CVE-2026-0830 in AWS Kiro IDE
Summary
by MITRE • 01/09/2026
Processing specially crafted workspace folder names could allow for arbitrary command injection in the Kiro GitLab Merge-Request helper in Kiro IDE before version 0.6.18 when opening maliciously crafted workspaces.
To mitigate, users should update to the latest version.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-0830 represents a critical command injection flaw within the Kiro GitLab Merge-Request helper functionality of the Kiro IDE platform. This security weakness specifically manifests when the application processes workspace folder names that have been deliberately crafted to contain malicious command sequences. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 0.6.18, indicating that the developers have acknowledged and addressed this issue in their subsequent releases. The flaw operates by failing to properly sanitize or validate user input during the workspace opening process, creating an avenue for attackers to inject arbitrary commands that execute within the context of the application's operational environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the workspace folder name processing pipeline. When a user attempts to open a workspace with a maliciously crafted folder name, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as command delimiters or execution triggers. This processing gap allows an attacker to embed shell commands within the folder name that get executed when the workspace helper attempts to process the workspace metadata. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-78 category of "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command" which directly addresses command injection flaws in software applications. The attack vector specifically targets the workspace opening functionality, where the application's internal command execution mechanisms are invoked to process workspace-related operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple command execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to the underlying system where the Kiro IDE is installed. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the IDE, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects users who open workspaces in the Kiro IDE environment, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative development scenarios where workspace sharing is common. Attackers could leverage this weakness to install malware, exfiltrate sensitive data, or establish persistent access to development environments. The threat landscape for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it targets the development tools that security teams rely on for code management and collaboration, potentially creating backdoors that remain undetected within the development infrastructure.
Organizations and individual developers should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to Kiro IDE version 0.6.18 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization measures to prevent command injection attacks. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unusual workspace creation patterns or command execution attempts within their development environments. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive testing of the updated version to ensure that all workspace handling functions properly without introducing regressions. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding practices for input validation, including implementing strict sanitization of all user-provided data that gets processed by system commands. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.001 "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1059.003 "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell" as it enables attackers to execute system commands through the compromised application interface. Regular security assessments of development tools and IDEs should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities that could provide attackers with unauthorized access to development environments and sensitive source code repositories.