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TI-2023-17611 Aliases CVE-2023-35165GHSA-rx28-r23p-2qc3

AWS CDK EKS overly permissive trust policies

Priority MEDIUM 42CWE-863Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Security bypass, Privilege escalation
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-863 and CWE-266.

Summary

AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) is an open-source software development framework to define cloud infrastructure in code and provision it through AWS CloudFormation. In the packages `aws-cdk-lib` 2.0.0 until 2.80.0 and `@aws-cdk/aws-eks` 1.57.0 until 1.202.0, `eks.Cluster` and `eks.FargateCluster` constructs create two roles, `CreationRole` and `default MastersRole`, that have an overly permissive trust policy. The first, referred to as the `CreationRole`, is used by lambda handlers to create the cluster and deploy Kubernetes resources (e.g `KubernetesManifest`, `HelmChart`, ...) onto it. Users with CDK version higher or equal to 1.62.0 (including v2 users) may be affected. The second, referred to as the `default MastersRole`, is provisioned only if the `mastersRole` property isn't provided and has permissions to execute `kubectl` commands on the cluster. Users with CDK version higher or equal to 1.57.0 (including v2 users) may be affected. The issue has been fixed in `@aws-cdk/aws-eks` v1.202.0 and `aws-cdk-lib` v2.80.0. These versions no longer use the account root principal. Instead, they restrict the trust policy to the specific roles of lambda handlers that need it. There is no workaround available for CreationRole. To avoid creating the `default MastersRole`, use the `mastersRole` property to explicitly provide a role.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00897 59th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Fixed aws-cdk-lib (npm): 2.80.0@aws-cdk/aws-eks (npm): 1.202.0

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
AWSaws-cdkaws-cdk-lib >= 2.0.0, < 2.80.0; @aws-cdk/aws-eks >= 1.57.0, < 1.202.0—No fix listedCNA
—aws-cdk-lib (npm)2.0.0 to before 2.80.02.80.0Patch availableGHSA-rx28-r23p-2qc3
—@aws-cdk/aws-eks (npm)1.57.0 to before 1.202.01.202.0Patch availableGHSA-rx28-r23p-2qc3
  • aws-cdk VendorAWS Affected aws-cdk-lib >= 2.0.0, < 2.80.0; @aws-cdk/aws-eks >= 1.57.0, < 1.202.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
  • aws-cdk-lib (npm) Vendor— Affected 2.0.0 to before 2.80.0 Fixed in 2.80.0 Patch available GHSA-rx28-r23p-2qc3
  • @aws-cdk/aws-eks (npm) Vendor— Affected 1.57.0 to before 1.202.0 Fixed in 1.202.0 Patch available GHSA-rx28-r23p-2qc3

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:amazon:aws_cloud_development_kit:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*1.57.0 to before 1.202.0; 2.0.0 to before 2.80.0VulnerableAWS
  • cpe:2.3:a:amazon:aws_cloud_development_kit:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.57.0 to before 1.202.0; 2.0.0 to before 2.80.0 Vulnerable ·AWS

Remediation

  • Fix · GHSA-rx28-r23p-2qc3 aws-cdk-lib (npm) Fixed in 2.80.0 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-rx28-r23p-2qc3 @aws-cdk/aws-eks (npm) Fixed in 1.202.0 Advisory →

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-35165
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-rx28-r23p-2qc3

References

  • TI-2024-30149 AWS CDK RestApi not generating authorizationScope correctly in resultant CFN template CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.4
  • TI-2025-02266 AWS CDK CLI prints AWS credentials retrieved by custom credential plugins CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 5.7
  • TI-2025-16991 IAM OIDC custom resource allows connection to unauthorized OIDC provider in aws-cdk CVSS 4.0LOW 1.8

Sources