Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
{
"bucket": "arn:aws:s3:::secure-reports-prod",
"object_encryption": "SSE-KMS",
"role_policy": {
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": ["s3:GetObject", "s3:PutObject"],
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::secure-reports-prod/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": ["kms:Decrypt", "kms:GenerateDataKey"],
"Resource": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:111122223333:key/abcd-1234"
}
]
},
"cloudtrail_event": {
"eventSource": "kms.amazonaws.com",
"eventName": "Decrypt",
"errorCode": "AccessDenied",
"errorMessage": "The key policy does not allow this principal to use the specified KMS key"
},
"key_policy_summary": "Only the account root principal is allowed; no application roles are listed"
}Based on the exhibit, an application in the same AWS account can upload and read objects in an S3 bucket encrypted with a customer managed KMS key, but GetObject fails with an AccessDenied error from AWS KMS. The IAM role already has s3:GetObject, s3:PutObject, kms:Decrypt, and kms:GenerateDataKey permissions. What change most directly fixes the issue while preserving least privilege?
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
Add an S3 bucket ACL that grants the application role full control over objects.
Object ACLs do not authorize KMS decryption, so they cannot fix a KMS key policy denial.
B
Best answer
Update the KMS key policy to allow the application role to use the key, ideally with a kms:ViaService condition for S3.
KMS key policy must explicitly trust the principal. Adding a role-scoped statement with kms:ViaService keeps access limited to S3 use only.
C
Distractor review
Replace the customer managed key with the AWS managed S3 key so IAM permissions become sufficient.
AWS managed keys change the encryption model and do not preserve the same key-level control requirements.
D
Distractor review
Add an S3 bucket policy that grants s3:GetObject and s3:PutObject to the role for all objects.
Bucket policy controls S3 access, but the failure is specifically in KMS authorization during decrypt.
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: Update the KMS key policy to allow the application role to use the key, ideally with a kms:ViaService condition for S3. — For customer managed KMS keys, IAM permission alone is not enough; the key policy must also allow the principal. The error message confirms that KMS rejected the decrypt request because the key policy does not trust the application role. The least-privilege fix is to add a key policy statement for that role and, if the key is used only through S3, constrain it with kms:ViaService so the key cannot be used from unrelated AWS services. ACLs and bucket policies only control S3 authorization, not KMS authorization. Switching to an AWS managed key would avoid the custom key policy issue but would change governance and does not meet the requirement to keep using the customer managed key. A bucket policy is still useful for S3 access, but the CloudTrail evidence shows the failure occurs at KMS decrypt time.
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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