# Privilege Escalation in Cloud IAM

> Master cloud IAM privilege escalation techniques, from overly permissive roles to PassRole exploits, and learn to architect unbreakable least-privilege defenses.

Canonical: https://codelivly.com/rooms/privilege-escalation-in-cloud-iam
Last updated: 2026-09-24

| | |
|---|---|
| Level | Advanced |
| Category | Cloud Security |
| Lessons | 4 |
| Estimated time | 30 min |
| XP | 100 |

This advanced module dives deep into one of the most critical and dangerous attack vectors in cloud security: IAM Privilege Escalation. You will learn how attackers exploit misconfigured IAM policies, overly permissive roles, and dangerous API combinations (like iam:PassRole or lambda:CreateFunction) to elevate their access from a low-privileged user to a full cloud administrator. Through real-world attack simulations and defensive architecture reviews, you will master the techniques used to chain permissions, exploit trust relationships, and bypass conditional access, ultimately learning how to design resilient, zero-trust IAM environments that neutralize these escalation paths.

## Lessons

1. What Is Cloud Privilege Escalation and Why Does It Matter (30 min)
2. Common IAM Misconfiguration Patterns (30 min)
3. Exploiting Overly Permissive Policies (30 min)
4. Guided Lab: Escalating Privileges via a Misconfigured IAM Role (30 min)

## Related

- [Learning path: Cloud Identity and Access Management](https://codelivly.com/learning-paths/cloud-identity-and-access-management)
- [All rooms](https://codelivly.com/rooms)