Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A microservice runs on an EC2 instance using an instance role. It must retrieve exactly one secret value from AWS Secrets Manager. The secret ARN is arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:111122223333:secret:prod/dbPassword-AbCdEf. The secret is encrypted with the default AWS-managed Secrets Manager KMS key (alias/aws/secretsmanager). Which IAM policy statement provides the best least-privilege access?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Allow secretsmanager:GetSecretValue on all secrets: Resource "*".
This grants access to every secret in the account, which violates least privilege and is broader than required.
B
Best answer
Allow secretsmanager:GetSecretValue only for the specific secret ARN: Resource "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:111122223333:secret:prod/dbPassword-AbCdEf".
The microservice only needs to call secretsmanager:GetSecretValue for that one secret. Scoping the action and resource to exactly that secret provides least-privilege access.
C
Distractor review
Allow secretsmanager:DescribeSecret on the secret ARN, but not secretsmanager:GetSecretValue.
DescribeSecret returns metadata (for example, description and rotation status). It does not allow retrieving the secret value.
D
Distractor review
Allow secretsmanager:GetSecretValue on all secrets with the prefix: Resource "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:111122223333:secret:prod/*".
A prefix wildcard still allows access to multiple secrets under prod, which contradicts the requirement to retrieve exactly one secret value.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A team needs to distribute TCP traffic (not HTTP) across multiple services. The services must see the original client source IP for auditing. Which AWS load balancer is the best fit?
Question 2
A team wants to run containerized services with AWS-managed orchestration and autoscaling. They do NOT require Kubernetes compatibility. Which AWS service choice is most appropriate to meet these goals?
Question 3
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a IoT ingestion API. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure? The design must avoid adding custom operational scripts.
Question 4
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a claims portal. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure?
Question 5
A team wants to delegate IAM management to developers, but must ensure developers can never grant themselves permissions beyond a specific limit. Which AWS mechanism best matches this requirement?
Question 6
A solutions architect is designing an S3 bucket for a healthcare document service. The objects must never be publicly accessible, even if a developer later adds an overly broad bucket policy. What should the architect configure?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Authentication checks who the user is.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Allow secretsmanager:GetSecretValue only for the specific secret ARN: Resource "arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:111122223333:secret:prod/dbPassword-AbCdEf". — The required permission is secretsmanager:GetSecretValue for one specific secret ARN. With the default AWS-managed Secrets Manager KMS key (alias/aws/secretsmanager), you do not need to add separate kms:Decrypt permissions for the role to retrieve the secret value; authorization for decryption is handled in the normal Secrets Manager flow when you have GetSecretValue. Least privilege is achieved by scoping both the action (GetSecretValue) and the resource (the single secret ARN). Option A is too broad because it allows retrieving secret values for all secrets (Resource "*"). Option C is too narrow because DescribeSecret does not return the secret value. Option D violates the “exactly one secret” requirement because using a prefix wildcard would allow retrieving additional secrets that match the prod/* naming pattern.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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