Skip to content
Malicious Command Found in Amazon Q Coding Agent Extension

Malicious Command Found in Amazon Q Coding Agent Extension

First seen 28 Oct 2026, 04:45 UTC • •
API

Article Content

Browse articles
ThreatCluster AI
ThreatCluster •October 28, 2026 at 08:18 UTC
  • •A malicious command was injected into Amazon Q's VS Code extension, aiming to wipe systems.
  • •The attack exploited a GitHub token misconfiguration, allowing unauthorized code commits.
  • •Amazon released a patch (version 1.85.0) on July 23, 2025, after identifying the issue.

A hacker injected a command into the Amazon Q Developer Extension for Visual Studio Code, which was included in version 1.84 released on July 17, 2025. The command aimed to wipe users' computers but failed to execute due to a syntax error. The attack exploited an inappropriately scoped GitHub token in the repository's CodeBuild configuration, allowing unauthorized code to be committed. Amazon detected the issue and released an updated version (1.85.0) on July 23, 2025, after revoking the compromised credentials. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in open-source software supply chains, particularly concerning AI tools. Although the immediate risk was low, the breach raises concerns about the security of AI-powered development tools. No evidence of successful exploitation has been reported, and the command was primarily intended to demonstrate security weaknesses.

Start a free Starter trial for enhanced analysis

Ask AI about this cluster

Updated just now How this analysis works

Timeline

2025-07-17
Malicious code published
Version 1.84 of the Amazon Q Developer Extension was released, containing injected commands to wipe systems.
Techtarget
2025-07-23
Amazon releases updated extension
Amazon released version 1.85.0 of the extension, removing the malicious code after detecting the issue.
aws.amazon.com
2025-07-25
Postmortem published
Amazon published a postmortem detailing the incident and the steps taken to mitigate the issue.
Techtarget

More articles in this cluster (3)

Following this threat?

Track Amazon in your own feed — you're alerted when they show up in new reporting, leak sites or exploitation.

Free account · no card needed

Extracted Entities (6)

1 / 3

Common questions

What versions of the Amazon Q extension are affected?
Version 1.84 of the Amazon Q Developer Extension is affected, which was released on July 17, 2025.
Was the malicious command executed successfully?
No, the command failed to execute due to a syntax error, preventing any changes to systems.
What actions has Amazon taken in response?
Amazon revoked the compromised GitHub token, removed the malicious code, and released an updated version of the extension.