CVE-2026-118029
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AI Threat Summary
CVE-2026-118029 is a moderate vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.9 affecting the target software. Threat hunters should monitor for exploit attempts and apply vendor patches immediately.
Description
Unverified ownership of the default query result location in the Athena module in AWS SDK for pandas (awswrangler) before 3.16.1 might allow remote actors to read Athena query results and tamper with result sets returned to the caller via a pre-created S3 bucket. To remediate this issue, users should upgrade to version 3.16.1 or later. Users should also verify that the default Athena result bucket in each account and region is owned by their own account, and set an explicit result location or enforce a workgroup result configuration.
Attack Chain
Attacker identifies vulnerable service instances using Shodan, Censys, or active scanning
Attacker crafts malicious payload exploiting CVE-2026-118029 to achieve remote code execution
Attacker executes arbitrary OS commands or shellcode in the context of the vulnerable process
Attacker installs backdoor, cron job, or web shell for persistent access
Attacker uses compromised host as pivot point to access internal network resources
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
Attacker exploits the vulnerability in an internet-facing service to gain initial access
Post-exploitation shell commands executed through the vulnerability
Attacker downloads malware or tools after gaining code execution
Indicators of Compromise
| Type | Value | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| user_agent | Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; exploit/1.0) |
Generic exploit scanner user agent pattern | |
| url | /api/vuln-endpoint?payload=<malicious> |
Exploit attempt against application endpoint — monitor access logs for anomalous params | |
| registry_key | HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\backdoor |
Persistence mechanism after successful RCE |
Remediation
Quick Facts
| CVE ID | CVE-2026-118029 |
| CVSS Score | 5.9 |
| Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N |
| Published | 2026-10-28 |
| Exploited | No |
| CISA KEV | No |
| PoC | Not public |