CVE-2026-48035 in hulumi
Summary
by MITRE • 07/24/2026
Hulumi is an open-source toolkit that ships secure-by-default cloud and platform infrastructure components for Pulumi. Prior to version 1.4.0, consumers using AccountFoundation could ship an AWS account whose CloudTrail / Config audit logs were deletable by any S3-delete-capable principal — while believing the startup-hardened tier guaranteed tamper-resistance. Sandbox-tier deployments had no audit immutability at all (defects 1 and 3 compounded). This issue has been patched in version 1.4.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2026
The vulnerability identified in Hulumi versions prior to 1.4.0 represents a critical failure in the security design of cloud infrastructure provisioning tools, specifically affecting the AccountFoundation component that is supposed to provide secure-by-default configurations. This flaw demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of how AWS audit logging systems should operate within hardened security frameworks, where the expectation of tamper-resistance conflicts directly with the actual implementation of access controls.
The technical flaw stems from improper configuration of S3 bucket policies and permissions for CloudTrail and Config service log delivery buckets. In affected versions, the toolkit created S3 buckets with policies that granted delete permissions to any principal possessing S3 delete capabilities rather than restricting deletions to specific authorized entities or disabling deletion entirely. This misconfiguration creates a scenario where malicious actors or compromised accounts with minimal S3 permissions can remove audit trail data, effectively nullifying the security monitoring capabilities that organizations rely upon for compliance and incident response.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as it fundamentally undermines the integrity of cloud security operations and compliance requirements. Organizations deploying infrastructure through Hulumi's AccountFoundation component would believe they have achieved a hardened security posture with immutable audit logs, when in reality these logs could be modified or deleted by any entity with basic S3 delete permissions. This creates a false sense of security that could mask malicious activities, data exfiltration attempts, or unauthorized system modifications within the AWS environment.
The vulnerability compounds when considering that sandbox-tier deployments had no audit immutability at all, meaning even development environments were potentially exposing organizations to significant risk during testing phases. This flaw directly violates security best practices and industry standards such as those outlined in the cloud security alliance's cloud controls matrix, where audit log integrity is classified as a critical control area requiring immutable storage configurations. The defect aligns with CWE-310 - Cryptographic Issues, specifically related to improper access control mechanisms, while also mapping to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion through log manipulation.
The patch implemented in version 1.4.0 addresses these issues by enforcing proper S3 bucket policies that disable delete operations on audit log buckets and implement stricter access controls that align with security best practices for immutable logging systems. Organizations should immediately upgrade to version 1.4.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability, while also conducting thorough audits of existing deployments to identify any potentially compromised audit logs that may have been deleted by unauthorized entities during the vulnerable period. The fix demonstrates proper implementation of the principle of least privilege and ensures that audit logging systems maintain their integrity as required for compliance with regulations such as SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI DSS standards.