The answer is to configure the artifact bucket policy to allow access from the pipeline's IAM role in the other account, alongside granting that role explicit kms:Encrypt and kms:Decrypt permissions on the customer-managed KMS key. This is correct because CodePipeline uses the KMS key to encrypt artifacts stored in the S3 bucket, and cross-account access fails unless the pipeline’s IAM role in Account B is both allowed by the bucket’s resource-based policy and has direct key usage permissions via a KMS key policy. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the layered permissions model: the bucket policy controls S3 access, while the KMS key policy controls encryption operations—a common trap is forgetting that the KMS key policy must explicitly list the cross-account IAM role as a principal. Memory tip: think “Bucket + Key = Cross-Account Pipeline” — you need both the S3 bucket policy and the KMS key policy to grant the pipeline role access.
DOP-C02 SDLC Automation Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of sdlc automation. 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.
Which THREE steps are required to set up cross-account access for AWS CodePipeline using a customer-managed KMS key?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Grant the pipeline's IAM role permission to use the KMS key via IAM policy.
Option B is correct because the pipeline's IAM role must have an IAM policy granting it permission to use the customer-managed KMS key for encrypt and decrypt operations. This is necessary because CodePipeline uses the KMS key to encrypt artifacts stored in the artifact bucket, and the pipeline role needs explicit kms:Encrypt and kms:Decrypt permissions to interact with the key.
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.
✗
Give the target account's IAM role permission to encrypt with the KMS key.
Why it's wrong here
Target account role does not need to encrypt.
✓
Grant the pipeline's IAM role permission to use the KMS key via IAM policy.
Why this is correct
The role needs kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Add the pipeline's IAM role ARN from the source account to the KMS key policy.
Why this is correct
Key policy must grant access to the pipeline role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a KMS key in the target account.
Why it's wrong here
The KMS key should be in the source account.
✓
Configure the artifact bucket policy to allow access from the pipeline's IAM role in the other account.
Why this is correct
Bucket policy must grant cross-account access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think a KMS key must be created in the target account (Option D) or that the target account's role needs encrypt permissions (Option A), but in reality the key stays in the source account and the target account only requires decrypt access via the key policy.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, cross-account CodePipeline requires the KMS key policy to include a statement granting the target account's IAM role (or root principal) kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey permissions, while the artifact bucket policy must allow the pipeline's IAM role from the source account to perform s3:GetObject and s3:PutObject. A common real-world scenario is when a pipeline in Account A deploys to an S3 bucket in Account B; the KMS key policy must explicitly list the target account's role ARN, and the bucket policy must allow the source account's pipeline role.
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.
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.
SDLC Automation — This question tests SDLC Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Grant the pipeline's IAM role permission to use the KMS key via IAM policy. — Option B is correct because the pipeline's IAM role must have an IAM policy granting it permission to use the customer-managed KMS key for encrypt and decrypt operations. This is necessary because CodePipeline uses the KMS key to encrypt artifacts stored in the artifact bucket, and the pipeline role needs explicit kms:Encrypt and kms:Decrypt permissions to interact with the key.
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.
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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