AWS gives attackers a rich target: over-privileged IAM roles, exposed storage and metadata endpoints reachable through SSRF. Our AWS penetration testing reviews your environment and attempts real privilege-escalation and lateral-movement paths a compromised credential or workload could take.
We combine configuration review with hands-on exploitation to show not just what's misconfigured, but exactly how it leads to compromise.
Our AWS penetration testing combines external exposure assessment with an authenticated, in-account review from a scoped IAM role. We map real privilege-escalation and lateral-movement paths — through over-permissive roles, exposed S3 buckets, SSRF-reachable instance metadata and secrets in code or parameter store — and demonstrate the blast radius of a compromised credential or workload. Findings map to the CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark and the MITRE ATT&CK Cloud matrix.
Why it matters
Cloud breaches rarely need an exploit — they follow misconfigured identity and over-privileged roles. In AWS, a single leaked key or SSRF-reachable metadata endpoint can be escalated into control of the entire account.
AWS penetration testing maps the real privilege-escalation and lateral-movement paths a compromised credential or workload could take, showing not just what is misconfigured but exactly how it leads to compromise.
What we test
- IAM privilege escalation paths
- S3 and storage exposure
- SSRF-to-instance-metadata (IMDS) abuse
- Over-permissive roles & trust policies
- Exposed services & public resources
- Secrets in code, env and parameter store
Common vulnerabilities we uncover
- IAM privilege escalation paths
- Public S3 buckets and storage exposure
- SSRF-to-instance-metadata (IMDS) abuse
- Over-permissive roles and trust policies
- Exposed services and public resources
- Secrets in code, environment and parameter store
Our AWS Penetration Testing methodology
- Scoping & rules of engagement. We agree objectives, targets and boundaries for your aws penetration testing, so testing is safe, authorized and focused on what matters to your business.
- Reconnaissance & mapping. We enumerate the full attack surface in scope, building a complete picture before any exploitation begins.
- Manual exploitation. Our senior testers chain vulnerabilities by hand — going far beyond automated scanners — to prove real, demonstrable impact.
- Analysis & reporting. Every finding is triaged, risk-rated with CVSS and written up with a copy-paste reproduction and clear remediation.
- Remediation support & free retest. We support your team through the fixes and retest the remediated issues to confirm they are genuinely closed.
Tools & techniques
We assess AWS with a mix of authenticated configuration review and hands-on exploitation, using cloud-security tooling and custom scripts to map IAM privilege paths and enumerate exposure. We test S3 and storage access, SSRF-to-metadata paths, role and trust-policy abuse, and secrets in code and parameter store, mapping findings to the CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark and MITRE ATT&CK Cloud.
When you need AWS Penetration Testing
- Before or after major AWS deployments and migrations
- For teams needing cloud-specific attack-path analysis
- To satisfy customer, SOC 2 or ISO 27001 cloud security reviews
- When IAM has grown complex and privilege paths are unclear
What you receive
- Cloud attack-path mapping
- Exploitation PoCs with blast radius
- Least-privilege remediation plan
- Free retest of remediated accounts
What’s included in your report
Every aws penetration testing engagement concludes with a comprehensive, board-ready report and a working session to walk your team through it. Your report includes:
- An executive summary with overall risk posture for non-technical stakeholders
- Detailed technical findings, each with a step-by-step, copy-paste reproduction
- CVSS v3.1 severity ratings and business-impact context for every issue
- Prioritized, actionable remediation guidance your engineers can apply directly
- A complimentary retest to confirm fixes and update finding status
- A formal attestation letter for customers, auditors and compliance programs
Standards & frameworks
CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark
MITRE ATT&CK Cloud
AWS Well-Architected security pillar
Outcomes you can expect
After your aws penetration testing, you will have clear, evidence-based visibility into your real security risk — not a scanner’s guesswork. You will know exactly which weaknesses an attacker could exploit, what the business impact would be, and the precise steps to fix them in priority order. Teams use our findings to close critical gaps, satisfy customer and regulator security requirements, and demonstrate due diligence to their board. With a complimentary retest included, you also get documented proof that the issues are genuinely resolved.
Engagement details & logistics
Every aws penetration testing starts with a short, no-obligation scoping call to understand your goals, environment and constraints, followed by a fixed-price proposal and a clear statement of work. Most engagements are delivered fully remotely, with on-site work arranged where it genuinely adds value. Throughout testing we maintain an agreed communication cadence and escalate any critical, high-impact finding to you immediately rather than waiting for the final report. All work is performed under a signed NDA with strict data-handling controls, using safe, non-disruptive techniques and carefully coordinated rules of engagement to protect your production systems. On completion you receive your report and a walkthrough session, followed by a complimentary retest once your fixes are in place. Typical engagements are booked one to three weeks in advance, and urgent or pre-deadline testing can often be accommodated — just ask at hi@agentoffense.com.
Why organizations choose AgentOffense for AWS Penetration Testing
Our aws penetration testing is delivered by senior offensive-security engineers who test the way real attackers do — manually, creatively and with a relentless focus on proving genuine, demonstrable impact. Here is what sets our engagements apart:
- Manual, exploit-driven testing that chains vulnerabilities the way a real attacker would, going far beyond what automated scanners can find.
- Reproducible proof for every finding, with copy-paste reproduction steps your engineers can follow and independently verify.
- Honest severity calibration so you invest in fixing what genuinely matters and avoid wasting effort on false positives and noise.
- Clear, business-focused reporting that speaks to engineers and executives alike, tying every issue to real-world impact.
- A complimentary retest included, so you get documented proof that your fixes actually close the attack path.
- Responsible, collaborative delivery with a named point of contact and secure handling of all data throughout the engagement.
Explore related services
AWS Penetration Testing is frequently scoped alongside our other offensive-security services for broader coverage. Explore related engagements that complement it:
- Azure Penetration Testing — Azure penetration testing — Entra ID (Azure AD) attack paths, role and consent abuse, storage exposure…
- Kubernetes Penetration Testing — Kubernetes penetration testing — container escape, RBAC misconfiguration, exposed control plane, and pod-to-cluster-admin escalation across your…
- Cloud Configuration Review — Cloud configuration review across AWS, Azure and GCP — CIS benchmark gaps, IAM hygiene, exposure and…
Frequently asked questions
Do we need AWS's permission to test?
AWS permits most penetration testing on your own resources without prior approval, but certain activities still require a request. We confirm scope against AWS policy before starting.
Do you test from inside or outside the account?
Both. We assess external exposure and perform an authenticated configuration and privilege-escalation review from a scoped role.
Which framework do you use?
We map findings to the MITRE ATT&CK Cloud matrix and CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark.
Do we need AWS's permission to test?
AWS permits most testing on your own resources without prior approval, but some activities still require a request. We confirm scope against current AWS policy before starting.
Do you test from inside or outside the account?
Both — external exposure and an authenticated configuration and privilege-escalation review from a scoped role.
Do we need to notify AWS before testing?
AWS permits most testing on your own resources without prior approval, but some activities still require a request. We confirm scope against current AWS policy first.
How much does AWS penetration testing cost?
Cost depends on the number of accounts and services in scope. Contact hi@agentoffense.com for a fixed-price quote.
How long does AWS penetration testing take?
Typically one to two weeks depending on the number of accounts and services, plus a retest window.
What access do you need in the account?
A scoped, read-oriented IAM role plus external targets is usually enough; we demonstrate how far that access can be escalated.