SAP-C02 S3 ListBucket Practice Question

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.
```
{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "s3:GetObject",
        "s3:PutObject",
        "s3:DeleteObject"
      ],
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*"
    },
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "s3:ListBucket"
      ],
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket"
    }
  ]
}
```

A company is migrating an application that uses an S3 bucket to store user uploads. The IAM policy above is attached to the application's IAM role. The application is experiencing permission errors when trying to list objects in the bucket. What is the most likely cause?

⚠ Common exam trap

Candidates often think that listing objects requires s3:GetObject on the bucket, but in reality, s3:GetObject is an object-level permission. However, a common trap is that the ListBucket permission may be restricted by prefix conditions, and attempting to list a different prefix causes permission errors.

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

The policy allows ListBucket but the application is trying to list objects in a prefix that requires additional permissions.

The policy grants s3:ListBucket on the bucket resource, but it may include a condition that restricts listing to a specific prefix (e.g., s3:prefix). If the application is trying to list objects in a different prefix, the request fails with a permission error. Listing objects requires the s3:ListBucket permission on the bucket, and if the policy has a prefix condition, the application must use the allowed prefix. Therefore, the most likely cause is that the application is attempting to list objects in a prefix that is not permitted by the policy's conditions.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✓
The policy allows ListBucket but the application is trying to list objects in a prefix that requires additional permissions.
Why this is correct
Correct. The policy allows ListBucket, but if a condition restricts listing to a specific prefix, the application's attempt to list a different prefix will fail with a permission error.
✗
The resource ARN for the s3:ListBucket action is incorrect. It should be arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*.
Why it's wrong here
The resource ARN for ListBucket is correct (arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket). Using bucket/* would be incorrect.
✗
The policy is missing the s3:GetObject action on the bucket itself.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. s3:GetObject is an object-level permission and cannot be attached to the bucket ARN. Listing objects only requires s3:ListBucket on the bucket; reading object metadata requires s3:GetObject on the object resources (bucket/*). Therefore, the policy is not missing s3:GetObject on the bucket itself.
✗
The policy needs a condition to restrict access to specific IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
IP address conditions are not related to the permission error described.

Quick reference

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Storage Class	Min Duration	Retrieval	Use Case
S3 Standard	None	Immediate	Frequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA	30 days	Immediate	Infrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA	30 days	Immediate	Non-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-Tiering	None	Immediate–hours	Unknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant	90 days	Milliseconds	Archive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible	90 days	Minutes–hours	Archive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive	180 days	Hours	Long-term compliance archive

Go deeper

SAP-C02 S3 ListBucket Practice Question

Exhibit

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Related to this question