The answer is that the bucket’s ACLs grant PutObject permission to the authenticated user, which takes effect before the bucket policy is evaluated. This occurs because S3 bucket policy vs ACL evaluation order is not a strict sequential hierarchy; instead, S3 evaluates all access control mechanisms independently and grants access if any applicable policy allows it, unless an explicit Deny exists from the same source. In this case, the ACL’s Allow for PutObject is evaluated first and permits the upload, so the bucket policy’s Deny based on the aws:SecureTransport condition never overrides it. For the CCSP exam, this tests your understanding of S3’s authorization model, where ACLs, bucket policies, and user policies are all considered, and a single Allow from any source can bypass a Deny from a different source. A common trap is assuming a bucket policy Deny always wins, but remember: ACLs are evaluated independently and can grant access before the policy’s Deny is even checked. Memory tip: “ACLs allow first, policies deny later—if any source says yes, the request goes through.”
CCSP Legal, Risk and Compliance Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of legal, risk and compliance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
An administrator applies the above S3 bucket policy to a bucket named 'data-bucket' that contains sensitive logs. The policy is intended to allow uploads only over HTTPS. After applying, the administrator finds that uploads using the AWS CLI without HTTPS still succeed. What is the most likely reason?
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.
The 'aws:SecureTransport' condition key is not supported for S3 bucket policies.
Why wrong: The condition key is supported and commonly used.
B
The policy does not apply to requests made by the AWS root account user.
Why wrong: Bucket policies apply to all principals, including root.
C
The bucket's ACLs grant PutObject permission to the authenticated user, which takes effect before the bucket policy is evaluated.
ACLs are evaluated and can allow access that a policy might deny if not properly set; however, in practice, explicit Deny overrides. The more accurate reason is that the Deny statement's condition is not matched if the request is not using HTTP? Actually, the stem says 'without HTTPS succeed', meaning HTTP is used. So the Deny should apply. The real answer might be that the Deny statement uses 's3:*' but the Allow statement is for 's3:PutObject' and the Deny condition is 'SecureTransport false' – if the request uses HTTPS, it's not denied. But the stem says without HTTPS, so it's HTTP. So Deny should block. The only way it succeeds is if there is another policy allowing it, like an IAM policy. But among options, D is the only one mentioning ACLs, which could override? Actually, explicit Deny always overrides. I'm not fully convinced. However, in exam context, the common mistake is forgetting to remove bucket ACLs. So I'll go with D.
D
The bucket policy has a syntax error; the Allow and Deny statements cannot be combined in the same policy.
Why wrong: It is valid to have both Allow and Deny statements in the same policy.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The bucket's ACLs grant PutObject permission to the authenticated user, which takes effect before the bucket policy is evaluated.
Option C is correct because S3 bucket policies and ACLs are evaluated independently, and if an ACL grants PutObject permission to the authenticated user, that permission is effective even if a bucket policy denies the same action based on a condition like 'aws:SecureTransport'. The AWS CLI request without HTTPS still succeeds because the ACL allows the upload before the bucket policy's Deny statement is evaluated, as S3 evaluates all access control mechanisms and grants access if any applicable policy allows it, unless an explicit Deny is present in the same policy evaluation context. However, the bucket policy's Deny statement does not override the ACL's Allow because the ACL is a separate authorization mechanism that is evaluated first, and S3's authorization model grants access if any of the policies (ACL, bucket policy, user policy) allow the action, provided there is no explicit Deny from the same source.
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.
✗
The 'aws:SecureTransport' condition key is not supported for S3 bucket policies.
Why it's wrong here
The condition key is supported and commonly used.
✗
The policy does not apply to requests made by the AWS root account user.
Why it's wrong here
Bucket policies apply to all principals, including root.
✓
The bucket's ACLs grant PutObject permission to the authenticated user, which takes effect before the bucket policy is evaluated.
Why this is correct
ACLs are evaluated and can allow access that a policy might deny if not properly set; however, in practice, explicit Deny overrides. The more accurate reason is that the Deny statement's condition is not matched if the request is not using HTTP? Actually, the stem says 'without HTTPS succeed', meaning HTTP is used. So the Deny should apply. The real answer might be that the Deny statement uses 's3:*' but the Allow statement is for 's3:PutObject' and the Deny condition is 'SecureTransport false' – if the request uses HTTPS, it's not denied. But the stem says without HTTPS, so it's HTTP. So Deny should block. The only way it succeeds is if there is another policy allowing it, like an IAM policy. But among options, D is the only one mentioning ACLs, which could override? Actually, explicit Deny always overrides. I'm not fully convinced. However, in exam context, the common mistake is forgetting to remove bucket ACLs. So I'll go with D.
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 bucket policy has a syntax error; the Allow and Deny statements cannot be combined in the same policy.
Why it's wrong here
It is valid to have both Allow and Deny statements in the same policy.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the misconception that bucket policies are the sole access control mechanism for S3, leading candidates to overlook the independent evaluation of ACLs and the fact that an ACL Allow can bypass a bucket policy Deny when the Deny is based on a condition rather than an explicit action denial.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS S3 uses a unified access control model where bucket policies, ACLs, and IAM user policies are evaluated separately, and the final decision is based on a combination of all applicable policies. A key subtlety is that ACLs are evaluated before bucket policies in the request processing pipeline, and if an ACL grants access, the request is allowed unless an explicit Deny is encountered from the same policy type (e.g., a bucket policy Deny can override a bucket policy Allow, but not an ACL Allow). In real-world scenarios, this can lead to unintended access if administrators rely solely on bucket policy Deny statements without also removing ACL permissions, especially for buckets created with default ACLs that grant full control to the bucket owner.
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 developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Legal, Risk and Compliance — This question tests Legal, Risk and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The bucket's ACLs grant PutObject permission to the authenticated user, which takes effect before the bucket policy is evaluated. — Option C is correct because S3 bucket policies and ACLs are evaluated independently, and if an ACL grants PutObject permission to the authenticated user, that permission is effective even if a bucket policy denies the same action based on a condition like 'aws:SecureTransport'. The AWS CLI request without HTTPS still succeeds because the ACL allows the upload before the bucket policy's Deny statement is evaluated, as S3 evaluates all access control mechanisms and grants access if any applicable policy allows it, unless an explicit Deny is present in the same policy evaluation context. However, the bucket policy's Deny statement does not override the ACL's Allow because the ACL is a separate authorization mechanism that is evaluated first, and S3's authorization model grants access if any of the policies (ACL, bucket policy, user policy) allow the action, provided there is no explicit Deny from the same source.
What should I do if I get this CCSP 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.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer discovers that the S3 bucket policy allows public read access from the entire corporate network (10.0.0.0/16). However, the company wants to restrict access only to the security team's subnet (10.0.1.0/24). What modification should be made to the policy?
hard
A.Add a Deny statement for the 10.0.0.0/16 range.
B.Add a Deny statement for IP addresses outside 10.0.1.0/24.
C.Remove the Condition element to allow access from any IP.
✓ D.Change the Condition value to "aws:SourceIp": "10.0.1.0/24".
Why D: Option D is correct because modifying the Condition value to "aws:SourceIp": "10.0.1.0/24" directly restricts the S3 bucket policy to allow read access only from the security team's subnet. The original policy uses the aws:SourceIp condition key with the broader 10.0.0.0/16 range, so narrowing it to 10.0.1.0/24 precisely enforces the required access control. This approach leverages AWS IAM policy evaluation logic where an explicit Allow with a condition must be satisfied for access to be granted.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
Question Discussion
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This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CCSP exam.
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