Introduction
A flaw in the Amazon Redshift JDBC Driver allows remote code execution when an attacker can influence JDBC connection URL parameters. The driver can then load and execute arbitrary classes from the application classpath. Amazon Redshift is a core part of AWS analytics, and its JDBC driver ships inside a great many enterprise data pipelines and business intelligence tools. For organizations that build database connection strings dynamically, this vulnerability carries meaningful risk.
Technical Information
CVE-2026-8178 is classified under CWE-470: Use of Externally Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code. The Amazon Redshift JDBC Driver is a Type 4 JDBC driver that connects to the database through the standard JDBC application program interfaces. When the driver processes certain parameters in a JDBC connection URL, it can load and execute code from classes already present on the application classpath.
Attack Preconditions
Exploitation requires two conditions:
-
The attacker must be able to influence or control the JDBC connection URL the application uses. This is most plausible when applications build database connection strings from external input, such as user-supplied configuration, environment variables sourced from untrusted locations, or parameters passed through web interfaces.
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A class that can work as an exploitation gadget must be available on the classpath of the application's JVM process. Enterprise Java applications typically bundle a wide range of libraries, so this condition is frequently satisfied.
Severity Metrics
The vulnerability is network exploitable and requires no user interaction and no prior privileges.
| Metric Framework | Base Score | Severity | Vector String |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS v3.1 | 8.1 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| CVSS v4.0 | 9.2 | CRITICAL | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
CVSS v3.1 rates the attack complexity High because exploitation needs a usable gadget class on the classpath. Under CVSS v4.0, the score rises to 9.2 (Critical), because the newer scoring model treats the vulnerability's context differently.
Impact
Successful exploitation allows an attacker to:
- Read sensitive data from the application context (high confidentiality impact)
- Modify application state, including data and configuration (high integrity impact)
- Disrupt service availability (high availability impact)
All of these actions run with the privileges of the application process. In enterprise environments where the Redshift JDBC driver runs inside application servers or data pipeline orchestrators, those privileges can be substantial.
Affected Systems and Versions
The vulnerability affects the following:
- Product: Amazon Redshift JDBC Driver (
com.amazon.redshift:redshift-jdbc42) - Affected versions: All versions prior to 2.2.2
- Fixed version: 2.2.2 (confirmed unaffected)
Any application that uses a pre-2.2.2 version of the Redshift JDBC driver and builds connection URLs from externally influenced input may be vulnerable.
Vendor Security History
Amazon Web Services holds approximately 31 percent of the cloud infrastructure market. AWS runs a structured vulnerability management and disclosure process and publishes security bulletins to tell customers about vulnerabilities and the relevant updates.
Patching enterprise environments has not always gone smoothly for AWS. During the Log4Shell response, the first hot patches AWS released for Java applications contained critical security flaws that could be exploited for container escape and privilege escalation, and AWS had to release updated patches. Given that history, organizations should validate the 2.2.2 JDBC driver update in staging environments before deploying it broadly to production.
Mitigation
The definitive fix is to upgrade the Amazon Redshift JDBC Driver to version 2.2.2 or later. In practice, that means updating the com.amazon.redshift:redshift-jdbc42 Maven package to version 2.2.2.
Amazon also recommends patching any forked or derivative code based on the Redshift JDBC driver so that it includes the security fixes.
As a secondary defense, organizations should review their application architectures to confirm that no JDBC connection URL is built from untrusted or externally controlled input. Hardcoding connection strings, or strictly validating and sanitizing any dynamic parameters, makes this class of vulnerability harder to exploit.
Threat Intelligence
As of May 8, 2026, there is no indication of active exploitation in the wild. A security researcher identified as Fushuling discovered the vulnerability and reported it through coordinated disclosure.
Organizations should monitor AWS security bulletins for updates on this vulnerability or possible bypasses. AWS provides an RSS feed of its security bulletins that teams can integrate into a vulnerability management program. Security teams should also watch application logs for unusual JDBC connection attempts or unexpected class loading, either of which might indicate an exploitation attempt.
