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AWS Inspector flags CVE on Windows EC2 — Unable to locate vulnerable file or path

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Hello AWS Community,

In my AWS environment, I have Windows-based EC2 instances with Amazon Inspector configured to detect vulnerabilities. Recently, Inspector reported CVE-2024-7264 for libcurl on one of my Windows instances.

I’m facing two major challenges:

  1. No vulnerable path provided Inspector’s finding does not list the file path or application where the vulnerable libcurl version was detected, making it difficult to pinpoint the source.
  2. Manual checks show patched versions I have searched all drives on the instance for libcurl.dll and curl binaries. Every occurrence is version 8.9.1 or higher, which should be patched against this CVE. Despite this, Inspector still flags the vulnerability.

Questions:

  • How do you guys locate the exact application or file path that Inspector uses to flag the CVE on a Windows instance?
  • Is there a method to get more granular vulnerability scan results from Inspector, such as full file paths, especially for Windows OS?
  • Could Inspector be flagging this due to cached metadata or dependencies bundled within another application (e.g., inside installers, archives, or embedded libraries)? If so, how can I verify that?
  • Are there AWS CLI or API calls (e.g., via describe-findings) that can reveal deeper scan metadata for Windows-based findings?

Any guidance on how to track down the vulnerable binary, or confirm whether this is a false positive, would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

Topics
ComputeSecurity, Identity, & Compliance
Tags
Amazon EC2Amazon InspectorWindows
Language
English

asked a year ago569 views

1 Answer
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This is a common challenge with Amazon Inspector findings on Windows instances. Amazon Inspector identifies vulnerabilities in software packages but doesn't always provide the specific file path or location of the vulnerable component in its findings.

For Windows EC2 instances, Amazon Inspector scans for vulnerabilities in operating system packages, but the detailed information about exactly where the vulnerable component resides is limited. This differs from the more comprehensive scanning available for Linux instances, where Amazon Inspector can perform deep inspection for application programming language packages.

To address your situation:

  1. The lack of file path information is a known limitation with Inspector's findings. Inspector identifies the vulnerability based on its software inventory scan but doesn't expose the exact file location in the findings.

  2. Even though you've found newer versions of libcurl on your system, the vulnerability might exist in:

  • An older version bundled within another application
  • A dependency that's not directly visible in the file system
  • A component that's installed in a non-standard location
  1. To get more information about the finding:
  • Check the full details of the finding in the Inspector console, which might include additional context
  • Use AWS Systems Manager Inventory to get a more comprehensive view of software installed on your instance
  • Consider using the AWS CLI to retrieve the full finding details with the describe-findings command, though this may not provide the specific file path information you're seeking
  1. To determine if it's a false positive:
  • Compare the specific CVE details with your installed software versions
  • Consider the possibility that the vulnerability might be in a component that's installed but not actively used
  • If you're confident all instances of libcurl are patched, you might need to contact AWS Support for further investigation

The challenge of pinpointing vulnerable files without explicit path information is a known limitation when working with Amazon Inspector on Windows instances. This is one reason why vulnerability management often requires a combination of automated tools and manual verification.
Sources
Using Amazon Inspector in your vulnerability management program - AWS Prescriptive Guidance
Patching CVE's on EC2 instance | AWS re:Post
Question About Vulnerability Results in AWS Inspector | AWS re:Post
Scanning Amazon EC2 instances with Amazon Inspector - Amazon Inspector

answered a year ago

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