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# AWS Access key enabled on root account misconfiguration detected in code

## Rule Details

|                        |                                      |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Cortex AppSec Rule ID  | APPSEC\_AWS\_348                     |
| Category - Subcategory | IAM - Credential Exposure            |
| Provider               | AWS                                  |
| Severity               | HIGH                                 |
| Framework              | Terraform, Terraform Plan            |
| Mapped CSPM/KSPM Rule  | 88db4b66-4dec-48c0-9013-c7871d61b1c8 |

## Impact

The rule checks that the IAM root user does not have Access Keys. The root user has the highest level of access to all the AWS resources and services. If Access Keys are attached to a root user, they can be used to make programmatic calls to AWS APIs. An unauthorized personnel can misuse this to gain full access to all AWS services and resources, potentially causing severe security breach. Hence, it is essential to ensure that IAM root user doesn't have Access keys to avoid any potential risks or compromises to the system's security.

## How to Fix

*Resource:* aws\_iam\_access\_key

* *Arguments:* user

## To fix this issue, you should remove any access keys associated with the IAM root user account. This can typically be done through the AWS Management Console. This approach is highly recommended as AWS root account is highly privileged and it's not recommended to use routinely. \[source,go]

resource "aws\_iam\_access\_key" "fail" {

* user = "root"
* user = "someName" }

***


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