macOS
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brew install aws-vaultprovider-native install command
brew / rank 731
Install aws-vault with Homebrew
Securely store and access AWS credentials in development environments. Version 7.13.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-30.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Securely store and access AWS credentials in development environments
Project links
Commands and aliases
- aws-vault
history
Project history and usage
AWS Vault is a long-running AWS credential helper that stores IAM credentials in a secure backend and generates temporary credentials for local development. The Homebrew formula now tracks the maintained ByteNess fork, whose README states that it continues the abandoned 99designs project.
Project history
The original project started at 99designs in 2015 and quickly established the `aws-vault add` plus `aws-vault exec` workflow for keeping long-term AWS keys out of plaintext shell environments. Its documentation made `~/.aws/config` the coordination point while storing secrets in platform facilities such as macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, Secret Service, KWallet, pass, or encrypted files.
In May 2025, the ByteNess fork was created as an active continuation. By June 2026 the original 99designs README warned that the old project was abandoned, while the ByteNess README called itself a maintained fork and documented newer backend support such as Windows Hello, keyctl, Passage, and 1Password options.
Adoption history
AWS Vault has broad package-manager reach: the original README listed Homebrew, MacPorts, Chocolatey, Scoop, Arch, Gentoo, FreeBSD, OpenSUSE, Nix, and asdf, while the ByteNess README keeps Homebrew, Chocolatey, and Nix as prominent install paths. Homebrew analytics showed several thousand 30-day formula installs in June 2026.
Its adoption is tied to security posture in developer AWS accounts: teams can store persistent IAM keys in a local secure backend, require MFA, and hand commands only short-lived STS credentials. That pattern made it useful for Terraform, SDKs, CI-adjacent local scripts, and desktop apps that need AWS credentials without placing static keys in environment variables.
How it is used
Common usage is `aws-vault add <profile>` followed by `aws-vault exec <profile> -- <command>`, `aws-vault login <profile>`, or `aws-vault export` through `credential_process`. The usage guide describes executor mode, master-credential-vault mode, MFA session cache mode, and caching of alternative credential sources such as SSO and web identity.
The maintained fork also documents backend selection and migration between backends, which matters for users moving between macOS Keychain, Linux desktop secret stores, 1Password, and encrypted-file fallback.
Why package nerds care
AWS Vault matters to package nerds because it is both a security tool and a packaging case study: a mature, heavily packaged CLI moved from an abandoned original upstream to an active fork while retaining the same command name and ecosystem expectations. Homebrew formula metadata now points at ByteNess release tags rather than the older 99designs releases.
Timeline
- 2015-08: Original 99designs/aws-vault repository created.
- 2015-09: v1.0.0 GitHub release published by 99designs/aws-vault.
- 2023-03: 99designs/aws-vault v7.2.0 published.
- 2025-05: ByteNess/aws-vault repository created as the maintained fork.
- 2026-06: ByteNess v7.12.4 published; Homebrew formula tracked v7.12.4.
Related projects
- `99designs/aws-vault` is the original upstream and remains the source for the legacy cask.
- `aws-sso-cli`, `aws-sso-util`, and `aws2-wrap` cover adjacent IAM Identity Center workflows that became more important after AWS CLI v2.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for aws-vault. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
~/.aws/config- Windows
%USERPROFILE%\.aws\config
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
aws-vault | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version7.13.2
manager updated2026-07-30
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:aws-vault |
|---|---|
| Version | 7.13.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/ByteNess/aws-vault |
| Repository | https://github.com/ByteNess/aws-vault |
| Last updated | 2026-07-30T15:04:00Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation