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17h ago

Amazon Q Patch Erases Malicious Prompt in AI Coding Extension

AWS traced the breach to an overprivileged GitHub token that let an attacker slip harmful natural-language instructions into its VS Code extension

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Generative AI virtual assistant Amazon Q was unveiled by AWS CEO Adam Selipsky in 2023. Image: AWS

Overview

  • Version 1.85 of the Amazon Q Developer extension for VS Code removed the malicious prompt and AWS confirmed no customer environments were impacted.
  • An Amazon postmortem found the attacker exploited an inappropriately scoped GitHub token in the CodeBuild release pipeline to inject the prompt into version 1.84 on July 17.
  • The injected commands would have wiped local file systems and deleted cloud resources but contained syntax errors that prevented execution on user systems.
  • AWS updated its GitHub contribution guidelines days after detecting the intrusion to limit token permissions and tighten code review protocols.
  • Security experts warn that AI-driven development tools need layered defenses such as short-lived credentials and robust branch protections to guard against prompt injections.