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العربيةReset RDS master password
Can reset the master password on a live RDS instance.
Grants escalation on its own.
rds:ModifyDBInstanceOn its own, rds:ModifyDBInstance can reset the master password on a live RDS instance. On a wide resource scope that alone reaches the data itself.
Why it is dangerous
A principal can call rds:ModifyDBInstance on the instance to set a new MasterUserPassword, then connect as the master user and read everything. No snapshot or IAM-auth needed; the only gate is network reachability.
In MITRE ATT&CK terms this maps to T1098, Account Manipulation, under the collection tactic. AWS records it in CloudTrail as ModifyDBInstance. The call shows up in CloudTrail but blends into normal administration, so it needs a rule to stand out.
Detection
ModifyDBInstancePrerequisites
rds:ModifyDBInstance on the instance and a network path to it.
MITRE ATT&CK
T1098 · Account ManipulationTactic
Collection
A control that would remove it: Restrict rds:ModifyDBInstance on the instance; alarm on MasterUserPassword changes.
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 rds:ModifyDBInstance allow?
Can reset the master password on a live RDS instance.
Can rds:ModifyDBInstance escalate privileges on its own?
Yes. Held on a broad enough resource it reaches the data itself with no other permission.
How is reset RDS master password detected?
Watch for ModifyDBInstance 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: Restrict rds:ModifyDBInstance on the instance; alarm on MasterUserPassword changes. 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 collection tactic.
Related paths
References
Find this in your own account
We run a read-only scan of one AWS account and show you which of these paths exist, ranked by blast radius, with the change that breaks each one. First validated paths within the hour.