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1.11 Do not setup access keys during initial user setup for all Identity and Access Management (IAM) users that have a console password (Automated)​

Profile Applicability​

• Level 1

Description​

AWS console defaults to no checkboxes selected when creating a new IAM user. When creating the IAM User credentials you have to determine what type of access they require.

Programmatic access: The IAM user might need to make API calls, use the AWS CLI, or use the Tools for Windows PowerShell. In that case, create an access key (access key ID and a secret access key) for that user.

AWS Management Console access: If the user needs to access the AWS Management Console, create a password for the user.

Rationale​

Requiring the additional steps be taken by the user for programmatic access after their profile has been created will give a stronger indication of intent that access keys are [a] necessary for their work and [b] once the access key is established on an account that the keys may be in use somewhere in the organization.

note

Even if it is known the user will need access keys, require them to create the keys themselves or put in a support ticket to have them created as a separate step from user creation.

Audit​

Perform the following to determine if access keys were created upon user creation and are being used and rotated as prescribed:

From Console​

  1. Log in to the AWS Management Console.
  2. Click Services.
  3. Click IAM.
  4. Click on a User where column Password age and Access key age is not set to None.
  5. Click on Security credentials Tab.
  6. Compare the user 'Creation timeto the Access KeyCreated` date.
  7. For any that match, the key was created during initial user setup.
  • Keys that were created at the same time as the user profile and do not have a last used date should be deleted. Refer to the remediation below.

From Command Line​

  1. Run the following command (OSX/Linux/UNIX) to generate a list of all IAM users along with their access keys utilization:
 aws iam generate-credential-report
 aws iam get-credential-report --query 'Content' --output text | base64 -d | cut -d, -f1,4,9,11,14,16
  1. The output of this command will produce a table similar to the following:
user,password_enabled,access_key_1_active,access_key_1_last_used_date,access_key_2_active,access_key_2_last_used_date
 elise,false,true,2015-04-16T15:14:00+00:00,false,N/A
 brandon,true,true,N/A,false,N/A
 rakesh,false,false,N/A,false,N/A
 helene,false,true,2015-11-18T17:47:00+00:00,false,N/A
 paras,true,true,2016-08-28T12:04:00+00:00,true,2016-03-04T10:11:00+00:00
 anitha,true,true,2016-06-08T11:43:00+00:00,true,N/A
  1. For any user having password_enabled set to true AND access_key_last_used_date set to N/A refer to the remediation below.

Remediation​

Perform the following to delete access keys that do not pass the audit:

From Console​

  1. Login to the AWS Management Console.
  2. Click Services.
  3. Click IAM.
  4. Click Users.
  5. Click Security Credentials.
  6. As an Administrator:
    • Click the X (Delete) for unused keys created at the same time as the user profile.
  7. As an IAM User:
    • Click the X (Delete) for unused keys created at the same time as the user profile.

From Command Line​

aws iam delete-access-key --access-key-id <access-key-id-listed> --user-name <users-name>
note

You can utilize Lacework's remediation template to resolve violations of this policy. See Remediation Templates.

References​

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/iam/delete-access-key.html
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_users_create.html

Additional Information​

Credential report does not appear to contain "Key Creation Date"

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