S3 Bucket Policy Deny with Source IP Condition: Access Denied
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of management and operations. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
-- IAM Policy attached to a role used by an EC2 instance:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-prod/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "s3:PutObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-prod/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Action": "s3:*",
"Resource": "*",
"Condition": {
"StringEquals": {
"aws:SourceIp": "10.0.0.0/8"
}
}
}
]
}
Refer to the exhibit. An application on an EC2 instance is trying to read an object from the S3 bucket 'data-lake-prod'. The instance is in a VPC with an IP address of 10.0.1.5. The application receives an Access Denied error. What is the cause?
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
-- IAM Policy attached to a role used by an EC2 instance:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-prod/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "s3:PutObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-prod/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Action": "s3:*",
"Resource": "*",
"Condition": {
"StringEquals": {
"aws:SourceIp": "10.0.0.0/8"
}
}
}
]
}
A
An SCP is denying S3 access to the account.
Why wrong: No SCP is shown.
B
A Deny statement with a source IP condition is blocking access.
The Deny with condition matches the IP and overrides the Allow.
C
The S3 bucket policy requires a specific VPC endpoint.
Why wrong: Not mentioned in the policy.
D
The IAM role does not have permission to read from the bucket.
Why wrong: The Allow statement grants s3:GetObject.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A Deny statement with a source IP condition is blocking access.
Option B is correct. The Deny statement applies to the source IP 10.0.1.5 (within 10.0.0.0/8), overriding the Allow. Option A is wrong because the IAM role does allow s3:GetObject on the bucket. Option C is wrong because there is no explicit condition on the Allow statement. Option D is wrong because the policy is attached to the role, not an SCP.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
An SCP is denying S3 access to the account.
Why it's wrong here
No SCP is shown.
✓
A Deny statement with a source IP condition is blocking access.
Why this is correct
The Deny with condition matches the IP and overrides the Allow.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The S3 bucket policy requires a specific VPC endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
Not mentioned in the policy.
✗
The IAM role does not have permission to read from the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
The Allow statement grants s3:GetObject.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
No SCP is shown.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
Storage Class
Min Duration
Retrieval
Use Case
S3 Standard
None
Immediate
Frequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA
30 days
Immediate
Infrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA
30 days
Immediate
Non-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-Tiering
None
Immediate–hours
Unknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant
90 days
Milliseconds
Archive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible
90 days
Minutes–hours
Archive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive
180 days
Hours
Long-term compliance archive
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DBS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Management and Operations — This question tests Management and Operations — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A Deny statement with a source IP condition is blocking access. — Option B is correct. The Deny statement applies to the source IP 10.0.1.5 (within 10.0.0.0/8), overriding the Allow. Option A is wrong because the IAM role does allow s3:GetObject on the bucket. Option C is wrong because there is no explicit condition on the Allow statement. Option D is wrong because the policy is attached to the role, not an SCP.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DBS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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