Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Account 3000 owns a customer-managed KMS key (key-K). A data processing team in account 4000 needs to decrypt data encrypted with key-K. The role in account 4000 already has an identity policy allowing kms:Decrypt on key-K. Despite this, decrypt requests fail with an AccessDenied error referencing KMS. What is the most likely missing authorization step?
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
Best answer
Update key-K’s key policy in account 3000 to allow kms:Decrypt for the specific role principal in account 4000.
For customer-managed KMS keys, key policy is a required authorization layer. Even with an IAM identity policy granting kms:Decrypt, KMS will deny the request unless the key policy also authorizes the calling principal to use the key for Decrypt.
B
Distractor review
Update the S3 bucket policy to allow kms:Decrypt for account 4000 principals on key-K.
S3 bucket policies authorize S3 operations. They do not authorize KMS cryptographic usage decisions. KMS AccessDenied errors require a KMS key policy change (or other KMS authorization mechanism), not an S3 policy change.
C
Distractor review
Enable AWS managed key rotation on key-K and remove the existing key policy.
Key rotation affects key material rotation schedule, not who can use the key. Removing key policy would eliminate the authorization configuration needed for KMS operations and would not solve the AccessDenied issue.
D
Distractor review
Switch the access from a role to an IAM user because KMS only supports user principals.
KMS supports multiple principal types, including IAM roles and users, and federated principals. The failure is consistent with missing key policy authorization rather than a limitation on principal type.
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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Question 1
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Question 2
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Question 3
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Question 4
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Question 5
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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: Update key-K’s key policy in account 3000 to allow kms:Decrypt for the specific role principal in account 4000. — For customer-managed KMS keys, authorization depends on KMS key policy in addition to IAM identity policy. Therefore, the most likely missing step is updating the KMS key policy in account 3000 to explicitly allow kms:Decrypt for the specific role principal from account 4000 (the same role that performs the decrypt call). S3 bucket policies do not control KMS cryptographic authorization, so they won’t fix KMS AccessDenied. Key rotation doesn’t grant permissions, and removing key policy breaks authorization. KMS supports roles, so changing to a user does not address the real authorization gap.
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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