DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
A developer is creating a new IAM policy to allow users to list objects in a specific S3 bucket. The policy must follow the principle of least privilege. Which policy statement should the developer use?
⚠ Common exam trap
DVA-C02 often tests the confusion between bucket-level actions (s3:ListBucket on the bucket ARN) and object-level actions (s3:GetObject/s3:PutObject on the object ARN), causing candidates to pick an object-level permission when a bucket-level listing permission is required.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:ListBucket","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket"}
The s3:ListBucket action controls the ability to list the objects within a specific bucket, and it must be granted on the bucket resource itself (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket), not on the objects inside it. Option B correctly pairs the least-privilege action with the correct resource ARN, allowing the user to list objects in only that one bucket. This satisfies the principle of least privilege because it grants no access to other buckets and no object-level read/write permissions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:ListAllMyBuckets","Resource":"*"}
Why it's wrong here
s3:ListAllMyBuckets enumerates every bucket in the account against Resource "*", breaching least privilege and not scoping to example-bucket. It is tempting because it is the account-wide listing action, which suits administrative tooling that must discover all buckets.
- ✓
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:ListBucket","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket"}
Why this is correct
Granting only `s3:ListBucket` on the bucket ARN itself satisfies least privilege, because listing objects is a bucket-level operation evaluated against the bucket resource, not the objects within it. Omitting `s3:GetObject` and any wildcard resource prevents unintended read access to object contents.
- ✗
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:PutObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*"}
Why it's wrong here
s3:PutObject grants write access, not the s3:ListBucket permission needed to list objects, and the object-level ARN cannot authorise a bucket-level list. s3:ListBucket with the bucket ARN is required. PutObject belongs in a policy for uploading objects.
- ✗
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"s3:GetObject","Resource":"arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*"}
Why it's wrong here
s3:GetObject permits reading object contents, not enumerating them, so listing fails. It is tempting because it is the least-privilege action for retrieving a known object, which would be correct when the requirement is reading objects from example-bucket rather than listing them.
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 |
Go deeper
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
This DVA-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DVA-C02 exam.