CVE-2026-119117 in amazon-kinesis-producer
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2026
Insertion of sensitive information into a log file in Amazon Kinesis Producer Library for Java before 1.0.8, when the library's logger is configured at DEBUG log level, might allow local users to obtain the AWS credentials that the library resolved for the application. Separately, affected versions of the library pass these credentials to the native child process as command-line arguments, where a local user can read them from the process argument list.
To remediate this issue, users should upgrade to version 1.0.8 or later, rotate any long-term IAM user keys, revoke active role sessions where needed, and restrict or redact log data written by an affected version. 0.x users should migrate to software.amazon.kinesis:amazon-kinesis-producer 1.0.8 or later.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2026
The Amazon Kinesis Producer Library for Java prior to version 1.0.8 contains a critical information disclosure vulnerability that compromises the confidentiality of AWS credentials used by applications leveraging this library. The flaw manifests in two distinct but related mechanisms, both of which allow local users on the same host as the application process to extract sensitive authentication data. This issue stems from improper handling of credential resolution and logging configurations within the library's operational workflow, creating a significant risk for environments where multiple processes or users share access to the underlying operating system resources.
The first vector involves the configuration of the internal logger. When the library is configured with its log level set to DEBUG, it inadvertently writes sensitive information into standard log files. Specifically, during the process of resolving AWS credentials for the application, the library logs details that include or reveal these credentials. In many deployment scenarios, particularly in development or testing environments where verbose logging is enabled for troubleshooting purposes, this results in plaintext exposure of access keys and secret tokens within accessible log directories. Local users with read permissions to these log files can extract the AWS Access Key ID and Secret Access Key, thereby gaining unauthorized access to associated AWS resources.
The second vector relates to how the library interacts with native child processes. To perform certain low-level operations or optimizations, the Kinesis Producer Library spawns a native process. In affected versions, the resolved AWS credentials are passed to this child process via command-line arguments rather than through more secure mechanisms such as environment variables or inter-process communication channels that do not expose data in the global process argument list. On most operating systems, including Linux and macOS, the full command line of any running process is visible to all local users through standard system utilities like ps or /proc filesystem entries. Consequently, even if logging were disabled, a malicious actor with local access could inspect the arguments of the child process to retrieve the AWS credentials in plaintext.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-532, which covers information exposure through log files, and CWE-78, specifically improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command (OS Command Injection) context regarding argument handling, although here it is primarily about data leakage rather than injection for execution control. From a MITRE ATT&CK perspective, this behavior facilitates Credential Access via Local Log Scraping or Process Discovery to harvest secrets. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft; if the compromised credentials belong to an IAM role with broad permissions, attackers could exfiltrate sensitive data from Amazon S3 buckets, modify DynamoDB tables, launch unauthorized EC2 instances, or pivot further into the network infrastructure by leveraging the privileges associated with those keys.
To mitigate this vulnerability and restore security posture, organizations must immediately upgrade the amazon-kinesis-producer library to version 1.0.8 or later for all Java applications utilizing Kinesis data streams. For users still on legacy 0.x branches, migration to software.amazon.kinesis:amazon-kinesis-producer version 1.0.8 is required as older versions are no longer supported and lack these security fixes. Beyond the software update, it is imperative that administrators rotate any long-term IAM user keys that may have been exposed through log files or process arguments during the period of vulnerability exposure. Additionally, active role sessions associated with compromised credentials should be revoked to prevent continued unauthorized access.
Operational best practices dictate that sensitive data such as AWS credentials must never be logged in plaintext regardless of the log level configuration. Organizations should implement strict logging policies that redact or suppress high-sensitivity fields before they are written to disk. Furthermore, applications running on shared multi-tenant systems should enforce strict file permissions on log directories and utilize secure credential management solutions like IAM roles for EC2 instances or ECS tasks rather than static keys where possible. By combining the library upgrade with rigorous credential rotation and hardened logging configurations, organizations can effectively neutralize this information disclosure risk and protect their cloud infrastructure from unauthorized access.