The answer is that anyone on the internet can read objects in the bucket if they know the object URL. This is because the bucket policy explicitly sets 'Principal': '*' and 'Action': 's3:GetObject', which grants anonymous read access to every object within the bucket. Even if the bucket is not publicly listed in the AWS Management Console, the policy overrides console-level restrictions, meaning any user who knows or guesses the object's direct URL can retrieve it via HTTP or HTTPS. On the Certified Ethical Hacker CEH exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how IAM policies and resource-based policies interact—specifically, that a bucket policy allowing anonymous access creates a direct data exposure risk regardless of console visibility. A common trap is assuming the "block public access" setting in the console is sufficient, but the policy itself is the authoritative control. Memory tip: "Principal star means anyone from afar"—if the principal is a wildcard, the data is exposed to the entire internet.
CEH Wireless, IoT and Cloud Security Practice Question
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of wireless, iot and cloud security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A cloud security engineer notices that an S3 bucket containing sensitive customer data is configured with a bucket policy that allows 'Principal': '*' and 'Action': 's3:GetObject'. The bucket is not publicly accessible via the AWS Management Console, but the engineer is concerned about data exposure. What is the most likely risk?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Anyone on the internet can read objects in the bucket if they know the object URL.
The bucket policy allows 'Principal': '*' with 'Action': 's3:GetObject', which grants anonymous read access to any object in the bucket. Even if the bucket is not publicly listed in the AWS Management Console, anyone on the internet who knows or guesses the object URL can retrieve the object directly via HTTP/HTTPS. This is a classic data exposure risk because the policy overrides any console-level restrictions.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Anyone on the internet can read objects in the bucket if they know the object URL.
Why this is correct
Public read access is granted to all objects.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The data is encrypted at rest, so no exposure risk exists.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption does not control access.
✗
The bucket policy is misconfigured but only affects objects with server-side encryption.
Why it's wrong here
The policy applies to all objects.
✗
Only authenticated AWS users can access the bucket, so the risk is limited.
Why it's wrong here
The policy allows anonymous access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'not publicly accessible via the AWS Management Console' with 'not publicly accessible via direct object URLs,' but S3 bucket policies control access at the API level, not just the console UI.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 bucket policies with 'Principal': '*' and 'Action': 's3:GetObject' effectively make objects publicly readable, even if the bucket is not listed in the console. The AWS S3 service evaluates the bucket policy before any IAM user or role permissions, so anonymous requests are granted access directly. In real-world incidents, attackers often discover such buckets via enumeration tools (e.g., bucket-stream) or by guessing predictable object keys, leading to data breaches.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CEH exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CEH question in full detail.
Wireless, IoT and Cloud Security — This question tests Wireless, IoT and Cloud Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Anyone on the internet can read objects in the bucket if they know the object URL. — The bucket policy allows 'Principal': '*' with 'Action': 's3:GetObject', which grants anonymous read access to any object in the bucket. Even if the bucket is not publicly listed in the AWS Management Console, anyone on the internet who knows or guesses the object URL can retrieve the object directly via HTTP/HTTPS. This is a classic data exposure risk because the policy overrides any console-level restrictions.
What should I do if I get this CEH question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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