The answer is the aws:ViaAWSService condition key set to false, which denies access when an AWS service makes the API call on behalf of the principal. This condition evaluates to true whenever a call originates from an AWS service—such as Systems Manager Automation—rather than directly from the user or tool. In this scenario, the forensic tool is invoked by Systems Manager, so the condition triggers a deny on the CreateSnapshot call, overriding any source IP allow rule. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this tests your understanding of how service-linked calls interact with IAM policy evaluation logic, a common trap where engineers focus only on IP-based conditions. Remember: aws:ViaAWSService is about *who* makes the call, not *where* it comes from—think “service, not source.”
DOP-C02 Incident and Event Response Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of incident and event response. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
An incident response team is analyzing an IAM policy attached to a role used by a forensic tool. The tool needs to create snapshots of EBS volumes during an incident. However, when the tool runs from an IP address in the 203.0.113.0/24 range, the CreateSnapshot API call fails with an access denied error. 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.
The policy does not grant ec2:CreateSnapshot on specific resource ARNs, only on all resources.
Why wrong: The Allow statement uses Resource '*' which covers all snapshots.
B
The aws:ViaAWSService condition is set to false, but the tool is invoked by an AWS service such as Systems Manager, making the condition evaluate to true and denying access.
If the tool runs via an AWS service, ViaAWSService is true, failing the condition, so the Allow statement does not apply.
C
The Deny statement explicitly denies ec2:DeleteSnapshot, but the error is for CreateSnapshot, so it is unrelated.
Why wrong: The Deny statement does not affect CreateSnapshot.
D
The source IP address 203.0.113.0/24 is not included in the Condition block, so access is implicitly denied.
Why wrong: 203.0.113.0/24 is included in the list.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The aws:ViaAWSService condition is set to false, but the tool is invoked by an AWS service such as Systems Manager, making the condition evaluate to true and denying access.
The aws:ViaAWSService condition key evaluates to true when an API call is made by an AWS service on behalf of a principal. If the policy sets this condition to false, it denies any call that originates from an AWS service (e.g., Systems Manager Automation). In this scenario, the forensic tool is likely invoked by Systems Manager, causing the condition to evaluate to true and triggering the deny, even though the source IP is allowed. This explains why CreateSnapshot fails with access denied despite the IP being in the allowed 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 policy does not grant ec2:CreateSnapshot on specific resource ARNs, only on all resources.
Why it's wrong here
The Allow statement uses Resource '*' which covers all snapshots.
✓
The aws:ViaAWSService condition is set to false, but the tool is invoked by an AWS service such as Systems Manager, making the condition evaluate to true and denying access.
Why this is correct
If the tool runs via an AWS service, ViaAWSService is true, failing the condition, so the Allow statement does not apply.
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 Deny statement explicitly denies ec2:DeleteSnapshot, but the error is for CreateSnapshot, so it is unrelated.
Why it's wrong here
The Deny statement does not affect CreateSnapshot.
✗
The source IP address 203.0.113.0/24 is not included in the Condition block, so access is implicitly denied.
Why it's wrong here
203.0.113.0/24 is included in the list.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates focus on the IP address condition and assume the error is due to an IP mismatch, overlooking the subtle aws:ViaAWSService condition that denies calls made through AWS services even when the source IP is allowed.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The aws:ViaAWSService condition key is part of IAM's global condition context and is used to distinguish between direct API calls and calls made through an intermediary AWS service. When a policy has a Deny with aws:ViaAWSService set to false, it blocks any call that is made via an AWS service (like Systems Manager, CloudFormation, or Lambda), because the service itself makes the API call, causing the condition to evaluate to true. This is a common pattern to prevent automated tools from bypassing IP-based restrictions, but it can inadvertently block legitimate incident response workflows if not carefully scoped.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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.
Incident and Event Response — This question tests Incident and Event Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The aws:ViaAWSService condition is set to false, but the tool is invoked by an AWS service such as Systems Manager, making the condition evaluate to true and denying access. — The aws:ViaAWSService condition key evaluates to true when an API call is made by an AWS service on behalf of a principal. If the policy sets this condition to false, it denies any call that originates from an AWS service (e.g., Systems Manager Automation). In this scenario, the forensic tool is likely invoked by Systems Manager, causing the condition to evaluate to true and triggering the deny, even though the source IP is allowed. This explains why CreateSnapshot fails with access denied despite the IP being in the allowed range.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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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