AWS Deadline Cloud worker agent: Untrusted search path enables code execution
Summary
The AWS Deadline Cloud worker agent and the OpenJD Sessions for Python library use an untrusted search path on Linux. When switching to the job user, they run sudo by its bare name, so a job can place its own sudo executable in a directory added to PATH. An authenticated user who is allowed to submit jobs to a queue can thereby execute arbitrary code as the worker agent OS user and obtain the AWS credentials held by the agent. Customer-managed fleets on Linux are affected; service-managed fleets were fixed service-side and Windows workers are not affected.
Affected
- AWS OpenJD Sessions for Python before 0.11.0
- AWS Deadline Cloud worker agent before 0.33.0 on Linux (customer-managed fleets)
- Service-managed fleets: remediated service-side, no action needed
Fixed in
- OpenJD Sessions for Python 0.11.0
- Deadline Cloud worker agent 0.33.0 (includes OpenJD Sessions 0.11.0)
Workaround
- No configuration workaround exists; upgrading is the only fix.
- Until upgraded, limit permission to submit jobs to affected queues (deadline:CreateJob) to trusted principals.
Exploitation
Unknown. No evidence of exploitation in the wild or public proof of concept was found at the time of research. The NVD record is still in status 'Received'.
Our recommendation
- Upgrade customer-managed Linux worker agents to version 0.33.0 or later.
- Restrict job submission permissions to trusted users until the upgrade is complete.
- Review AWS CloudTrail for unexpected activity by fleet and queue roles on affected hosts.
- If misuse is suspected, rotate the AWS credentials held by affected workers.
- Verify the fix against the AWS bulletin and vendor release notes before rollout.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- AWS Security Bulletin 2026-177-AWS aws.amazon.com
- OpenJD Sessions for Python release 0.11.0 github.com
- Deadline Cloud worker agent release 0.33.0 github.com
- Deadline Cloud worker agent repository github.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 10 Nov 2026, 20:46.
Original description (NVD)
Untrusted search path in the cross-user process launcher in Open Job Description (OpenJD) Sessions for Python before 0.11.0, as used in the AWS Deadline Cloud worker agent before 0.33.0, on Linux might allow an authenticated remote user with permission to submit jobs to a queue to execute arbitrary code as the worker agent OS user and obtain the AWS credentials held by the worker agent via a crafted job that modifies the PATH environment variable. To remediate this issue, users of customer-managed fleets should upgrade the Deadline Cloud worker agent to version 0.33.0 or later, which includes OpenJD Sessions 0.11.0. Service-managed fleets were remediated service-side.
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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