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العربيةShare RDS snapshot out
Can share an RDS snapshot out to an attacker account.
Grants escalation on its own.
rds:ModifyDBSnapshotAttributeOn its own, rds:ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute can share an RDS snapshot out to an attacker account. On a wide resource scope that alone reaches access for an outside or public principal.
Why it is dangerous
A principal can call rds:ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute on the snapshot to share a full database copy with an attacker-controlled account, exfiltration that bypasses the live DB's network and auth controls (the attacker restores the snapshot in their own account).
In MITRE ATT&CK terms this maps to T1537, Transfer Data to Cloud Account, under the exfiltration tactic. AWS records it in CloudTrail as ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute. The call shows up in CloudTrail but blends into normal administration, so it needs a rule to stand out.
Detection
ModifyDBSnapshotAttributePrerequisites
rds:ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute on the snapshot.
MITRE ATT&CK
T1537 · Transfer Data to Cloud AccountTactic
Exfiltration
A control that would remove it: Restrict rds:ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute; deny restore/share changes via SCP/policy.
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:ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute allow?
Can share an RDS snapshot out to an attacker account.
Can rds:ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute 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 share RDS snapshot out detected?
Watch for ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute 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:ModifyDBSnapshotAttribute; deny restore/share changes via SCP/policy. 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?
T1537, Transfer Data to Cloud Account, under the exfiltration 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.