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العربيةRead SSM SecureString parameter
Can read and decrypt an SSM SecureString parameter.
Grants escalation on its own.
ssm:GetParameterOn its own, ssm:GetParameter can read and decrypt an SSM SecureString parameter. On a wide resource scope that alone reaches the data itself.
Why it is dangerous
A principal can call ssm:GetParameter to read SecureString the parameter, decrypting its value. SecureString parameters commonly store credentials, API keys and tokens, so reading one is direct credential theft and a pivot to whatever identity those credentials belong to.
In MITRE ATT&CK terms this maps to T1555.006, Credentials from Password Stores: Cloud Secrets Management Stores, under the credential access tactic. AWS records it in CloudTrail as GetParameter, GetParameters. The call is quiet against normal activity, so it is easy to miss without a rule for it.
Detection
GetParameterGetParametersPrerequisites
ssm:GetParameter on the parameter and kms:Decrypt on its encrypting key (default or customer-managed).
Tactic
Credential Access
A control that would remove it: Restrict ssm:GetParameter; prefer Secrets Manager with rotation for credentials.
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 ssm:GetParameter allow?
Can read and decrypt an SSM SecureString parameter.
Can ssm:GetParameter escalate privileges on its own?
Yes. Held on a broad enough resource it reaches the data itself with no other permission.
How is read SSM SecureString parameter detected?
Watch for GetParameter, GetParameters 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 ssm:GetParameter; prefer Secrets Manager with rotation for credentials. 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?
T1555.006, Credentials from Password Stores: Cloud Secrets Management Stores, under the credential access tactic.
Related paths
References
Find this in your own account
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