GHSA-rrc9-gqf8-8rwg is a high-severity (CVSS 7.3) vulnerability in aws-sdk. 4 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-rrc9-gqf8-8rwg is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Prototype Pollution via file load in aws-sdk and @aws-sdk/shared-ini-file-loader
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-rrc9-gqf8-8rwg plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 365,017 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, a proxy for how much of the ecosystem is exposed.
aws-sdknpm@aws-sdk/shared-ini-file-loadernpmDescription
This affects the package @aws-sdk/shared-ini-file-loader before 1.0.0-rc.9; the package aws-sdk before 2.814.0. If an attacker submits a malicious INI file to an application that parses it with loadSharedConfigFiles , they will pollute the prototype on the application. This can be exploited further depending on the context.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | aws-sdk | all versions | 2.814.0 |
| 📦npm | @aws-sdk/shared-ini-file-loader | all versions | 1.0.0-rc.9 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
This affects the package @aws-sdk/shared-ini-file-loader before 1.0.0-rc…
This affects the package @aws-sdk/shared-ini-file-loader before 1.0.0-rc…
This affects the package @aws-sdk/shared-ini-file-loader before 1.0.0-rc…
This affects the package @aws-sdk/shared-ini-file-loader before 1.0.0-rc…
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for aws-sdk. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update aws-sdk to 2.814.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-rrc9-gqf8-8rwg is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-rrc9-gqf8-8rwg is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-rrc9-gqf8-8rwg. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-rrc9-gqf8-8rwg in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-rrc9-gqf8-8rwg across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.