Why aws:SourceIp Condition with Private IP (10.0.0.0/24) Fails for S3
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. 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.
A developer attached the above IAM policy to an IAM user. The user reports being denied access to objects in the S3 bucket 'my-bucket' from an IP address in the 10.0.0.0/24 range. What is the MOST likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The IP address range 10.0.0.0/24 is a private range not seen by S3.
Option C is correct because the `aws:SourceIp` condition key in IAM policies evaluates the source IP address as seen by the AWS service. For S3, the source IP is the public IP address of the client, not any private IP (RFC 1918) such as 10.0.0.0/24. Private IPs are internal to a VPC or local network and are never visible to S3; the service only sees the public IP after NAT or internet gateway translation. Therefore, the condition will never match, effectively denying all requests from that private range.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The Resource ARN is missing the bucket name.
Why it's wrong here
The ARN is correct.
✗
The bucket policy also denies access.
Why it's wrong here
No bucket policy is mentioned.
✓
The IP address range 10.0.0.0/24 is a private range not seen by S3.
Why this is correct
S3 sees the public IP of the client or the VPC endpoint IP, not the private IP.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The condition should use 'aws:VpcSourceIp' instead.
Why it's wrong here
aws:VpcSourceIp is used for VPC endpoints, not general IP restriction.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume `aws:SourceIp` can match any IP address, including private RFC 1918 ranges, without understanding that S3 only sees the public IP after NAT or the private IP only via VPC endpoints, leading them to overlook the fundamental network visibility difference.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, S3 always sees the source IP address after any network address translation (NAT) or internet gateway has translated the private IP to a public one. The `aws:SourceIp` condition key uses the `tcp` or `ip` protocol-level source address from the TCP/IP packet as received by S3, which is always a public IP for internet-based requests. For requests originating from a VPC (e.g., via a VPC endpoint), the source IP is the private IP of the instance, but S3 still sees it as the endpoint's private IP; however, the condition key `aws:SourceIp` will match that private IP only if the request goes through a VPC endpoint without NAT. In this scenario, the 10.0.0.0/24 range is explicitly private, so the condition will never be satisfied for internet-based access.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Visual reference
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The IP address range 10.0.0.0/24 is a private range not seen by S3. — Option C is correct because the `aws:SourceIp` condition key in IAM policies evaluates the source IP address as seen by the AWS service. For S3, the source IP is the public IP address of the client, not any private IP (RFC 1918) such as 10.0.0.0/24. Private IPs are internal to a VPC or local network and are never visible to S3; the service only sees the public IP after NAT or internet gateway translation. Therefore, the condition will never match, effectively denying all requests from that private range.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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