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العربيةPass role to Step Functions
Can create a Step Functions state machine with a role and call AWS as it.
Grants escalation only in combination. All of these are needed together:
iam:PassRolestates:CreateStateMachinestates:StartExecutioniam:PassRole can create a Step Functions state machine with a role and call AWS as it, but only when it is held together with states:CreateStateMachine, states:StartExecution. Held together they reach administrator access.
Why it is dangerous
A principal holds iam:PassRole on the target role plus states:CreateStateMachine and states:StartExecution, so it can define a state machine with the target role as its role and start it, the workflow then invokes AWS integrations with the target role's permissions. Because the target role trusts states.amazonaws.com the pass is accepted; the reach depends on which integrations the target role enables, which is why this is marked needs-verification.
In MITRE ATT&CK terms this maps to T1648, Serverless Execution, under the privilege escalation tactic. AWS records it in CloudTrail as CreateStateMachine, StartExecution. The call shows up in CloudTrail but blends into normal administration, so it needs a rule to stand out.
Detection
CreateStateMachineStartExecutionPrerequisites
Target role's trust policy must allow states.amazonaws.com.
MITRE ATT&CK
T1648 · Serverless ExecutionTactic
Privilege Escalation
A control that would remove it: Remove iam:PassRole for this role or scope it with iam:PassedToService.
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:PassRole allow?
Can create a Step Functions state machine with a role and call AWS as it.
What else is needed for iam:PassRole to be dangerous?
It becomes an escalation only when held together with states:CreateStateMachine, states:StartExecution. On its own it is not enough, which is what makes the combination easy to miss.
How is pass role to Step Functions detected?
Watch for CreateStateMachine, StartExecution 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:PassRole for this role or scope it with iam:PassedToService. 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?
T1648, Serverless Execution, under the privilege escalation tactic.
Related paths
References
Find this in your own account
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