Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Company A must allow workloads in Company B to assume an IAM role in Company A (RoleInA). To mitigate confused-deputy attacks, a Security requirement is to use an External ID. Company A should restrict who can assume RoleInA. Which trust-policy configuration is the best choice?
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
In Company A role trust policy, allow sts:AssumeRole for principal "arn:aws:iam::<company-b-account-id>:root" with no sts:ExternalId condition.
Allowing the entire Company B account root is broader than necessary, and omitting the sts:ExternalId condition does not provide confused-deputy protection.
B
Best answer
In Company A role trust policy, allow sts:AssumeRole only for principal "arn:aws:iam::<company-b-account-id>:role/<specific-role-in-b>" and require a condition where sts:ExternalId equals the expected External ID value.
Restricting the principal to the specific intended role limits who can assume RoleInA. Requiring the correct sts:ExternalId in the trust policy mitigates confused-deputy attacks.
C
Distractor review
In the trust policy, allow iam:PassRole for the Company B principal and include an sts:ExternalId condition.
Trust policies for role assumption use sts:AssumeRole. iam:PassRole is unrelated to establishing temporary credentials via STS AssumeRole.
D
Distractor review
In Company A, grant Company B access using an IAM permissions policy attached to RoleInA instead of using a trust policy.
Cross-account role assumption requires a trust policy that allows sts:AssumeRole. Identity permission policies alone do not permit assuming the role.
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: In Company A role trust policy, allow sts:AssumeRole only for principal "arn:aws:iam::<company-b-account-id>:role/<specific-role-in-b>" and require a condition where sts:ExternalId equals the expected External ID value. — For cross-account access, the role’s trust policy must explicitly allow sts:AssumeRole for the intended principal(s) and can include conditions to prevent confused-deputy attacks. The most secure and targeted design is to (1) restrict the trust policy principal to the specific Company B role that is allowed to assume RoleInA and (2) require sts:ExternalId to equal the expected value. This ensures that even if another system in Company B can reach AWS APIs, it cannot assume RoleInA without the correct External ID. Option A is too permissive because it trusts the entire Company B account and provides no External ID condition. Option C is incorrect because iam:PassRole does not authorize sts:AssumeRole and cannot substitute for trust-policy authorization. Option D is incorrect because the ability to assume RoleInA is governed by the trust policy’s sts:AssumeRole permission, not by standard identity-based permissions on the role.
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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