CVE-2025-2598: AWS CDK Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-2598 Overview

CVE-2025-2598 is an information disclosure vulnerability in the AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) Command Line Interface. When the AWS CDK CLI is used with a credential plugin that returns an expiration property along with the retrieved AWS credentials, those credentials are inadvertently printed to the console output. This exposure can lead to unauthorized access to AWS resources if console output is logged, captured, or observed by unauthorized parties.

Critical Impact

AWS credentials including access keys and session tokens may be exposed in console output, potentially allowing unauthorized access to cloud infrastructure and resources.

Affected Products

• Amazon AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK CLI) versions prior to 2.178.2

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-21 - CVE-2025-2598 published to NVD
• 2025-10-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-2598

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-497 (Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere). The issue occurs within the AWS CDK CLI's credential handling mechanism when processing credential plugins. When a credential plugin returns credentials that include an expiration property, the CLI's logging or output functionality inadvertently outputs the full credential set to the console, including sensitive access key IDs, secret access keys, and session tokens.

The vulnerability requires local access to exploit, as an attacker would need visibility into the console output where the AWS CDK CLI is executed. This could occur through shared terminal sessions, logged command output, CI/CD pipeline logs, or screen sharing scenarios.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from improper handling of credential objects when they contain an expiration timestamp. The AWS CDK CLI fails to properly sanitize or mask sensitive credential information before writing it to console output. When credentials with an expiration property are processed, the entire credential object—including the secret access key—is inadvertently serialized and displayed.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring an attacker to have access to the console output where the AWS CDK CLI commands are executed. Exploitation scenarios include:

Access to CI/CD pipeline logs where AWS CDK deployments are executed with credential plugins. An attacker with read access to build logs could extract exposed credentials. Shared terminal sessions or recorded terminal output (such as script command recordings) could inadvertently capture credentials. Screen sharing during development or debugging sessions where AWS CDK CLI commands are executed with credential plugins.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-2598

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected access to AWS resources from unknown IP addresses or regions
• AWS CloudTrail logs showing API calls with credentials that should have been rotated
• Presence of AWS credential patterns (access key IDs, secret keys) in CI/CD logs or terminal recordings
• Unusual IAM credential usage patterns indicating compromised access keys

Detection Strategies

• Review CI/CD pipeline logs and build artifacts for exposed AWS credential patterns
• Monitor AWS CloudTrail for suspicious API activity using credentials associated with CDK deployments
• Implement log scanning rules to detect AWS access key patterns (e.g., AKIA* for access key IDs)
• Audit terminal recording files and shared logs for credential exposure

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable AWS CloudTrail logging and configure alerts for unusual credential usage
• Implement automated scanning of logs and artifacts for AWS credential patterns
• Monitor for AWS GuardDuty findings related to compromised credentials
• Set up alerts for credential usage from unexpected source IP addresses or geographic locations

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-2598

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade AWS CDK CLI to version 2.178.2 or later immediately
• Review and rotate any AWS credentials that may have been used with affected versions
• Audit CI/CD logs and terminal recordings for potential credential exposure
• Ensure any forked or derivative code is patched to incorporate the new fixes

Patch Information

Amazon has released AWS CDK CLI version 2.178.2 which addresses this vulnerability. The patch prevents credentials from being printed to console output regardless of whether an expiration property is present. Detailed information is available in the AWS Security Bulletin AWS-2025-005 and the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-v63m-x9r9-8gqp.

Workarounds

• Redirect console output to /dev/null or sanitized logging when using credential plugins with unpatched versions
• Avoid using credential plugins with expiration properties until the upgrade is complete
• Implement log scrubbing in CI/CD pipelines to remove credential patterns before storage
• Use AWS Secrets Manager or IAM roles for EC2/ECS instead of credential plugins where possible

# Upgrade AWS CDK CLI to patched version
npm install -g aws-cdk@2.178.2

# Verify installed version
cdk --version

# For projects using local CDK dependencies
npm update aws-cdk aws-cdk-lib