Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
S3 bucket policy in Account A:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": {"AWS": "arn:aws:iam::222233334444:role/AppReadRole"},
"Action": ["s3:GetObject"],
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::finance-archive/*"
}
]
}
KMS key policy for key arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:111122223333:key/abcd-1111:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": {"AWS": "arn:aws:iam::111122223333:root"},
"Action": "kms:*",
"Resource": "*"
}
]
}
Application IAM policy in Account B:
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": ["s3:GetObject"],
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::finance-archive/*"
}Based on the exhibit, an application role in Account B can reach an S3 bucket in Account A, but reads fail with AccessDenied on KMS. The bucket objects use SSE-KMS with a customer managed key in Account A. What change is required so the application can decrypt the objects while keeping the access restricted?
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
Add the Account B role ARN to the KMS key policy with kms:Decrypt and kms:DescribeKey permissions, scoped to S3 usage in us-east-1.
S3 object retrieval with SSE-KMS requires that KMS authorize decryption, and that authorization must exist in the key policy for a CMK in another account. Scoping the statement to the specific role and S3 usage keeps the access narrow while allowing the object read to succeed.
B
Distractor review
Add s3:GetEncryptionConfiguration to the Account B IAM policy so S3 can use the customer managed key on reads.
There is no permission called s3:GetEncryptionConfiguration for this read path, and S3 does not use such an action to decrypt SSE-KMS objects. The failure occurs at KMS authorization time, not because the IAM role lacks an S3 encryption configuration permission.
C
Distractor review
Change the bucket to SSE-S3 because SSE-S3 always allows cross-account reads without any KMS policy changes.
Switching to SSE-S3 may avoid CMK policy management, but it changes the security model and is not the least disruptive fix. The scenario explicitly uses SSE-KMS with a customer managed key and asks how to keep the access restricted while restoring decryption.
D
Distractor review
Add the Account B role to the bucket ACL with FULL_CONTROL so S3 can bypass KMS on behalf of the reader.
Bucket ACLs do not grant KMS decrypt permissions and cannot bypass SSE-KMS authorization. Even if S3 access were granted at the bucket level, the key policy must still authorize decrypt operations for the encrypted objects to be returned.
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: Add the Account B role ARN to the KMS key policy with kms:Decrypt and kms:DescribeKey permissions, scoped to S3 usage in us-east-1. — For SSE-KMS objects, S3 must be able to call KMS on behalf of the requester, and the CMK policy must allow the consuming principal or a tightly scoped service path. The missing piece here is KMS authorization in Account A, because the bucket policy and IAM policy already permit S3 access. Adding the external role to the key policy with decrypt permissions resolves the access while preserving least privilege. The problem is not an S3 feature permission, and SSE-S3 would change the encryption design rather than fix the current cross-account KMS authorization issue. Bucket ACLs do not control KMS. The correct action is to update the CMK key policy so KMS allows the specific external role to decrypt the objects.
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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