Request-url-http-3a-2f-2f169.254.169.254-2flatest-2fmeta Data-2fiam-2fsecurity Credentials-2f !full! 🆕 Bonus Inside

Because this endpoint returns sensitive credentials without requiring an initial password, it is a primary target for attackers.

: The attacker aims to steal the temporary credentials, which can then be used from outside the AWS environment to gain unauthorized access to your cloud resources, such as S3 buckets or other EC2 instances. IMDS Versioning :

: Protects against SSRF by requiring a session token obtained via a PUT request, which standard SSRF vulnerabilities typically cannot perform. Steal EC2 Metadata Credentials via SSRF - Hacking The Cloud Steal EC2 Metadata Credentials via SSRF - Hacking

: Vulnerable to simple SSRF because it uses standard HTTP GET requests.

Stealing IAM Credentials from the Instance Metadata Service * To determine if the EC2 instance has an IAM role associated with it, Hacking The Cloud : If an IAM Role is attached to

: It allows applications running on the instance to "learn about themselves".

The URL http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/ is a link-local address accessible only from within an EC2 instance. Steal EC2 Metadata Credentials via SSRF - Hacking

: If an IAM Role is attached to the instance, this endpoint lists the name of that role.

: By appending the role name to the URL (e.g., .../security-credentials/MyRoleName ), a user can retrieve an Access Key , Secret Key , and Session Token to perform actions authorized by that role. Security Implications & SSRF