Curl-url-http-3a-2f-2f169.254.169.254-2flatest-2fapi-2ftoken ((full)) Now

The command curl http://169.254.169 initiates a session-oriented request to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Instance Metadata Service Version 2 (IMDSv2), serving as a crucial defense against Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) attacks. This method mandates a token-based, two-step authentication process, replacing the vulnerable IMDSv1 to secure EC2 instance metadata and IAM role credentials. 

How Defenders Can Mitigate

1. Enforce IMDSv2 only in EC2 launch templates.
2. Block metadata access via network ACLs or firewall rules where not needed.
3. Use metadata response hopping prevention: AWS now allows disabling IMDSv1 entirely.
4. Monitor for 169.254.169.254 requests in CloudTrail, VPC Flow Logs, or WAF logs.
5. Audit IAM roles attached to instances to limit blast radius.

Here's a step-by-step overview of how the metadata service works: curl-url-http-3A-2F-2F169.254.169.254-2Flatest-2Fapi-2Ftoken

Show you how to extract specific metadata (like IAM credentials) Explain the differences between IMDSv1 and IMDSv2 Provide a Python script to automate this process The command curl http://169

curl -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: <token>" http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/role-name

curl http://169.254.169.254/latest/api/token Enforce IMDSv2 only in EC2 launch templates