Small misconfigurations in IAM role trust policies can create significant privilege escalation risks in AWS, allowing low-privileged users to assume high-privileged roles. The article highlights the lack of clear documentation on trust policies and discusses two common misconfigurations that can lead to severe security implications. Understanding these risks is essential for maintaining a secure AWS environment.

Secure cross-account access in AWS is complicated by common misconceptions that can lead to serious security risks. Organizations often underestimate the implications of trusting external principals, particularly when it comes to the management account and the direction of trust relationships, which can create dangerous privilege escalation pathways. It is crucial for organizations to align their cross-account trust policies with their security hierarchies to mitigate these risks effectively.