Working with Patch Manager (AWS CLI) - AWS Systems Manager
AWS CLI commands for patch baselinesAWS CLI commands for patch groupsAWS CLI commands for viewing patch summaries and detailsAWS CLI commands for scanning and patching instances

Working with Patch Manager (AWS CLI)

The section includes examples of AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) commands that you can use to perform configuration tasks for Patch Manager, a capability of AWS Systems Manager.

For an illustration of using the AWS CLI to patch a server environment by using a custom patch baseline, see Walkthrough: Patch a server environment (AWS CLI).

For more information about using the AWS CLI for AWS Systems Manager tasks, see the AWS Systems Manager section of the AWS CLI Command Reference.

AWS CLI commands for patch baselines

Create a patch baseline

The following command creates a patch baseline that approves all critical and important security updates for Windows Server 2012 R2 five days after they're released. Patches have also been specified for the Approved and Rejected patch lists. In addition, the patch baseline has been tagged to indicate that it's for a production environment.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm create-patch-baseline \
    --name "Windows-Server-2012R2" \
    --tags "Key=Environment,Value=Production" \
    --description "Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical security updates" \
    --approved-patches "KB2032276,MS10-048" \
    --rejected-patches "KB2124261" \
    --rejected-patches-action "ALLOW_AS_DEPENDENCY" \
    --approval-rules "PatchRules=[{PatchFilterGroup={PatchFilters=[{Key=MSRC_SEVERITY,Values=[Important,Critical]},{Key=CLASSIFICATION,Values=SecurityUpdates},{Key=PRODUCT,Values=WindowsServer2012R2}]},ApproveAfterDays=5}]"
Windows
aws ssm create-patch-baseline ^
    --name "Windows-Server-2012R2" ^
    --tags "Key=Environment,Value=Production" ^
    --description "Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical security updates" ^
    --approved-patches "KB2032276,MS10-048" ^
    --rejected-patches "KB2124261" ^
    --rejected-patches-action "ALLOW_AS_DEPENDENCY" ^
    --approval-rules "PatchRules=[{PatchFilterGroup={PatchFilters=[{Key=MSRC_SEVERITY,Values=[Important,Critical]},{Key=CLASSIFICATION,Values=SecurityUpdates},{Key=PRODUCT,Values=WindowsServer2012R2}]},ApproveAfterDays=5}]"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
}

Create a patch baseline with custom repositories for different OS versions

Applies to Linux instances only. The following command shows how to specify the patch repository to use for a particular version of the Amazon Linux operating system. This sample uses a source repository allowed by default on Amazon Linux 2017.09, but it could be adapted to a different source repository that you have configured for an instance.

Note

To better demonstrate this more complex command, we're using the --cli-input-json option with additional options stored an external JSON file.

  1. Create a JSON file with a name like my-patch-repository.json and add the following content to it. 

    {
    "Description": "My patch repository for Amazon Linux 2017.09",
    "Name": "Amazon-Linux-2017.09",
    "OperatingSystem": "AMAZON_LINUX",
    "ApprovalRules": {
        "PatchRules": [
            {
                "ApproveAfterDays": 7,
                "EnableNonSecurity": true,
                "PatchFilterGroup": {
                    "PatchFilters": [
                        {
                            "Key": "SEVERITY",
                            "Values": [
                                "Important",
                                "Critical"
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "Key": "CLASSIFICATION",
                            "Values": [
                                "Security",
                                "Bugfix"
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "Key": "PRODUCT",
                            "Values": [
                                "AmazonLinux2017.09"
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                }
            }
        ]
    },
    "Sources": [
        {
            "Name": "My-AL2017.09",
            "Products": [
                "AmazonLinux2017.09"
            ],
            "Configuration": "[amzn-main] \nname=amzn-main-Base\nmirrorlist=http://repo./$awsregion./$awsdomain//$releasever/main/mirror.list //nmirrorlist_expire=300//nmetadata_expire=300 \npriority=10 \nfailovermethod=priority \nfastestmirror_enabled=0 \ngpgcheck=1 \ngpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-amazon-ga \nenabled=1 \nretries=3 \ntimeout=5\nreport_instanceid=yes"
        }
    ]
}

  2. In the directory where you saved the file, run the following command. 

    aws ssm create-patch-baseline --cli-input-json file://my-patch-repository.json

    The system returns information like the following.

    {
    "BaselineId": "pb-12343b962ba63wxya"
}

Update a patch baseline

The following command adds two patches as rejected and one patch as approved to an existing patch baseline.

Note

For information about accepted formats for lists of approved patches and rejected patches, see About package name formats for approved and rejected patch lists.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm update-patch-baseline \
    --baseline-id pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE \
    --rejected-patches "KB2032276" "MS10-048" \
    --approved-patches "KB2124261"
Windows
aws ssm update-patch-baseline ^
    --baseline-id pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE ^
    --rejected-patches "KB2032276" "MS10-048" ^
    --approved-patches "KB2124261"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE",
   "Name":"Windows-Server-2012R2",
   "RejectedPatches":[
      "KB2032276",
      "MS10-048"
   ],
   "GlobalFilters":{
      "PatchFilters":[

      ]
   },
   "ApprovalRules":{
      "PatchRules":[
         {
            "PatchFilterGroup":{
               "PatchFilters":[
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "Important",
                        "Critical"
                     ],
                     "Key":"MSRC_SEVERITY"
                  },
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "SecurityUpdates"
                     ],
                     "Key":"CLASSIFICATION"
                  },
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "WindowsServer2012R2"
                     ],
                     "Key":"PRODUCT"
                  }
               ]
            },
            "ApproveAfterDays":5
         }
      ]
   },
   "ModifiedDate":1481001494.035,
   "CreatedDate":1480997823.81,
   "ApprovedPatches":[
      "KB2124261"
   ],
   "Description":"Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical security updates"
}

Rename a patch baseline

Linux & macOS
aws ssm update-patch-baseline \
    --baseline-id pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE \
    --name "Windows-Server-2012-R2-Important-and-Critical-Security-Updates"
Windows
aws ssm update-patch-baseline ^
    --baseline-id pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE ^
    --name "Windows-Server-2012-R2-Important-and-Critical-Security-Updates"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE",
   "Name":"Windows-Server-2012-R2-Important-and-Critical-Security-Updates",
   "RejectedPatches":[
      "KB2032276",
      "MS10-048"
   ],
   "GlobalFilters":{
      "PatchFilters":[

      ]
   },
   "ApprovalRules":{
      "PatchRules":[
         {
            "PatchFilterGroup":{
               "PatchFilters":[
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "Important",
                        "Critical"
                     ],
                     "Key":"MSRC_SEVERITY"
                  },
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "SecurityUpdates"
                     ],
                     "Key":"CLASSIFICATION"
                  },
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "WindowsServer2012R2"
                     ],
                     "Key":"PRODUCT"
                  }
               ]
            },
            "ApproveAfterDays":5
         }
      ]
   },
   "ModifiedDate":1481001795.287,
   "CreatedDate":1480997823.81,
   "ApprovedPatches":[
      "KB2124261"
   ],
   "Description":"Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical security updates"
}

Delete a patch baseline 

aws ssm delete-patch-baseline --baseline-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
}

List all patch baselines 

aws ssm describe-patch-baselines

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineIdentities":[
      {
         "BaselineName":"AWS-DefaultPatchBaseline",
         "DefaultBaseline":true,
         "BaselineDescription":"Default Patch Baseline Provided by AWS.",
         "BaselineId":"arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
      },
      {
         "BaselineName":"Windows-Server-2012R2",
         "DefaultBaseline":false,
         "BaselineDescription":"Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical security updates",
         "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
      }
   ]
}

Here is another command that lists all patch baselines in an AWS Region.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm describe-patch-baselines \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --filters "Key=OWNER,Values=[All]"
Windows
aws ssm describe-patch-baselines ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --filters "Key=OWNER,Values=[All]"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineIdentities":[
      {
         "BaselineName":"AWS-DefaultPatchBaseline",
         "DefaultBaseline":true,
         "BaselineDescription":"Default Patch Baseline Provided by AWS.",
         "BaselineId":"arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
      },
      {
         "BaselineName":"Windows-Server-2012R2",
         "DefaultBaseline":false,
         "BaselineDescription":"Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical security updates",
         "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
      }
   ]
}

List all AWS-provided patch baselines

Linux & macOS
aws ssm describe-patch-baselines \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --filters "Key=OWNER,Values=[AWS]"
Windows
aws ssm describe-patch-baselines ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --filters "Key=OWNER,Values=[AWS]"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineIdentities":[
      {
         "BaselineName":"AWS-DefaultPatchBaseline",
         "DefaultBaseline":true,
         "BaselineDescription":"Default Patch Baseline Provided by AWS.",
         "BaselineId":"arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
      }
   ]
}

List my patch baselines

Linux & macOS
aws ssm describe-patch-baselines \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --filters "Key=OWNER,Values=[Self]"
Windows
aws ssm describe-patch-baselines ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --filters "Key=OWNER,Values=[Self]"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineIdentities":[
      {
         "BaselineName":"Windows-Server-2012R2",
         "DefaultBaseline":false,
         "BaselineDescription":"Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical security updates",
         "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
      }
   ]
}

Display a patch baseline 

aws ssm get-patch-baseline --baseline-id pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE
Note

For custom patch baselines, you can specify either the patch baseline ID or the full Amazon Resource Name (ARN). For an AWS-provided patch baseline, you must specify the full ARN. For example, arn:aws:ssm:us-east-1:075727635805:patchbaseline/pb-03e3f588eec25344c.

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE",
   "Name":"Windows-Server-2012R2",
   "PatchGroups":[
      "Web Servers"
   ],
   "RejectedPatches":[

   ],
   "GlobalFilters":{
      "PatchFilters":[

      ]
   },
   "ApprovalRules":{
      "PatchRules":[
         {
            "PatchFilterGroup":{
               "PatchFilters":[
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "Important",
                        "Critical"
                     ],
                     "Key":"MSRC_SEVERITY"
                  },
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "SecurityUpdates"
                     ],
                     "Key":"CLASSIFICATION"
                  },
                  {
                     "Values":[
                        "WindowsServer2012R2"
                     ],
                     "Key":"PRODUCT"
                  }
               ]
            },
            "ApproveAfterDays":5
         }
      ]
   },
   "ModifiedDate":1480997823.81,
   "CreatedDate":1480997823.81,
   "ApprovedPatches":[

   ],
   "Description":"Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical security updates"
}

Get the default patch baseline 

aws ssm get-default-patch-baseline --region us-east-2

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineId":"arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
}

Set a custom patch baseline as the default

Linux & macOS
aws ssm register-default-patch-baseline \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --baseline-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
Windows
aws ssm register-default-patch-baseline ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --baseline-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
}

Reset an AWS patch baseline as the default

Linux & macOS
aws ssm register-default-patch-baseline \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --baseline-id "arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:733109147000:patchbaseline/pb-0574b43a65ea646ed"
Windows
aws ssm register-default-patch-baseline ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --baseline-id "arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:733109147000:patchbaseline/pb-0574b43a65ea646ed"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
}

Tag a patch baseline

Linux & macOS
aws ssm add-tags-to-resource \
    --resource-type "PatchBaseline" \
    --resource-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE" \
    --tags "Key=Project,Value=Testing"
Windows
aws ssm add-tags-to-resource ^
    --resource-type "PatchBaseline" ^
    --resource-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE" ^
    --tags "Key=Project,Value=Testing"

List the tags for a patch baseline

Linux & macOS
aws ssm list-tags-for-resource \
    --resource-type "PatchBaseline" \
    --resource-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
Windows
aws ssm list-tags-for-resource ^
    --resource-type "PatchBaseline" ^
    --resource-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"

Remove a tag from a patch baseline

Linux & macOS
aws ssm remove-tags-from-resource \
    --resource-type "PatchBaseline" \
    --resource-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE" \
    --tag-keys "Project"
Windows
aws ssm remove-tags-from-resource ^
    --resource-type "PatchBaseline" ^
    --resource-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE" ^
    --tag-keys "Project"

AWS CLI commands for patch groups

Create a patch group

To help you organize your patching efforts, we recommend that you add instances to patch groups by using tags. Patch groups require use of the tag key Patch Group. You can specify any tag value, but the tag key must be Patch Group. For more information about patch groups, see About patch groups.

After you group your instances using tags, you add the patch group value to a patch baseline. By registering the patch group with a patch baseline, you ensure that the correct patches are installed during the patching operation.

Task 1: Add EC2 instances to a patch group using tags

Note

When using the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) console and AWS CLI, it's possible to apply Key = Patch Group tags to instances that aren't yet configured for use with Systems Manager. If an EC2 instance you expect to see in Patch Manager isn't listed after applying the Patch Group tag, see Troubleshooting Amazon EC2 managed instance availability for troubleshooting tips.

Run the following command to add the Patch Group tag to an EC2 instance. 

aws ec2 create-tags --resources "i-1234567890abcdef0" --tags "Key=Patch Group,Value=GroupValue"

Task 2: Add managed instances to a patch group using tags

Run the following command to add the Patch Group tag to a managed instance.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm add-tags-to-resource \
    --resource-type "ManagedInstance" \
    --resource-id "mi-0123456789abcdefg" \
    --tags "Key=Patch Group,Value=GroupValue"
Windows
aws ssm add-tags-to-resource ^
    --resource-type "ManagedInstance" ^
    --resource-id "mi-0123456789abcdefg" ^
    --tags "Key=Patch Group,Value=GroupValue"

Task 3: Add a patch group to a patch baseline

Run the following command to associate a Patch Group tag value to the specified patch baseline.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm register-patch-baseline-for-patch-group \
    --baseline-id "pb-0123456789abcdef0" \
    --patch-group "Development"
Windows
aws ssm register-patch-baseline-for-patch-group ^
    --baseline-id "pb-0123456789abcdef0" ^
    --patch-group "Development"

The system returns information like the following.

{
  "PatchGroup": "Development",
  "BaselineId": "pb-0123456789abcdef0"
}

Register a patch group "web servers" with a patch baseline

Linux & macOS
aws ssm register-patch-baseline-for-patch-group \
    --baseline-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE" \
    --patch-group "Web Servers"
Windows
aws ssm register-patch-baseline-for-patch-group ^
    --baseline-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE" ^
    --patch-group "Web Servers"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "PatchGroup":"Web Servers",
   "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
}

Register a patch group "Backend" with the AWS-provided patch baseline

Linux & macOS
aws ssm register-patch-baseline-for-patch-group \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --baseline-id "arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE" \
    --patch-group "Backend"
Windows
aws ssm register-patch-baseline-for-patch-group ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --baseline-id "arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE" ^
    --patch-group "Backend"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "PatchGroup":"Backend",
   "BaselineId":"arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
}

Display patch group registrations 

aws ssm describe-patch-groups --region us-east-2

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "PatchGroupPatchBaselineMappings":[
      {
         "PatchGroup":"Backend",
         "BaselineIdentity":{
            "BaselineName":"AWS-DefaultPatchBaseline",
            "DefaultBaseline":false,
            "BaselineDescription":"Default Patch Baseline Provided by AWS.",
            "BaselineId":"arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
         }
      },
      {
         "PatchGroup":"Web Servers",
         "BaselineIdentity":{
            "BaselineName":"Windows-Server-2012R2",
            "DefaultBaseline":true,
            "BaselineDescription":"Windows Server 2012 R2, Important and Critical updates",
            "BaselineId":"pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
         }
      }
   ]
}

Deregister a patch group from a patch baseline

Linux & macOS
aws ssm deregister-patch-baseline-for-patch-group \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --patch-group "Production" \
    --baseline-id "arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
Windows
aws ssm deregister-patch-baseline-for-patch-group ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --patch-group "Production" ^
    --baseline-id "arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "PatchGroup":"Production",
   "BaselineId":"arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:111122223333:patchbaseline/pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
}

AWS CLI commands for viewing patch summaries and details

Get all patches defined by a patch baseline

Note

This command is supported for Windows Server patch baselines only.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm describe-effective-patches-for-patch-baseline \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --baseline-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"
Windows
aws ssm describe-effective-patches-for-patch-baseline ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --baseline-id "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE"

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "NextToken":"--token string truncated--",
   "EffectivePatches":[
      {
         "PatchStatus":{
            "ApprovalDate":1384711200.0,
            "DeploymentStatus":"APPROVED"
         },
         "Patch":{
            "ContentUrl":"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2876331",
            "ProductFamily":"Windows",
            "Product":"WindowsServer2012R2",
            "Vendor":"Microsoft",
            "Description":"A security issue has been identified in a Microsoft software 
               product that could affect your system. You can help protect your system 
               by installing this update from Microsoft. For a complete listing of the 
               issues that are included in this update, see the associated Microsoft 
               Knowledge Base article. After you install this update, you may have to 
               restart your system.",
            "Classification":"SecurityUpdates",
            "Title":"Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview (KB2876331)",
            "ReleaseDate":1384279200.0,
            "MsrcClassification":"Critical",
            "Language":"All",
            "KbNumber":"KB2876331",
            "MsrcNumber":"MS13-089",
            "Id":"e74ccc76-85f0-4881-a738-59e9fc9a336d"
         }
      },
      {
         "PatchStatus":{
            "ApprovalDate":1428858000.0,
            "DeploymentStatus":"APPROVED"
         },
         "Patch":{
            "ContentUrl":"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2919355",
            "ProductFamily":"Windows",
            "Product":"WindowsServer2012R2",
            "Vendor":"Microsoft",
            "Description":"Windows Server 2012 R2 Update is a cumulative 
               set of security updates, critical updates and updates. You 
               must install Windows Server 2012 R2 Update to ensure that 
               your computer can continue to receive future Windows Updates, 
               including security updates. For a complete listing of the 
               issues that are included in this update, see the associated 
               Microsoft Knowledge Base article for more information. After 
               you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.",
            "Classification":"SecurityUpdates",
            "Title":"Windows Server 2012 R2 Update (KB2919355)",
            "ReleaseDate":1428426000.0,
            "MsrcClassification":"Critical",
            "Language":"All",
            "KbNumber":"KB2919355",
            "MsrcNumber":"MS14-018",
            "Id":"8452bac0-bf53-4fbd-915d-499de08c338b"
         }
      }
     ---output truncated---

Get all patches for AmazonLinux2018.03 that have a Classification SECURITY and Severity of Critical

Linux & macOS
aws ssm describe-available-patches \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --filters Key=PRODUCT,Values=AmazonLinux2018.03 Key=SEVERITY,Values=Critical
Windows
aws ssm describe-available-patches ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --filters Key=PRODUCT,Values=AmazonLinux2018.03 Key=SEVERITY,Values=Critical

The system returns information like the following.

{
    "Patches": [
        {
            "AdvisoryIds": ["ALAS-2011-1"],
            "BugzillaIds": [ "1234567" ],
            "Classification": "SECURITY",
            "CVEIds": [ "CVE-2011-3192"],
            "Name": "zziplib",
            "Epoch": "0",
            "Version": "2.71",
            "Release": "1.3.amzn1",
            "Arch": "i686",
            "Product": "AmazonLinux2018.03",
            "ReleaseDate": 1590519815,
            "Severity": "CRITICAL"
        }
    ]
}     
---output truncated---

Get all patches for Windows Server 2012 that have a MSRC severity of Critical

Linux & macOS
aws ssm describe-available-patches \
    --region us-east-2 \
    --filters Key=PRODUCT,Values=WindowsServer2012 Key=MSRC_SEVERITY,Values=Critical
Windows
aws ssm describe-available-patches ^
    --region us-east-2 ^
    --filters Key=PRODUCT,Values=WindowsServer2012 Key=MSRC_SEVERITY,Values=Critical

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "Patches":[
      {
         "ContentUrl":"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2727528",
         "ProductFamily":"Windows",
         "Product":"WindowsServer2012",
         "Vendor":"Microsoft",
         "Description":"A security issue has been identified that could 
           allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to compromise your 
           system and gain control over it. You can help protect your 
           system by installing this update from Microsoft. After you 
           install this update, you may have to restart your system.",
         "Classification":"SecurityUpdates",
         "Title":"Security Update for Windows Server 2012 (KB2727528)",
         "ReleaseDate":1352829600.0,
         "MsrcClassification":"Critical",
         "Language":"All",
         "KbNumber":"KB2727528",
         "MsrcNumber":"MS12-072",
         "Id":"1eb507be-2040-4eeb-803d-abc55700b715"
      },
      {
         "ContentUrl":"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2729462",
         "ProductFamily":"Windows",
         "Product":"WindowsServer2012",
         "Vendor":"Microsoft",
         "Description":"A security issue has been identified that could 
           allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to compromise your 
           system and gain control over it. You can help protect your 
           system by installing this update from Microsoft. After you 
           install this update, you may have to restart your system.",
         "Classification":"SecurityUpdates",
         "Title":"Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 on 
           Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 for x64-based Systems (KB2729462)",
         "ReleaseDate":1352829600.0,
         "MsrcClassification":"Critical",
         "Language":"All",
         "KbNumber":"KB2729462",
         "MsrcNumber":"MS12-074",
         "Id":"af873760-c97c-4088-ab7e-5219e120eab4"
      }
     
---output truncated---

Get all available patches 

aws ssm describe-available-patches --region us-east-2

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "NextToken":"--token string truncated--",
   "Patches":[
      {
         "ContentUrl":"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2032276",
         "ProductFamily":"Windows",
         "Product":"WindowsServer2008R2",
         "Vendor":"Microsoft",
         "Description":"A security issue has been identified that could allow an 
           unauthenticated remote attacker to compromise your system and gain 
           control over it. You can help protect your system by installing this 
           update from Microsoft. After you install this update, you may have to
           restart your system.",
         "Classification":"SecurityUpdates",
         "Title":"Security Update for Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 Edition (KB2032276)",
         "ReleaseDate":1279040400.0,
         "MsrcClassification":"Important",
         "Language":"All",
         "KbNumber":"KB2032276",
         "MsrcNumber":"MS10-043",
         "Id":"8692029b-a3a2-4a87-a73b-8ea881b4b4d6"
      },
      {
         "ContentUrl":"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2124261",
         "ProductFamily":"Windows",
         "Product":"Windows7",
         "Vendor":"Microsoft",
         "Description":"A security issue has been identified that could allow 
           an unauthenticated remote attacker to compromise your system and gain 
           control over it. You can help protect your system by installing this 
           update from Microsoft. After you install this update, you may have 
           to restart your system.",
         "Classification":"SecurityUpdates",
         "Title":"Security Update for Windows 7 (KB2124261)",
         "ReleaseDate":1284483600.0,
         "MsrcClassification":"Important",
         "Language":"All",
         "KbNumber":"KB2124261",
         "MsrcNumber":"MS10-065",
         "Id":"12ef1bed-0dd2-4633-b3ac-60888aa8ba33"
      }
      ---output truncated---

Get patch summary states per-instance

The per-instance summary gives you the number of patches in the following states per instance: "NotApplicable", "Missing", "Failed", "InstalledOther" and "Installed".

Linux & macOS
aws ssm describe-instance-patch-states \
    --instance-ids i-08ee91c0b17045407 i-09a618aec652973a9
Windows
aws ssm describe-instance-patch-states ^
    --instance-ids i-08ee91c0b17045407 i-09a618aec652973a9

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "InstancePatchStates":[
      {
            "InstanceId": "i-08ee91c0b17045407",
            "PatchGroup": "",
            "BaselineId": "pb-0e392de35e7c563b7",
            "SnapshotId": "6d03d6c5-f79d-41d0-8d0e-00a9aEXAMPLE",
            "InstalledCount": 50,
            "InstalledOtherCount": 353,
            "InstalledPendingRebootCount": 0,
            "InstalledRejectedCount": 0,
            "MissingCount": 0,
            "FailedCount": 0,
            "UnreportedNotApplicableCount": -1,
            "NotApplicableCount": 671,
            "OperationStartTime": "2020-01-24T12:37:56-08:00",
            "OperationEndTime": "2020-01-24T12:37:59-08:00",
            "Operation": "Scan",
            "RebootOption": "NoReboot"
        },
        {
            "InstanceId": "i-09a618aec652973a9",
            "PatchGroup": "",
            "BaselineId": "pb-07e6d4e9bc703f2e3",
            "SnapshotId": "c7e0441b-1eae-411b-8aa7-973e6EXAMPLE",
            "InstalledCount": 36,
            "InstalledOtherCount": 396,
            "InstalledPendingRebootCount": 0,
            "InstalledRejectedCount": 0,
            "MissingCount": 3,
            "FailedCount": 0,
            "UnreportedNotApplicableCount": -1,
            "NotApplicableCount": 420,
            "OperationStartTime": "2020-01-24T12:37:34-08:00",
            "OperationEndTime": "2020-01-24T12:37:37-08:00",
            "Operation": "Scan",
            "RebootOption": "NoReboot"
        }
     ---output truncated---

Get patch compliance details for an instance 

aws ssm describe-instance-patches --instance-id i-08ee91c0b17045407

The system returns information like the following.

{
   "NextToken":"--token string truncated--",
   "Patches":[
      {
            "Title": "bind-libs.x86_64:32:9.8.2-0.68.rc1.60.amzn1",
            "KBId": "bind-libs.x86_64",
            "Classification": "Security",
            "Severity": "Important",
            "State": "Installed",
            "InstalledTime": "2019-08-26T11:05:24-07:00"
        },
        {
            "Title": "bind-utils.x86_64:32:9.8.2-0.68.rc1.60.amzn1",
            "KBId": "bind-utils.x86_64",
            "Classification": "Security",
            "Severity": "Important",
            "State": "Installed",
            "InstalledTime": "2019-08-26T11:05:32-07:00"
        },
        {
            "Title": "dhclient.x86_64:12:4.1.1-53.P1.28.amzn1",
            "KBId": "dhclient.x86_64",
            "Classification": "Security",
            "Severity": "Important",
            "State": "Installed",
            "InstalledTime": "2019-08-26T11:05:31-07:00"
        },
    ---output truncated---

View patching compliance results (AWS CLI)

To view patch compliance results for a single instance

Run the following command in the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) to view patch compliance results for a single instance. 

aws ssm describe-instance-patch-states --instance-id instance-id

Replace instance-id with the ID of the managed instance for which you want to view results, in the format i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE or mi-0282f7c436EXAMPLE.

The systems returns information like the following.

{
    "InstancePatchStates": [
        {
            "InstanceId": "i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE",
            "PatchGroup": "mypatchgroup",
            "BaselineId": "pb-0c10e65780EXAMPLE",            
            "SnapshotId": "a3f5ff34-9bc4-4d2c-a665-4d1c1EXAMPLE",
            "CriticalNonCompliantCount": 2,
            "SecurityNonCompliantCount": 2,
            "OtherNonCompliantCount": 1,
            "InstalledCount": 123,
            "InstalledOtherCount": 334,
            "InstalledPendingRebootCount": 0,
            "InstalledRejectedCount": 0,
            "MissingCount": 1,
            "FailedCount": 2,
            "UnreportedNotApplicableCount": 11,
            "NotApplicableCount": 2063,
            "OperationStartTime": "2021-05-03T11:00:56-07:00",
            "OperationEndTime": "2021-05-03T11:01:09-07:00",
            "Operation": "Scan",
            "LastNoRebootInstallOperationTime": "2020-06-14T12:17:41-07:00",
            "RebootOption": "RebootIfNeeded"
        }
    ]
}

To view a patch count summary for all EC2 instances in a Region

The describe-instance-patch-states supports retrieving results for just one managed instance at a time. However, using a custom script with the describe-instance-patch-states command, you can generate a more granular report.

For example, if the jq filter tool is installed on you local machine, you could run the following command to identify which of your EC2 instances in a particular AWS Region have a status of InstalledPendingReboot. 

aws ssm describe-instance-patch-states \
    --instance-ids $(aws ec2 describe-instances --region region | jq '.Reservations[].Instances[] | .InstanceId' | tr '\n|"' ' ') \
    --output text --query 'InstancePatchStates[*].{Instance:InstanceId, InstalledPendingRebootCount:InstalledPendingRebootCount}'

region represents the identifier for an AWS Region supported by AWS Systems Manager, such as us-east-2 for the US East (Ohio) Region. For a list of supported region values, see the Region column in Systems Manager service endpoints in the Amazon Web Services General Reference.

For example:

aws ssm describe-instance-patch-states \
    --instance-ids $(aws ec2 describe-instances --region us-east-2 | jq '.Reservations[].Instances[] | .InstanceId' | tr '\n|"' ' ') \
    --output text --query 'InstancePatchStates[*].{Instance:InstanceId, InstalledPendingRebootCount:InstalledPendingRebootCount}'

The system returns information like the following.

1       i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE
0       i-0471e04240EXAMPLE
3       i-07782c72faEXAMPLE
6       i-083b678d37EXAMPLE
0       i-03a530a2d4EXAMPLE
1       i-01f68df0d0EXAMPLE
0       i-0a39c0f214EXAMPLE
7       i-0903a5101eEXAMPLE
7       i-03823c2fedEXAMPLE

In addition to InstalledPendingRebootCount, the list of count types you can search for include the following:

  • CriticalNonCompliantCount

  • SecurityNonCompliantCount

  • OtherNonCompliantCount

  • UnreportedNotApplicableCount

  • InstalledPendingRebootCount

  • FailedCount

  • NotApplicableCount

  • InstalledRejectedCount

  • InstalledOtherCount

  • MissingCount

  • InstalledCount

AWS CLI commands for scanning and patching instances

After running the following commands to scan for patch compliance or install patches, you can use commands in the AWS CLI commands for viewing patch summaries and details section to view information about patch status and compliance.

Scan instances for patch compliance (AWS CLI)

To scan specific instances for patch compliance

Run the following command.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm send-command \
    --document-name 'AWS-RunPatchBaseline' \
    --targets Key=InstanceIds,Values='i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE,i-0471e04240EXAMPLE' \
    --parameters 'Operation=Scan' \
    --timeout-seconds 600
Windows
aws ssm send-command ^
    --document-name "AWS-RunPatchBaseline" ^
    --targets Key=InstanceIds,Values="i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE,i-0471e04240EXAMPLE" ^
    --parameters "Operation=Scan" ^
    --timeout-seconds 600

The system returns information like the following.

{
    "Command": {
        "CommandId": "a04ed06c-8545-40f4-87c2-a0babEXAMPLE",
        "DocumentName": "AWS-RunPatchBaseline",
        "DocumentVersion": "$DEFAULT",
        "Comment": "",
        "ExpiresAfter": 1621974475.267,
        "Parameters": {
            "Operation": [
                "Scan"
            ]
        },
        "InstanceIds": [],
        "Targets": [
            {
                "Key": "InstanceIds",
                "Values": [
                    "i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE,
                     i-0471e04240EXAMPLE"
                ]
            }
        ],
        "RequestedDateTime": 1621952275.267,
        "Status": "Pending",
        "StatusDetails": "Pending",
        "TimeoutSeconds": 600,

    ---output truncated---

    }
}

To scan instances for patch compliance by patch group tag

Run the following command.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm send-command \
    --document-name 'AWS-RunPatchBaseline' \
    --targets Key='tag:Patch Group',Values='Web servers' \
    --parameters 'Operation=Scan' \
    --timeout-seconds 600
Windows
aws ssm send-command ^
    --document-name "AWS-RunPatchBaseline" ^
    --targets Key="tag:Patch Group",Values="Web servers" ^
    --parameters "Operation=Scan" ^
    --timeout-seconds 600

The system returns information like the following.

{
    "Command": {
        "CommandId": "87a448ee-8adc-44e0-b4d1-6b429EXAMPLE",
        "DocumentName": "AWS-RunPatchBaseline",
        "DocumentVersion": "$DEFAULT",
        "Comment": "",
        "ExpiresAfter": 1621974983.128,
        "Parameters": {
            "Operation": [
                "Scan"
            ]
        },
        "InstanceIds": [],
        "Targets": [
            {
                "Key": "tag:Patch Group",
                "Values": [
                    "Web servers"
                ]
            }
        ],
        "RequestedDateTime": 1621952783.128,
        "Status": "Pending",
        "StatusDetails": "Pending",
        "TimeoutSeconds": 600,

    ---output truncated---

    }
}

Install patches on managed instances (AWS CLI)

To install patches on specific instances

Run the following command.

Note

The target instances reboot as needed to complete patch installation. For more information, see About the AWS-RunPatchBaseline SSM document.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm send-command \
    --document-name 'AWS-RunPatchBaseline' \
    --targets Key=InstanceIds,Values='i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE,i-0471e04240EXAMPLE' \
    --parameters 'Operation=Install' \
    --timeout-seconds 600
Windows
aws ssm send-command ^
    --document-name "AWS-RunPatchBaseline" ^
    --targets Key=InstanceIds,Values="i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE,i-0471e04240EXAMPLE" ^
    --parameters "Operation=Install" ^
    --timeout-seconds 600

The system returns information like the following.

{
    "Command": {
        "CommandId": "5f403234-38c4-439f-a570-93623EXAMPLE",
        "DocumentName": "AWS-RunPatchBaseline",
        "DocumentVersion": "$DEFAULT",
        "Comment": "",
        "ExpiresAfter": 1621975301.791,
        "Parameters": {
            "Operation": [
                "Install"
            ]
        },
        "InstanceIds": [],
        "Targets": [
            {
                "Key": "InstanceIds",
                "Values": [
                    "i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE,
                     i-0471e04240EXAMPLE"
                ]
            }
        ],
        "RequestedDateTime": 1621953101.791,
        "Status": "Pending",
        "StatusDetails": "Pending",
        "TimeoutSeconds": 600,

    ---output truncated---

    }
}

To install patches on instances in a specific patch group

Run the following command.

Linux & macOS
aws ssm send-command \
    --document-name 'AWS-RunPatchBaseline' \
    --targets Key='tag:Patch Group',Values='Web servers' \
    -parameters 'Operation=Install' \
    --timeout-seconds 600
Windows
aws ssm send-command ^
    --document-name "AWS-RunPatchBaseline" ^
    --targets Key="tag:Patch Group",Values="Web servers" ^
    --parameters "Operation=Install" ^
    --timeout-seconds 600

The system returns information like the following.

{
    "Command": {
        "CommandId": "fa44b086-7d36-4ad5-ac8d-627ecEXAMPLE",
        "DocumentName": "AWS-RunPatchBaseline",
        "DocumentVersion": "$DEFAULT",
        "Comment": "",
        "ExpiresAfter": 1621975407.865,
        "Parameters": {
            "Operation": [
                "Install"
            ]
        },
        "InstanceIds": [],
        "Targets": [
            {
                "Key": "tag:Patch Group",
                "Values": [
                    "Web servers"
                ]
            }
        ],
        "RequestedDateTime": 1621953207.865,
        "Status": "Pending",
        "StatusDetails": "Pending",
        "TimeoutSeconds": 600,

    ---output truncated---

    }
}