AWSElasticDisasterRecoveryLaunchActionsPolicy

Last Modified

Jun 18, 2026

June 18, 2026 at 11:02 PM UTC

Version

v7

Total Versions

5

Created

Jun 18, 2026

Actions

18

Risk

Medium

The same capabilities in a scoped form, resource policy writes, reads across all data, or full access to a whole service. Read from this policy document alone: trust policies, boundaries and SCPs in your account still decide what actually succeeds. How this is assessed

  • Medium

    Can take over existing resources that run as another role

    Grants the actions of 1 documented escalation path, but only on named resources or under a condition. Review that scope before trusting it.

    • ssm-002ssm:SendCommandscoped
      • ssm:SendCommand: condition aws:CalledVia, aws:ResourceAccount, on arn:aws:ssm:*:*:document/*, arn:aws:ssm:*:*:automation-definition/*:*, arn:aws:ssm:*:*:automation-execution/*

    Use with caution: Check which roles, users or policies fall inside the scope shown above. Within it the escalation works as documented, so keep privileged principals out of it.

Policy Document

View on GitHub
{
  "PolicyVersion": {
    "Document": {
      "Version": "2012-10-17",
      "Statement": [
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy1",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:DescribeInstanceInformation",
            "ssm:DescribeParameters"
          ],
          "Resource": [
            "*"
          ],
          "Condition": {
            "ForAnyValue:StringEquals": {
              "aws:CalledVia": [
                "drs.amazonaws.com"
              ]
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy2",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:SendCommand",
            "ssm:StartAutomationExecution"
          ],
          "Resource": [
            "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:document/*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:automation-definition/*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:automation-execution/*"
          ],
          "Condition": {
            "ForAnyValue:StringEquals": {
              "aws:CalledVia": [
                "drs.amazonaws.com"
              ]
            },
            "StringEquals": {
              "aws:ResourceAccount": "${aws:PrincipalAccount}"
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy3",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:SendCommand",
            "ssm:StartAutomationExecution"
          ],
          "Resource": [
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWS-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSCodeDeployAgent-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSConfigRemediation-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSConformancePacks-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSDisasterRecovery-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSDistroOTel-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSDocs-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSDRS-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSEC2-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSEC2Launch-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSFIS-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSFleetManager-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSIncidents-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSKinesisTap-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSMigration-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSNVMe-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSNitroEnclavesWindows-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSObservabilityExporter-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSPVDriver-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSQuickSetupType-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSQuickStarts-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSRefactorSpaces-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSResilienceHub-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSSAP-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSSAPTools-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSSQLServer-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSSSO-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSSupport-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AWSSystemsManagerSAP-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AmazonCloudWatch-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AmazonCloudWatchAgent-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AmazonECS-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AmazonEFSUtils-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AmazonEKS-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AmazonInspector-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AmazonInspector2-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AmazonInternal-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AwsEnaNetworkDriver-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::document/AwsVssComponents-*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWS-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSCodeDeployAgent-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSConfigRemediation-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSConformancePacks-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSDisasterRecovery-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSDistroOTel-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSDocs-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSDRS-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSEC2-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSEC2Launch-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSFIS-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSFleetManager-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSIncidents-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSKinesisTap-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSMigration-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSNVMe-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSNitroEnclavesWindows-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSObservabilityExporter-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSPVDriver-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSQuickSetupType-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSQuickStarts-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSRefactorSpaces-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSResilienceHub-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSSAP-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSSAPTools-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSSQLServer-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSSSO-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSSupport-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AWSSystemsManagerSAP-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AmazonCloudWatch-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AmazonCloudWatchAgent-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AmazonECS-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AmazonEFSUtils-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AmazonEKS-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AmazonInspector-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AmazonInspector2-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AmazonInternal-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AwsEnaNetworkDriver-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*::automation-definition/AwsVssComponents-*:*",
            "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:automation-execution/*"
          ],
          "Condition": {
            "ForAnyValue:StringEquals": {
              "aws:CalledVia": [
                "drs.amazonaws.com"
              ]
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy4",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:SendCommand"
          ],
          "Resource": [
            "arn:aws:ec2:*:*:instance/*"
          ],
          "Condition": {
            "ForAnyValue:StringEquals": {
              "aws:CalledVia": [
                "drs.amazonaws.com"
              ]
            },
            "Null": {
              "aws:ResourceTag/AWSElasticDisasterRecoveryManaged": "false"
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy5",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:SendCommand"
          ],
          "Resource": [
            "arn:aws:ec2:*:*:instance/*"
          ],
          "Condition": {
            "StringEquals": {
              "aws:ResourceTag/AWSDRS": "AllowLaunchingIntoThisInstance"
            },
            "ForAnyValue:StringEquals": {
              "aws:CalledVia": [
                "drs.amazonaws.com"
              ]
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy6",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:ListDocuments",
            "ssm:ListCommandInvocations"
          ],
          "Resource": "*"
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy7",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:ListDocumentVersions",
            "ssm:GetDocument",
            "ssm:DescribeDocument"
          ],
          "Resource": "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:document/*"
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy8",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:GetAutomationExecution"
          ],
          "Resource": "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:automation-execution/*",
          "Condition": {
            "Null": {
              "aws:ResourceTag/AWSElasticDisasterRecoveryManaged": "false"
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy9",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:GetParameters"
          ],
          "Resource": "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:parameter/ManagedByAWSElasticDisasterRecoveryService-*",
          "Condition": {
            "ForAnyValue:StringEquals": {
              "aws:CalledVia": "ssm.amazonaws.com"
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy10",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": [
            "ssm:GetParameter",
            "ssm:PutParameter"
          ],
          "Resource": "arn:aws:ssm:*:*:parameter/ManagedByAWSElasticDisasterRecoveryService-*",
          "Condition": {
            "StringEquals": {
              "aws:ResourceAccount": "${aws:PrincipalAccount}"
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "Sid": "LaunchActionsPolicy11",
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Action": "iam:PassRole",
          "Resource": [
            "arn:aws:iam::*:role/service-role/AWSElasticDisasterRecoveryRecoveryInstanceWithLaunchActionsRole"
          ],
          "Condition": {
            "StringEquals": {
              "iam:PassedToService": "ec2.amazonaws.com"
            },
            "ForAnyValue:StringEquals": {
              "aws:CalledVia": "drs.amazonaws.com"
            }
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    "VersionId": "v7",
    "IsDefaultVersion": true,
    "CreateDate": "2026-06-18T22:57:16+00:00"
  }
}

Version History (10 recorded)

Raw history
v7updated

scope changed, no action added or removed

2dd2733

AWSElasticDisasterRecoveryLaunchActionsPolicy - Policy Version v6

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

Mar 12, 2026

431442c

AWSElasticDisasterRecoveryLaunchActionsPolicy - Policy Version v6

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

Feb 12, 2026

38d6f27

AWSElasticDisasterRecoveryLaunchActionsPolicy - Policy Version v5

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

Feb 12, 2026

1c921f3

Update detected

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

Jul 2, 2025

1e3ab1e

Update detected

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

Sep 18, 2024

aafbae9

Update detected

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

May 20, 2024

1884c3b

Update detected

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

May 13, 2024

1b36617

Update detected

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

Oct 16, 2023

dcb8989

Update detected

No recorded action delta - this version predates the change index. View the raw diff.

Sep 13, 2023

e8f830a