Athena ODBC driver patched for command injection and OOB write
TL;DR — AWS published fixes for multiple Amazon Athena ODBC Driver vulnerabilities, including Linux OS command injection and a query-processing out-of-bounds write, with no workaround available.
What happened
The Amazon Athena ODBC driver is a client-side driver that implements ODBC APIs so applications (including C/C++ apps and many BI/data tools) can connect to Amazon Athena.
AWS Security Bulletin 2026-013-AWS discloses six vulnerabilities in the Amazon Athena ODBC driver across authentication, query processing, and parsing/connection components. The issues called out by AWS include OS command injection (Linux-only in a browser-based auth component), improper certificate validation in identity-provider connections, and an out-of-bounds write in query processing.
Because ODBC drivers are routinely installed on developer workstations, data gateways, ETL runners, and shared analytics hosts, this kind of driver-layer vulnerability can become a high-leverage entry point (credential-handling + network access + broad deployment footprint), even when the underlying cloud service is well-hardened.
Who is impacted
- Any environment using the Amazon Athena ODBC Driver on Windows, Linux, or macOS.
- Linux environments specifically using the driver’s browser-based authentication component (CVE-2026-5485).
| CVE | AWS description | Platform scope (per AWS) | Addressed in (per AWS) |
|---|---|---|---|
CVE-2026-5485 | OS command injection in browser-based authentication component | Linux only | 2.0.5.1 |
CVE-2026-35558 | Improper neutralization of special elements in authentication components | All supported platforms | 2.1.0.0 |
CVE-2026-35559 | Out-of-bounds write in query processing components | All supported platforms | 2.1.0.0 |
CVE-2026-35560 | Improper certificate validation in identity provider connection components | All supported platforms | 2.1.0.0 |
CVE-2026-35561 | Insufficient authentication security controls in browser-based authentication components | All supported platforms | 2.1.0.0 |
CVE-2026-35562 | Allocation of resources without limits in parsing components | All supported platforms | 2.1.0.0 |
What to do now
- Follow vendor remediation guidance and apply the patched release AWS references.
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"This issue has been addressed in Amazon Athena ODBC driver version 2.1.0.0. We recommend upgrading to the latest version and ensuring any forked or derivative code is patched to incorporate the new fixes."
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"Workarounds No workaround is available."
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- Inventory where the Athena ODBC driver is installed (developer workstations, shared data gateways, CI runners, analytics hosts) and prioritize upgrades for environments that handle production credentials.
- If you maintain a fork/derivative of the driver or embed it into a managed distribution, ensure it incorporates AWS’s fixes (per the bulletin’s guidance).
Content is AI-assisted and reviewed by our team, but issues may be missed and best practices evolve rapidly, send corrections to [email protected]. Always consult official documentation and validate key implementation decisions before making design or security choices.