain

An attacker gains valid credentials for an AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES) account.
The attacker authenticates to the RES environment.
The attacker crafts malicious input designed to exploit the unsanitized input vulnerability in the FileBrowser API.
The attacker sends the crafted input to the FileBrowser API endpoint.
The FileBrowser API processes the input without proper sanitization.
The unsanitized input is executed as an operating system command on the cluster-manager EC2 instance.
The attacker achieves arbitrary command execution, potentially installing malware, exfiltrating data, or creating new administrative accounts.

Impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-5709 grants the attacker the ability to execute arbitrary commands on the cluster-manager EC2 instance within the AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES) environment. This can lead to complete compromise of the RES environment, data theft, denial of service, and potential lateral movement to other AWS resources. Due to the nature of research environments, this vulnerability could expose highly sensitive data, intellectual property, and research findings. The impact is significant due to the potential for widespread damage and disruption of critical research activities.

Recommendation

Immediately upgrade AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES) to version 2026.03 or apply the recommended mitigation patch provided by AWS to remediate CVE-2026-5709.
Implement the Sigma rule “Detect Suspicious FileBrowser API Requests” to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting the FileBrowser API.
Monitor web server logs for suspicious activity related to the FileBrowser API endpoint, looking for unusual characters or command injection attempts.

Res — CraftedSignal Threat Feed

AWS Research and Engineering Studio OS Command Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2026-5707)

Attack Chain

Impact

Recommendation

AWS Research and Engineering Studio (RES) RCE via FileBrowser API Vulnerability

Attack Chain

Impact

Recommendation