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العربيةCreate default policy version
Can create a new default version of an attached managed policy.
Grants escalation on its own.
iam:CreatePolicyVersionOn its own, iam:CreatePolicyVersion can create a new default version of an attached managed policy. On a wide resource scope that alone reaches administrator access.
Why it is dangerous
A principal can call iam:CreatePolicyVersion on attached customer-managed the policy and publish a new version marked as default. That silently rewrites the effective permissions of every the principal is attached to, including the principal itself, so the principal can grant itself full administrator access in a single call. AWS-managed policies are immune (they cannot be versioned), which is why only customer-managed policies are targeted.
In MITRE ATT&CK terms this maps to T1098.003, Account Manipulation: Additional Cloud Roles, under the privilege escalation tactic. AWS records it in CloudTrail as CreatePolicyVersion, SetDefaultPolicyVersion. The call shows up in CloudTrail but blends into normal administration, so it needs a rule to stand out. 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
CreatePolicyVersionSetDefaultPolicyVersionPrerequisites
A customer-managed policy attached to the principal (or one it can reach).
Tactic
Privilege Escalation
A control that would remove it: Remove iam:CreatePolicyVersion from the principal.
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 iam:CreatePolicyVersion allow?
Can create a new default version of an attached managed policy.
Can iam:CreatePolicyVersion escalate privileges on its own?
Yes. Held on a broad enough resource it reaches administrator access with no other permission.
How is create default policy version detected?
Watch for CreatePolicyVersion, SetDefaultPolicyVersion in CloudTrail. The call shows up in CloudTrail but blends into normal administration, so it needs a rule to stand out.
How do you break this path?
A control that would remove it is: Remove iam:CreatePolicyVersion from the principal. 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?
T1098.003, Account Manipulation: Additional Cloud Roles, under the privilege escalation tactic.
Related paths
References
Find this in your own account
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