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العربيةSelf-grant DynamoDB table read
Can attach a resource policy to a table granting itself read.
Grants escalation on its own.
dynamodb:PutResourcePolicyOn its own, dynamodb:PutResourcePolicy can attach a resource policy to a table granting itself read. On a wide resource scope that alone reaches access for an outside or public principal.
Why it is dangerous
A principal can call dynamodb:PutResourcePolicy (a 2024 feature) on the table to attach a resource-based policy self-granting GetItem/Query/Scan, then read the table. The catalogue previously assumed DynamoDB had no resource policy - it now does.
In MITRE ATT&CK terms this maps to T1098, Account Manipulation, under the privilege escalation tactic. AWS records it in CloudTrail as PutResourcePolicy. The call is quiet against normal activity, so it is easy to miss without a rule for it. It also gives an attacker a way to keep access after the first foothold is closed, so it is worth watching even when it looks like routine administration.
Detection
PutResourcePolicyPrerequisites
dynamodb:PutResourcePolicy on the table.
MITRE ATT&CK
T1098 · Account ManipulationTactic
Privilege Escalation
A control that would remove it: Restrict dynamodb:PutResourcePolicy on the table. NOTE: this invalidates the stale 'DynamoDB has no resource policy' assumption in the current remediation code.
Whether to apply it depends on how the permission is used in your environment, so it is a business decision rather than an automatic fix. The same permission can be load-bearing in one account and pure risk in another.
Pathbreak confirms whether this path resolves in your account, ranks it against the others by how much it opens up, and uses your threat model and business context to show which paths are worth cutting.
Questions
What does dynamodb:PutResourcePolicy allow?
Can attach a resource policy to a table granting itself read.
Can dynamodb:PutResourcePolicy escalate privileges on its own?
Yes. Held on a broad enough resource it reaches access for an outside or public principal with no other permission.
How is self-grant DynamoDB table read detected?
Watch for PutResourcePolicy in CloudTrail. The call is quiet against normal activity, so it is easy to miss without a rule for it.
How do you break this path?
A control that would remove it is: Restrict dynamodb:PutResourcePolicy on the table. NOTE: this invalidates the stale 'DynamoDB has no resource policy' assumption in the current remediation code. Whether to apply it depends on how the permission is used in your account, so it is a business decision rather than an automatic fix.
Which MITRE ATT&CK technique is this?
T1098, Account Manipulation, under the privilege escalation tactic.
Related paths
References
Find this in your own account
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