What is AWS Penetration Testing? A Complete Guide

Cloud computing has fundamentally changed how businesses run, with most organizations now moving to platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) for scalability, speed, and cost efficiency. AWS delivers strong built-in security, but migrating to the cloud also introduces new risks and attack surfaces. As cloud infrastructure grows more complex—with serverless apps, APIs, storage buckets, and IAM roles—the potential for misconfigurations and hidden vulnerabilities increases.

Here’s the catch: cloud security is a shared responsibility. AWS secures the core infrastructure—like physical servers and networking—but customers are responsible for everything they build on top of it. This includes applications, data storage, access controls, and service configurations. A single oversight—like an overly permissive IAM role or a public S3 bucket—can leave your entire environment exposed.

That’s where AWS penetration testing comes in. It helps you simulate real-world attacks to identify and fix vulnerabilities before threat actors exploit them. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the complete process of AWS pentesting—from scope definition to exploitation and remediation—whether you're just getting started or already securing complex cloud environments.

What is AWS Penetration Testing and Why It Matters

As organizations migrate to the cloud, security responsibilities shift. AWS offers a secure foundation—but how you configure and use its services ultimately determines your risk exposure.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the most widely adopted cloud platform, supporting everything from startups to global enterprises. It delivers a vast range of services—compute, storage, networking, machine learning, and more. While AWS secures the underlying infrastructure, customers are responsible for securing what they build in the cloud—applications, data, access controls, and configurations.

AWS Penetration Testing involves ethically simulating cyberattacks on your AWS environment to uncover vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. It focuses on customer-controlled resources like EC2 instances, S3 buckets, IAM roles, APIs, and Lambda functions—not AWS’s core infrastructure.

Why AWS Penetration Testing Matters

• Identify Misconfigurations: One oversight—like a public S3 bucket—can expose sensitive data. Pentesting catches these gaps early.

• Maintain Compliance: Frameworks like PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001 require regular security assessments.

• Move Faster Than Threats: Proactive testing helps you patch weaknesses before attackers discover them.

• Manage Complex Environments: Cloud-native setups with containers, serverless functions, and multi-account setups increase your attack surface.

• Adopt an 'Assume Breach' Mindset: Testing helps you understand how far an attacker could go post-breach—so you can bolster internal defenses.

Who Should Be Doing AWS Penetration Testing?

AWS pentesting isn’t just for red teams—it’s a shared responsibility across technical and compliance roles:

• Cloud Security Teams monitor IAM, network, and service configurations to prevent missteps.
• Compliance Auditors use pentests to verify regulatory controls are functioning as intended.
• DevOps & Security Engineers integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines for early detection and faster fixes.
• Ethical Hackers & Red Teams simulate real-world attacks to assess resilience.

Whether you're starting your cloud journey or managing a mature AWS environment, regular penetration testing is essential for staying secure and compliant.

How is AWS Pentesting Different from Traditional Pentesting?

Here’s the deal: cloud environments like AWS introduce unique challenges that traditional penetration testing doesn’t cover. Instead of focusing on physical assets and internal networks, AWS pentesting targets misconfigurations, identity controls, and cloud-native services.

Let’s break down the key differences between traditional and AWS penetration testing:

As the table shows, AWS penetration testing requires a deep understanding of cloud-specific services and configurations—what works for on-prem security won’t cut it in the cloud.

Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model

Before diving into AWS penetration testing, it’s essential to understand how cloud security works. AWS follows a Shared Responsibility Model, which splits security duties between AWS and the customer.

What is the AWS Shared Responsibility Model?

AWS takes care of the infrastructure that runs all its services—like physical data centers, network equipment, and hypervisors. Customers, on the other hand, are responsible for securing anything they run or configure within AWS. This includes things like IAM roles, EC2 instances, S3 buckets, and VPC configurations.

Here’s a simplified breakdown:

AWS Penetration Testing Policy and Permissions

AWS provides clear guidelines on what penetration testing activities are permitted and which ones require prior approval. Because AWS manages the infrastructure, any activity that affects its core systems—or other customers—is tightly controlled.

AWS Penetration Testing Allowed

You can conduct penetration tests on customer-controlled resources without needing approval from AWS. These include:

• EC2 instances (e.g., OS, apps, and configurations)
• S3 buckets (permissions, public access, encryption)
• RDS databases (authentication and access control)
• API Gateway & Lambda (input validation, access flaws)
• Elastic Load Balancing and CloudFront
• App Runner and Lightsail

These services are within your control and pose minimal risk to other AWS customers.

AWS Penetration Testing That Requires Prior Approval

For high-impact or infrastructure-level testing, AWS requires you to submit a request before proceeding. This includes:

• Denial-of-Service (DoS/DDoS) simulations
• Ransomware simulations or destructive payloads
• Port flooding, packet injection, or large-scale scanning
• Testing the AWS Management Console

These tests can disrupt services, trigger alerts, or violate shared tenancy policies.
To request approval, submit a form through the AWS Vulnerability Reporting page. AWS will evaluate the scope, tools, and potential risks before granting permission.

AWS Penetration Testing Restrictions (Strictly Prohibited)

Some testing actions are completely off-limits. These include:

• Targeting AWS-managed infrastructure (like AWS networks or hypervisors)
• Attacking other AWS accounts or multi-tenant services
• Attempting to break AWS encryption or security keys
• Using continuous automated scripts for large-scale scanning
• DoS attacks without approval

Violating these restrictions can lead to service interruptions, account suspension, or legal consequences.

Preparing for an AWS Penetration Test

Before launching an AWS penetration test, laying the right groundwork is essential. Proper preparation ensures your assessment is safe, compliant, and delivers actionable results.

Here are the key steps to prepare:

1. Define Scope and Objectives
2. Get Proper Authorization
3. Set Up a Safe Testing Environment
4. Enable Logging and Monitoring
5. Understand Compliance Requirements

AWS Penetration Testing

Let’s break down each step to see what it involves and how to do it right.

1. Define Scope and Objectives

Clearly define what services and components will be tested to ensure compliance and relevance. Your scope may include:

• Cloud Resources: EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, etc.
• IAM: Roles, permissions, and privilege escalation paths.
• Networking: VPCs, security groups, and firewall configurations.
• Applications: Web apps, APIs, and serverless endpoints.

2. Get Proper Authorization

Pentesting AWS resources without permission can violate policies and laws.

Who should approve?

• Cloud Security Team
• Legal/Compliance Team
• AWS (only for restricted tests like DoS)

How to proceed:

• Get written authorization from internal stakeholders.
• Submit a request to AWS Vulnerability Reporting if needed.

3. Set Up a Safe Testing Environment

Avoid testing in production. Instead:

• Create a separate AWS account or sandbox.
• Mirror production services with test data.
• Use the AWS CLI to deploy minimal-risk instances.
  Example:

aws ec2 run-instances --image-id ami-xxxx \
  --count 1 --instance-type t2.micro \
  --key-name MyKeyPair --security-groups my-security-group

4. Enable Logging and Monitoring

Track and audit all test activity using:

5. Understand Compliance Requirements

Make sure your test aligns with applicable regulations:

• GDPR – Personal data protection
• HIPAA – Healthcare data security
• PCI-DSS – Payment systems compliance

Thorough prep ensures your AWS pentest is secure, compliant, and effective.

AWS Penetration Testing Tools and Techniques

A strong AWS penetration test isn’t just about finding bugs—it’s about using the right techniques with the right tools to uncover weaknesses in your cloud environment. Below is a step-by-step breakdown of proven testing phases along with tools that help execute each one effectively.

Reconnaissance: Mapping Out the Attack Surface

Before diving into AWS internals, gather public-facing intelligence:

• Identify exposed assets like EC2 instances, S3 buckets, and APIs.
• Search for leaked AWS credentials in public repositories (e.g., GitHub).
• Collect metadata from misconfigured AWS services.

Tools to Use:

• AWS CLI – Query public-facing resources and configurations.
• TruffleHog – Detect leaked secrets in GitHub and other version control systems.
• CloudMapper – Visualize your AWS footprint and detect exposures.

Enumeration and Asset Discovery

After initial mapping, enumerate internal resources to find misconfigurations:

• Discover IAM users, roles, and attached policies.
• Identify publicly accessible S3 buckets, open ports, and security group misconfigurations.
• Map out serverless functions and their privileges.

Tools to Use:

• Pacu – AWS exploitation framework with modules for service enumeration.
• PMapper – Analyze IAM role trust relationships and privilege escalation paths.
• S3Scanner – Scan and assess S3 bucket permissions.

Exploitation and Privilege Escalation

Now target weak configurations to gain elevated access or compromise services:

• Exploit over-permissive IAM roles with sts:AssumeRole.
• Test S3 buckets for public write or read access.
• Probe Lambda functions for insecure environment variables or execution flaws.

Example Command:

aws sts assume-role --role-arn "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/AdminRole" \ 
  --role-session-name pentest-session

Tools to Use:

• LambdaLoot – Identify and exploit vulnerable Lambda functions.
• Pacu – Modules for IAM role assumption and escalation.
• AWS CLI – Manual testing and exploitation of AWS services.

Lateral Movement

Once inside, expand your foothold:

• Extract EC2 instance metadata to gain credentials.
• Use compromised roles to pivot to other services.
• Harvest secrets from Lambda functions or RDS databases.

Tools to Use:

• EC2 Metadata Exploits – Custom scripts to retrieve instance credentials.
• CloudSploit or Pacu – Identify opportunities to pivot based on configuration gaps.

Data Exfiltration and Persistence

With access secured, test what an attacker could extract or how they could stay hidden:

• Copy data from S3 buckets or dump RDS contents.
• Exfiltrate credentials from Secrets Manager.
• Create persistent IAM roles or policies for future access.

Tools to Use:

• AWS CLI – For data transfer and manipulation.
• CloudTrail Logs – Validate whether persistence attempts are logged or alertable.

Cleanup and Restoration

Post-engagement hygiene is essential:

• Terminate any temporary EC2 instances.
• Revoke temporary credentials and delete created IAM users or roles.
• Notify stakeholders of changes and restore from clean backups if needed.

Note: Document every step to ensure reproducibility and clarity in reporting.

Reporting and Remediation Strategies

After penetration testing is complete, translating the findings into a clear, actionable report is critical. This report serves as both a risk summary and a roadmap for remediation, helping teams understand what went wrong, how severe it is, and how to fix it.

What to Include in Your Report

A well-structured report should cater to both technical and non-technical audiences:

• Executive Summary: High-level overview of key findings for leadership.

• Scope and Methodology: Outline what was tested, which AWS services were in scope, and the tools or techniques used.

• Findings and Risk Impact: List vulnerabilities by severity (Critical to Low) and explain their potential impact.

• Proof of Concept (PoC): Include logs, screenshots, or commands that validate the issue.

• Remediation Recommendations: Provide practical, prioritized guidance for fixing each issue.

Remediation Best Practices

Identifying risks is only half the job—closing them is where security matures. Focus on:

• IAM Hardening: Use least privilege, remove unused roles, and audit permissions regularly.

• S3 Security: Disable public access, use encryption, and review bucket policies.

• Monitoring and Logging: Enable AWS CloudTrail and review logs for anomalies.

• Key Management: Rotate AWS credentials, enforce MFA, and store secrets securely (e.g., Secrets Manager).

Pro Tip: Tailor the report to your audience—technical teams need details, executives need clarity.

Timely reporting and remediation ensure your AWS environment stays resilient and audit-ready.

Challenges and Considerations in AWS Penetration Testing

While AWS pentesting is crucial for security, it comes with unique challenges compared to traditional infrastructure testing. Here’s what you need to consider:

• AWS Pentesting Restrictions

AWS imposes strict policies on penetration testing. While customers can test their own environments, attacking AWS infrastructure itself is prohibited. Unauthorized testing may violate AWS terms of service, leading to account suspension.

• Shared Responsibility Model

AWS handles physical and network security, but misconfigurations on the customer’s end remain their responsibility. This means pentesters must focus on IAM roles, storage misconfigurations, exposed APIs, and network access controls rather than AWS-managed infrastructure.

• Complexity of AWS Environments

AWS is highly dynamic and scalable, making it harder to pinpoint vulnerabilities. Serverless applications, containerized workloads, and multi-account setups add complexity to testing efforts.

• Logging and Detection

AWS has extensive logging capabilities (CloudTrail, GuardDuty, VPC Flow Logs), which can trigger security alerts during testing. Pentesters need to coordinate with security teams to ensure testing activities are identified correctly and do not cause unnecessary alarms.

• Cost Considerations

Certain AWS pentesting activities consume resources (e.g., spinning up test instances, running large-scale scans) which may incur unexpected costs. Organizations should carefully monitor usage and optimize tests to avoid billing surprises.

How Uproot Security Helps with AWS Penetration Testing

• Uproot Security provides comprehensive AWS penetration testing services to help businesses identify, assess, and remediate cloud security risks. Here’s how Uproot Security makes a difference,

• Cloud-Specific Testing Expertise – Specialized testing methodologies tailored for AWS environments, covering IAM security, API security, misconfigurations, and privilege escalation risks.

• Automated & Manual Assessments – A combination of automated vulnerability scanning and in-depth manual penetration testing to uncover hidden security flaws.

• Detailed Reporting & Actionable Insights – Clear, risk-prioritized reports with proof-of-concept exploits, impact analysis, and remediation guidance.

• Continuous Security Monitoring – Beyond penetration testing, Uproot Security helps businesses continuously monitor AWS environments for security threats.

The Case for Continuous AWS Penetration Testing

Securing cloud environments is not a one-and-done effort—it’s a continuous cycle. While cloud audits are essential for identifying misconfigurations and ensuring compliance, they often miss deeper, exploit-ready vulnerabilities. Penetration testing fills that gap by simulating real-world attacks to reveal flaws such as exposed APIs, over-permissive IAM roles, and vulnerable serverless components.

Audits and pentests serve different but equally vital functions. Audits ensure your configurations meet regulatory standards, but penetration tests show how well your defenses hold up under actual attack conditions. Relying solely on audits gives a false sense of security. Many issues—especially those buried in application logic or lateral movement paths—only surface through hands-on testing.

As your AWS usage expands with more services, teams, and automation, so does your attack surface. Continuous penetration testing ensures your security scales with growth, helping you catch risks before attackers do.

Frequent testing also aligns with compliance frameworks like ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA, all of which require proof of robust security controls. By making AWS pentesting routine, organizations improve resilience, minimize risk, and stay audit-ready throughout the year.