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Special Purpose Entities, Including Variable Interest Entities - Summary of Carrying Amount of Assets, Liabilities and Maximum Exposure to Loss of Ambac's Variable Interests in Non-Consolidated Variable Interest Entities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Jun. 30, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019
--- | --- | ---
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | $ 29,426 | $ 31,506
Insurance Assets | 2,417 | 2,247
Insurance Liabilities | 1,182 | 1,083
Derivative Liabilities | 8 |
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Derivative Liabilities |  | 7
Global Public Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 22,373 | 23,341
Insurance Assets | 282 | 287
Insurance Liabilities | 325 | 321
Derivative Liabilities | (1) | 0
Global Structured Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 7,053 | 8,165
Insurance Assets | 2,136 | 1,961
Insurance Liabilities | 858 | 762
Derivative Liabilities | 9 | 8
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 4,764 | 5,373
Insurance Assets | 2,099 | 1,913
Insurance Liabilities | 603 | 523
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | 0
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Other Consumer Asset-Backed [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 1,189 | 1,373
Insurance Assets | 28 | 31
Insurance Liabilities | 237 | 216
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | 0
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Other Commercial Asset-Backed [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 93 | 314
Insurance Assets | 3 | 9
Insurance Liabilities | 2 | 6
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | 0
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Other [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 1,006 | 1,107
Insurance Assets | 6 | 7
Insurance Liabilities | 16 | 18
Derivative Liabilities | $ 9 | $ 8

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- Definition The net carrying amount of derivative assets or liabilities in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_VariableInterestEntityNonconsolidatedCarryingAmountDerivativeNetAssetsOrLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition The carrying amount of insurance assets in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_VariableInterestEntityNonconsolidatedCarryingAmountInsuranceAssets
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition The carrying amount of insurance liabilities in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_VariableInterestEntityNonconsolidatedCarryingAmountInsuranceLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition The reporting entity's maximum amount of exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the Variable Interest Entity (VIE). + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118582676&loc=d3e5747-111685 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph b -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118582676&loc=d3e5728-111685 + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis=ambc_GlobalPublicFinanceMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_InformationByCategoryOfDebtSecurityAxis=ambc_GlobalStructuredFinanceMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=ambc_OtherConsumerAssetBackedMember
Namespace Prefix: |
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Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
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Period Type: |

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- Details
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