CVE-2026-6550

Ciphertext integrity bypass via unchecked cached materials

Published Apr 20, 2026 · Updated Apr 20, 2026

Cryptographic downgrade in affected AWS Encryption SDK for Python releases allows local users to undermine ciphertext integrity via a shared cache. The caching materials manager reuses encryption materials created under a weaker client's policy without checking their algorithm suite against the requesting client's commitment policy. Exploitation requires two same-process clients with different policies to share one cache, the weaker client to warm it first, matching encryption contexts, default algorithm suites, and attacker-controlled ciphertext; a recipient can then decrypt a message different from the one encrypted.

CVSS severity5.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.10%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Cryptographic downgrade in affected AWS Encryption SDK for Python releases allows local users to undermine ciphertext integrity via a shared cache. The caching materials manager reuses encryption materials created under a weaker client's policy without checking their algorithm suite against the requesting client's commitment policy. Exploitation requires two same-process clients with different policies to share one cache, the weaker client to warm it first, matching encryption contexts, default algorithm suites, and attacker-controlled ciphertext; a recipient can then decrypt a message different from the one encrypted.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-6550
Published
Apr 20, 2026
Updated
Apr 20, 2026
Vendor
Amazon Web Services
Product
AWS Encryption SDK for Python
Classifications
CWE-757, T1565.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 20, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 20, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2 <=2.5.1
  2. Affected versionversion=3 <=3.3.0
  3. Affected versionversion=4 <=4.0.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Amazon Web Services · AWS Encryption SDK for Pythonversion=2 <=2.5.1; version=3 <=3.3.0; version=4 <=4.0.4

Published CVSS scores

4.7Amazon Web ServicesCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
5.7Amazon Web ServicesCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-757Selection of Less-Secure Algorithm During Negotiation ('Algorithm Downgrade')
T1565.002Transmitted Data Manipulation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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