Request-url-http-3a-2f-2f169.254.169.254-2flatest-2fmeta Data-2fiam-2fsecurity Credentials-2f [repack] Jun 2026

: The AWS instance can query the metadata service at http://169.254.169.254 for information about itself and its environment.

Demystifying the Cloud SSRF: Understanding http://169.254.169

: Refers to the highest version of the metadata API supported by the instance.

If you're looking to , you can find best practices on the AWS IAM Security and EC2 Instance Metadata pages. Wiz x Cloud Security Championship: Perimeter Leak : The AWS instance can query the metadata

: The attacker is looking for "Keys to the Kingdom." By fetching these credentials, they bypass traditional firewalls and network security because the request originates from a "trusted" internal source. Remediation Strategies

The specific sub-directories point directly to AWS IAM metadata:

The theoretical risk of IMDS exploitation has become a stark reality through numerous real-world breaches and targeted attacks. Wiz x Cloud Security Championship: Perimeter Leak :

In modern cloud computing, security vulnerabilities often arise not from traditional code bugs, but from architectural misunderstandings. One of the most famous and critical entry points for cloud exploitation centers around a specific IP address and URL path: http://169.254.169 .

Instead of providing a valid image URL, the attacker inputs http://169.254.169[role-name] .

If the EC2 instance has an attached to it, accessing this specific path returns the name of that role. Appending the role name to the URL (e.g., /iam/security-credentials/admin-role ) will return: AccessKeyId SecretAccessKey Token (Session Token) One of the most famous and critical entry

To leverage this mechanism securely:

curl http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/