← DOP-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 1,625 of 1,750

Security and Compliance →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Mandatory Approval for CloudFormation Stack Updates

This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 company uses AWS CloudFormation to manage infrastructure as code. The security team requires that all changes to CloudFormation stacks be reviewed and approved before execution. The team has enabled StackSets to deploy stacks across multiple accounts. A junior developer accidentally runs a stack update that modifies a production security group, opening SSH access to 0.0.0.0/0. The security team wants to prevent this type of incident in the future. They need a solution that enforces a mandatory approval workflow for all stack updates, while still allowing automated deployments from approved CI/CD pipelines. Which solution meets these requirements?

A
Use CloudFormation change sets and require that they be manually executed by a senior engineer.
Why wrong: This relies on process, not automation; a junior can still create and execute change sets if they have permissions.
B
Create an IAM policy that denies cloudformation:UpdateStack unless the request is made using a specific service role with a path /ci-cp/, and configure the CI/CD pipeline to assume that role.
This enforces that only the CI/CD pipeline can perform updates, and the service role can be tightly controlled.
C
Attach a resource-based policy to the stack that denies updates from any principal that does not have a specific tag.
Why wrong: CloudFormation stacks do not support resource-based policies.
D
Enable termination protection on all production stacks and require MFA for stack updates.
Why wrong: Termination protection prevents deletion, not updates; MFA does not enforce approval workflow.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Create an IAM policy that denies cloudformation:UpdateStack unless the request is made using a specific service role with a path /ci-cp/, and configure the CI/CD pipeline to assume that role.

Option B is correct because by creating an IAM policy that denies cloudformation:UpdateStack unless the request comes from a specific service role with a path /ci-cp/, and configuring the CI/CD pipeline to assume that role, you ensure that only approved automated pipelines can perform stack updates. This enforces mandatory approval because the CI/CD pipeline itself can include a manual approval step before assuming the role. Option A is incorrect: change sets with manual execution by a senior engineer still require manual intervention, but the junior developer could potentially execute the change set if they have the execute permission; also, it does not prevent the developer from directly running an update. Option C is incorrect: resource-based policies on stacks are not supported in CloudFormation; stacks do not have resource-based policies. Option D is incorrect: termination protection prevents deletion, not updates; MFA protects the user's credentials but does not prevent the user from making unauthorized updates if they have the permissions.

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.

✗
Use CloudFormation change sets and require that they be manually executed by a senior engineer.
Why it's wrong here
This relies on process, not automation; a junior can still create and execute change sets if they have permissions.
✓
Create an IAM policy that denies cloudformation:UpdateStack unless the request is made using a specific service role with a path /ci-cp/, and configure the CI/CD pipeline to assume that role.
Why this is correct
This enforces that only the CI/CD pipeline can perform updates, and the service role can be tightly controlled.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Attach a resource-based policy to the stack that denies updates from any principal that does not have a specific tag.
Why it's wrong here
CloudFormation stacks do not support resource-based policies.
✗
Enable termination protection on all production stacks and require MFA for stack updates.
Why it's wrong here
Termination protection prevents deletion, not updates; MFA does not enforce approval workflow.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.

TExam Day Tips

Underline the problem statement mentally.
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 DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this DOP-C02 question test?

Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Create an IAM policy that denies cloudformation:UpdateStack unless the request is made using a specific service role with a path /ci-cp/, and configure the CI/CD pipeline to assume that role. — Option B is correct because by creating an IAM policy that denies cloudformation:UpdateStack unless the request comes from a specific service role with a path /ci-cp/, and configuring the CI/CD pipeline to assume that role, you ensure that only approved automated pipelines can perform stack updates. This enforces mandatory approval because the CI/CD pipeline itself can include a manual approval step before assuming the role. Option A is incorrect: change sets with manual execution by a senior engineer still require manual intervention, but the junior developer could potentially execute the change set if they have the execute permission; also, it does not prevent the developer from directly running an update. Option C is incorrect: resource-based policies on stacks are not supported in CloudFormation; stacks do not have resource-based policies. Option D is incorrect: termination protection prevents deletion, not updates; MFA protects the user's credentials but does not prevent the user from making unauthorized updates if they have the permissions.

What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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