CVE-2026-119301
Description
A flaw was found in AWS SDK for pandas (awswrangler). An authenticated remote user with permissions to modify AWS Glue Data Catalog metadata can supply a crafted column name to exploit improper quoting syntax neutralization when SQL identifiers are constructed in the Apache Iceberg write component. This vulnerability allows the attacker to read tables accessible to a more privileged user and modify tables being updated by that user.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as having an Important severity because it enables cross-principal data access and unauthorized modifications across AWS Glue environments. In deployments utilizing the AWS SDK for pandas to interact with Apache Iceberg tables, an attacker with catalog modification privileges can manipulate table definitions to execute arbitrary SQL commands within the context of a higher-privileged user. While exploitation requires existing catalog write permissions and an execution triggered by an administrative principal, the resulting escalation across security boundaries presents a significant risk to data integrity and confidentiality.
Mitigation
--- CME Mitigation Guidance (2026-11-04) ---
Disclaimer: The following mitigation solutions are provided as a courtesy, pending the application of an official patch. This content was generated utilizing AI tools in conjunction with data from https://cmetaxonomy.org. Customers are advised to independently evaluate and test these temporary mitigations within their own infrastructure.
The highest-value action is to safely handle untrusted identifiers rather than concatenating unescaped Glue catalog column names into Athena queries during Iceberg schema reconciliation: upgrade to AWS SDK for pandas 3.17.1+ (or the fixed Floorist builds), which properly escape identifiers in Iceberg SQL generation within the Athena integration, closing crafted column name in AWS Glue Data Catalog metadata. Until patched, this is a concern on Deployments using AWS SDK for pandas to write Apache Iceberg tables via AWS Glue Data Catalog, so Restrict glue:UpdateTable and catalog modification permissions on shared databases, and avoid calling to_iceberg() with principals that hold higher privileges than catalog editors. As a compensating measure, Limit database and catalog access permissions of the executing principal to reduce the impact of injected SQL queries and Enforce strict allowlist validation on column and table names before schema reconciliation, rejecting characters used for SQL identifier breakout. These controls limit blast radius and contain exploitation, but they do not fix the underlying improper quoting syntax defect — apply the upstream patch to fully remediate.
Highest-impact CME: CME-1305 SQL Injection Prevention (Parameterized Queries) (high)
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Adversaries could execute system commands, typically by changing the SQL statement to redirect output to a file that can then be executed.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Application Data
Since SQL databases generally hold sensitive data, loss of confidentiality is a frequent problem with SQL injection vulnerabilities.
Authentication
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; Bypass Protection Mechanism
If poor SQL commands are used to check user names and passwords or perform other kinds of authentication, it may be possible to connect to the product as another user with no previous knowledge of the password.
Access Control
Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism
If authorization information is held in a SQL database, it may be possible to change this information through the successful exploitation of a SQL injection vulnerability.
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Application Data
Just as it may be possible to read sensitive information, it is also possible to modify or even delete this information with a SQL injection attack.
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