AWS Access Denied Logs (Unauthorized API Calls + Fix Guide)
See real AWS Access Denied logs in CloudTrail. Learn how to detect unauthorized API calls instantly and fix misconfigured IAM policies to secure your cloud.
Log Signature Detected: If you're seeing "User: arn:aws:iam::123456789:user/test is not authorized to ..." in your logs, your server may be under a Configuration attack.
Real Log Example
User: arn:aws:iam::123456789:user/test is not authorized to perform: s3:GetObject
User: arn:aws:iam::123456789:role/lambda-exec is not authorized to perform: dynamodb:PutItem
User: arn:aws:sts::123456789:assumed-role/dev/session is not authorized to perform: ec2:RunInstancesThink your server is currently experiencing a Configuration?
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What Is a Configuration?
Security analysts and DevOps teams monitoring infrastructure like Nginx, Apache HTTP Server, Node.js, AWS, and WordPress must be able to quickly identify and triage these malicious log patterns to prevent data breaches.
This log indicates that an AWS identity attempted to access a resource without sufficient permissions.
While often caused by misconfigured IAM policies, repeated attempts may indicate unauthorized access attempts. If a compromised credential is being used to pull mass data, it could escalate into a suspicious outbound traffic logs.
Attackers who gain access to credentials may probe permissions to escalate privileges.
How to Detect AWS Access Denied Logs (Unauthorized API Calls + Fix Guide) in Logs
Log Source: These errors are exclusively found within AWS CloudTrail logs, not standard web server access logs.
Key Fields: Analyze the 'userIdentity.arn' (who attempted it) and the 'eventName' (what they tried to do).
Behavior: A single denied 's3:GetObject' might be a developer error. A burst of denied 'iam:CreateUser' or 'ec2:RunInstances' indicates a compromised credential actively attempting to escalate privileges or spin up crypto-miners.
Configuration Attack Detection Checklist
| Pattern | Indicator | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| is not authorized to perform | IAM permission boundary hit | Medium |
| iam:CreateUser denied requests | Privilege escalation attempt | Critical |
| Burst of denied ec2:RunInstances | Cryptomining resource hijack | Critical |
How to Defend Against This Threat
Review and tighten IAM policies.
Enable AWS CloudTrail for monitoring.
Rotate credentials regularly and enforce MFA.
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