diff --git a/packages/aws/_dev/build/docs/config.md b/packages/aws/_dev/build/docs/config.md
index de51f241d52..456468a88ba 100644
--- a/packages/aws/_dev/build/docs/config.md
+++ b/packages/aws/_dev/build/docs/config.md
@@ -58,9 +58,20 @@ Use this integration if you only need to collect data from the AWS Config servic
 5. Add all the required integration configuration parameters, including the aws_region to enable data collection.
 6. Select "Save and continue" to save the integration.
 
+::::{important}
+The AWS Config data stream uses the CEL input with manual AWS SigV4 request signing
+rather than the AWS SDK. This means it **only** supports static credentials
+(`Access Key ID` + `Secret Access Key`, and optionally `Session Token` for temporary
+credentials).
+
+**Role ARN, IAM instance profiles, shared credential files, and environment-based
+credentials are not supported.** If you attempt to use this data stream without
+providing static credentials, you will see an error indicating that `access_key_id`
+and `secret_access_key` are required.
+::::
+
 **Note**
-1. For the current integration package, it is compulsory to add Secret Access Key and Access Key ID.
-2. The AWS Config integration performs a full ingestion of all findings during each interval.
+1. The AWS Config integration performs a full ingestion of all findings during each interval.
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
diff --git a/packages/aws/changelog.yml b/packages/aws/changelog.yml
index 0f1d379f4b5..3ddbd7856bf 100644
--- a/packages/aws/changelog.yml
+++ b/packages/aws/changelog.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 # newer versions go on top
+- version: "6.5.1"
+  changes:
+    - description: |
+        Add credential validation to AWS Config CEL program to emit a clear error when access_key_id or secret_access_key are missing.
+        Document that the AWS Config data stream requires static credentials and does not support Role ARN or other SDK-based credential methods.
+      type: bugfix
+      link: https://github.com/elastic/integrations/pull/18333
 - version: "6.5.0"
   changes:
     - description: Add timestamp range filter and storage tier exclusion to latest transform source queries to reduce scan scope and improve performance.
diff --git a/packages/aws/data_stream/config/_dev/test/scripts/env.txt b/packages/aws/data_stream/config/_dev/test/scripts/env.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..542bf98a9b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/aws/data_stream/config/_dev/test/scripts/env.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[!exec:echo] skip 'Skipping test requiring absent echo command'
+
+exec echo ${PACKAGE_NAME}
+stdout '^aws$'
+
+exec echo ${DATA_STREAM}
+stdout '^config$'
+
+exec echo ${CURRENT_VERSION}
+stdout '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$'
diff --git a/packages/aws/data_stream/config/_dev/test/scripts/missing_credentials.txt b/packages/aws/data_stream/config/_dev/test/scripts/missing_credentials.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..49867017720
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/aws/data_stream/config/_dev/test/scripts/missing_credentials.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Test that the AWS Config data stream emits a clear error event when
+# access_key_id and secret_access_key are not provided.
+
+[!external_stack] skip 'Skipping external stack test.'
+[!exec:jq] skip 'Skipping test requiring absent jq command'
+
+use_stack -profile ${CONFIG_PROFILES}/${PROFILE}
+install_agent -profile ${CONFIG_PROFILES}/${PROFILE} -network_name NETWORK_NAME
+
+add_package -profile ${CONFIG_PROFILES}/${PROFILE}
+add_package_policy -profile ${CONFIG_PROFILES}/${PROFILE} test_config.yaml DATA_STREAM_NAME
+
+# The credential check fires before any HTTP request, so exactly one error
+# event should be indexed per evaluation cycle. Wait for at least 1.
+get_docs -profile ${CONFIG_PROFILES}/${PROFILE} -want 1 -timeout 5m ${DATA_STREAM_NAME}
+cp stdout got_docs.json
+
+# Verify the error message names the missing credentials.
+exec jq -r '[.hits.hits[]._source.error.message // empty] | flatten | .[]' got_docs.json
+stdout 'access_key_id and secret_access_key'
+
+# Verify no data events were produced — only error events.
+exec jq '[.hits.hits[]._source | select(.aws.config != null)] | length' got_docs.json
+stdout '^0$'
+
+# Clean up.
+remove_package_policy -profile ${CONFIG_PROFILES}/${PROFILE} ${DATA_STREAM_NAME}
+uninstall_agent -profile ${CONFIG_PROFILES}/${PROFILE} -timeout 1m
+
+-- test_config.yaml --
+input: cel
+vars:
+  access_key_id: ""
+  secret_access_key: ""
+data_stream:
+  vars:
+    aws_region: us-east-1
+    interval: 10s
+    batch_size: 2
+    preserve_original_event: true
diff --git a/packages/aws/data_stream/config/agent/stream/cel.yml.hbs b/packages/aws/data_stream/config/agent/stream/cel.yml.hbs
index 6f58ad81dbd..75ab7e4ab90 100644
--- a/packages/aws/data_stream/config/agent/stream/cel.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/aws/data_stream/config/agent/stream/cel.yml.hbs
@@ -44,6 +44,21 @@ redact:
     - session_token
 program: |
   (
+    // Credential validation: access_key_id and secret_access_key are required
+    // for hand-rolled SigV4 signing. Role ARN, IAM instance profiles, and
+    // other SDK-based credential methods are not supported.
+    state.?secret_key.orValue("") == "" || state.?access_key.orValue("") == "" ?
+      {
+        "events": {
+          "error": {
+            "code": "configuration_error",
+            "id": "missing_credentials",
+            "message": "AWS Config requires access_key_id and secret_access_key. Role ARN, IAM instance profiles, and other credential methods are not supported for this data stream.",
+          },
+        },
+        "want_more": false,
+      }
+    :
     // Stage 1: Check if we have existing config rules to process
     // If we have worklist with ConfigRules, we already fetched rules and now need to get compliance details
     has(state.?worklist.ConfigRules) && size(state.worklist.ConfigRules) > 0 ?
diff --git a/packages/aws/data_stream/config/manifest.yml b/packages/aws/data_stream/config/manifest.yml
index 77c8559a80e..ed6b7929406 100644
--- a/packages/aws/data_stream/config/manifest.yml
+++ b/packages/aws/data_stream/config/manifest.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ ilm_policy: logs-aws.config-default_policy
 streams:
   - input: cel
     title: Collect AWS Config Findings from AWS
-    description: Collect AWS Config Findings from AWS via API.
+    description: Collect AWS Config Findings from AWS via API. Requires Access Key ID and Secret Access Key — Role ARN and other credential methods are not supported.
     template_path: cel.yml.hbs
     enabled: false
     vars:
diff --git a/packages/aws/docs/config.md b/packages/aws/docs/config.md
index e763e57f00c..38c40b83124 100644
--- a/packages/aws/docs/config.md
+++ b/packages/aws/docs/config.md
@@ -58,9 +58,20 @@ Use this integration if you only need to collect data from the AWS Config servic
 5. Add all the required integration configuration parameters, including the aws_region to enable data collection.
 6. Select "Save and continue" to save the integration.
 
+::::{important}
+The AWS Config data stream uses the CEL input with manual AWS SigV4 request signing
+rather than the AWS SDK. This means it **only** supports static credentials
+(`Access Key ID` + `Secret Access Key`, and optionally `Session Token` for temporary
+credentials).
+
+**Role ARN, IAM instance profiles, shared credential files, and environment-based
+credentials are not supported.** If you attempt to use this data stream without
+providing static credentials, you will see an error indicating that `access_key_id`
+and `secret_access_key` are required.
+::::
+
 **Note**
-1. For the current integration package, it is compulsory to add Secret Access Key and Access Key ID.
-2. The AWS Config integration performs a full ingestion of all findings during each interval.
+1. The AWS Config integration performs a full ingestion of all findings during each interval.
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
diff --git a/packages/aws/manifest.yml b/packages/aws/manifest.yml
index d6a81f0515f..085a1e40a99 100644
--- a/packages/aws/manifest.yml
+++ b/packages/aws/manifest.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 format_version: 3.4.0
 name: aws
 title: AWS
-version: 6.5.0
+version: 6.5.1
 description: Collect logs and metrics from Amazon Web Services (AWS) with Elastic Agent.
 type: integration
 categories: