# Aws Iam

> AWS IAM deep-dive skill - principal types, policy evaluation, STS assume role, SCP guardrails, KMS key policies/grants, and AccessDenied debugging. Use when designing AWS authz/authn, cross-account access, or troubleshooting IAM/KMS/SCP AccessDenied errors.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-d-padmanabhan-agent-engineering-handbook-aws-iam`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [d-padmanabhan](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/d-padmanabhan)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Cloud & Infrastructure](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/cloud-infrastructure)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [d-padmanabhan](https://github.com/d-padmanabhan)
- **Source:** https://github.com/d-padmanabhan/agent-engineering-handbook/tree/main/skills/aws-iam

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-d-padmanabhan-agent-engineering-handbook-aws-iam
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# AWS IAM

## When to use

Use this skill when you are working on:

- IAM principals (users, roles, assumed-role sessions, service principals)
- Trust policies (`sts:AssumeRole*`) and cross-account access
- Identity-based vs resource-based policies
- Permission boundaries, session policies, and Organizations SCPs
- KMS key policies, grants, and `kms:Decrypt` / `kms:GenerateDataKey` failures
- Debugging `AccessDenied` in AWS (including cross-account and KMS)

## What to do (workflow)

1. Identify the **runtime principal** (often an STS assumed-role ARN)
2. Identify the **action** + **resource ARN(s)** from the error or design requirement
3. Determine which **policy layers** are in play:
   - identity-based policy
   - resource-based policy
   - permission boundary
   - session policy
   - SCP (Organizations)
4. Look for **explicit deny** first (it wins)
5. For cross-account flows:
   - validate the trust policy (who can assume)
   - validate the permission policy (what the role can do)
   - validate any resource policy (who can access the target resource)
6. For KMS:
   - validate key policy + IAM policy + any grant constraints

## References

- `references/iam-authorization-model.md`
- `references/cross-account-and-externalid.md`
- `references/cross-service-confused-deputy.md`
- `references/kms-key-policy-and-grants.md`
- `references/eks-pod-identity-abac-and-lattice.md`

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [d-padmanabhan](https://github.com/d-padmanabhan)
- **Source:** [d-padmanabhan/agent-engineering-handbook](https://github.com/d-padmanabhan/agent-engineering-handbook)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-d-padmanabhan-agent-engineering-handbook-aws-iam
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/d-padmanabhan
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.