Vulnerability Description
PyAthena prior to 3.35.4 contains a sql injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary SQL by exploiting improper quote-escaping in DefaultParameterFormatter.format(), which routes DELETE and CTAS statements to the _escape_hive function that backslash-escapes single quotes rather than doubling them. Because Athena and Trino do not treat backslashes as escape characters inside string literals, attacker-supplied input such as a single quote followed by SQL syntax causes the parser to terminate the string literal prematurely, enabling data exfiltration via UNION SELECT, execution of destructive statements, and attacker-controlled CTAS destination and content.
CVSS Score
CRITICAL
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://github.com/laughingman7743/PyAthena
- https://github.com/laughingman7743/PyAthena/security/advisories/GHSA-xwj5-g6cv-4
- https://github.com/pyathena-dev/PyAthena/commit/27901d12245ea722b3b4e211c60e2ade
- https://github.com/rahulreddykarne/CVE-2026-65321-pyathena
- https://rahulkarne.com/#/cve/CVE-2026-65321
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/pyathena-sql-injection-via-defaultparameter
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-65321?
CVE-2026-65321 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). PyAthena prior to 3.35.4 contains a sql injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary SQL by exploiting improper quote-escaping in DefaultParameterFormatter.format(...
How severe is CVE-2026-65321?
CVE-2026-65321 has been rated CRITICAL with a CVSS base score of 9.8/10. This is considered a critical vulnerability requiring immediate attention.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-65321?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Review vendor security bulletins for remediation guidance.