Fetch-url-http-3a-2f-2f169.254.169.254-2flatest-2fmeta Data-2fiam-2fsecurity Credentials-2f Today

"AccessKeyId": "ASIAQHJYEXAMPLEKLEA", "SecretAccessKey": "6Z+BexampleMoreThanJust4Chars1234567890", "SessionToken": "IQoJb2Zhc2luMSJIMEYCIQCexampleyourdatal87uw4example2JexampleNotBase64Encoded", "Expiration": "2023-04-14T20:32:05Z"

: This path segment indicates that the request is for metadata. Action: Force "IMDSv2 Required" on all EC2 instances

This is the most effective defense. Unlike the original service (IMDSv1), requires a "Session Token." An attacker cannot simply "fetch" the URL; they must first perform a PUT request to create a token, which most SSRF vulnerabilities cannot do. Action: Force "IMDSv2 Required" on all EC2 instances. 2. Follow the Principle of Least Privilege AWS controls access via IAM roles, ensuring that

: Ensure that only authorized instances and applications can access these credentials. AWS controls access via IAM roles, ensuring that only instances with a role attached can fetch the credentials. AWS controls access via IAM roles

The address 169.254.169.254 is a used by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide the Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) . Every EC2 instance can "talk" to this IP to learn about itself without needing an external internet connection.

/latest/meta-data/ is part of the path used to access metadata about the instance.