Metadata

Id: terraform-aws-iam-user-with-access-to-console

Provider: AWS

Platform: Terraform

Severity: Medium

Category: Access Control

Learn More

• Provider Reference

Description

This check ensures that AWS IAM users are not granted access to the AWS Management Console by omitting the creation of an associated login profile in Terraform configurations. Allowing console access exposes user credentials to potential phishing and brute-force attacks, especially if multifactor authentication is not enforced or passwords are weak. If left unaddressed, attackers could use compromised credentials to access AWS resources with the permissions of the affected user, potentially resulting in data leaks, resource manipulation, or unauthorized changes to cloud infrastructure. Removing console access for IAM users reduces the attack surface and encourages the use of more secure access methods, such as IAM roles and API keys with strict controls.

Compliant Code Examples

resource "aws_iam_user" "example" {
  name          = "example"
  path          = "/"
  force_destroy = true
}

Non-Compliant Code Examples

resource "aws_iam_user" "example" {
  name          = "example"
  path          = "/"
  force_destroy = true
}

resource "aws_iam_user_login_profile" "example_login" {
  user    = aws_iam_user.example.name
  pgp_key = "keybase:some_person_that_exists"
}