Amazon Web Service (AWS) Session Manager plugin

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	This plugin helps users to access the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) to start and end sessions to managed instances. Session Manager is a capability of AWS Systems Manager. The TRM decisions in this entry only apply to technologies and versions owned, operated, managed, patched, and version-controlled by VA. This includes technologies deployed as software installations on VMs within VA-controlled cloud environments (e.g., VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC)). Cloud services provided by the VAEC, which are listed in the VAEC Service Catalog, and those controlled and managed by an external Cloud Service Provider (i.e., SaaS) are not in the purview of the TRM. For more information on the use of cloud services and cloud-based products within VA, including VA private clouds, please see the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) Portal at: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITECSO
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.7
Decision Date:	07/12/2024 at 02:56:04 UTC
Aliases:	AWS Session Manager for AWS CLI
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Amazon Web Services

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1.2.x	10/15/2020

Current Decision Matrix (07/09/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

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1.2.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Per the Security Assessment Review (SAR), users must abide by the following constraints: System Administrators will need to work with the vendor to limit/identify the ports the software uses and verify with the vendor if removing the firewall exception may impact the functionality of the application. System Administrators must ensure approved versions of SQLite, Json.NET and OpenSSL are being used on VA assets. AWS Session Manager Plugin will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 (or its successor) certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. Due to potential information security risks, SaaS/PaaS solutions must complete the BIOS process where a collaborative effort between Demand Management (DM), Enterprise Program Management Office Information Assurance (EPMO IA), Digital Transformation Center (DTC), Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and stakeholders determines the SaaS/PaaS category during the Discovery Phase. All SaaS and Non-AWS or Azure (VAEC) PaaS assets are routed to EPMO IA for Analysis and Approval to Operate (ATO) with technical oversight, acquisition, production, and sustainment provided by DTC. System Administrators shall monitor the .exe file used by the application with a file integrity checker to ensure no unauthorized changes occur.

[2]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[3]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[4]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 or its successor to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the storage device where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information System Security Officer (ISSO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP). By September 22, 2026, all FIPS 140-2 certificate validations will be placed on the Historical List, please refer to FIPS Transition Effort for further guidance and timeline of changes.

[5]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request, visit the Product Marketplace. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[6]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 1.2.650.0 is the most current version, released 07/02/2024.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Vendor Provided*	Github		This technology`s Github page.
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
No components have been identified for this entry.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Application Technology Development Tools	Process Management Tools

Open Source

This entry is available as an open source technology.

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Amazon Linux - Approved w/Constraints
macOS - Approved w/Constraints
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

No comparable entries have been identified.

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology has a comprehensive set of documentation.
This technology integrates with other TRM approved technologies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) Command Line Interface (CLI) and provides enhanced functionality.
At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.
At the time of writing, this technology provides functionality not available through other approved TRM options.
This technology is available at no cost through open-source licensing and supports VA's open-source initiative.

Adoption Risks

As open-source software, this product may be left without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because AWS Session Manager installs .exe file without a digital signature. This prevents the verification of the control's publisher and assurance that it has not been tampered with since being published.
Although this vendor utilizes Federal Information Processing (FIPS) 140-2 encryption, there is no indication based on the vendor documentation or the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 certified.
This technology can integrate with and alter database technologies.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A firewall rule was added to any/any (local IP/remote IP) with undefined ports for Skype, Game Bar, Xbox Console Companion, and Microsoft Sticky Notes which were added during the installation of AWS Session Manager Plugin for Windows. Skype is Unapproved within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because the software employs the use of the following OSS and OpenSSL: • SQLite v3.28.0 • Json.NET v13.0.1.25517 • Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR.Protocols.Json v8.0.424.17014 • Microsoft.Data.Sqlite v8.0.224.6803 • Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json v8.0.23.53103 • Microsoft.IdentityModel.JsonWebTokens v7.5.1.50405 • Json.NET .NET Standard 2.0 v13.0.1.25517 • SQLitePCLRaw.batteries_v2 v2.1.6.2060 • SQLitePCLRaw.core v2.1.6.2060 • SQLitePCLRaw.provider.e_sqlite3 v2.1.6.2060 • System.Net.Http.Json v8.0.624.26715 • System.Runtime.Serialization.Json v8.0.624.26715 • System.Text.Json v8.0.624.26715 • Microsoft OneDrive Sqlite Library v24.101.0519.0010 • System.Security.Cryptography.OpenSsl v8.0.624.26715 • OpenSSL library v3.3.0
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - The product is not FIPS 140-2 (or its successor) certified.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - AWS Session Manager Plugin for Windows employs the use of cloud services.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is compatible with multiple other Technical Reference Model (TRM) technologies and standards used by the organization.
This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.

Architectural Risks

This technology includes cloud-based functionality which has potential information security risks.

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

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Current Decision Matrix (07/09/2024)

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VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

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Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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