IAM Attack Path Visualizer

Automated detection and visualization of privilege escalation paths in AWS IAM

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The Problem

Organizations often have "shadow administrators" - users who can gain admin privileges through hidden paths:

• Indirect group memberships (User → Group → Admin Group)
• Role assumption chains (User → Role A → Role B → Admin Role)
• Overly permissive trust policies (Any user can assume admin role)
• Cross-account privilege escalation

These hidden paths bypass traditional access reviews and create security blind spots that lead to:

• Failed compliance audits (SOC 2, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001)
• Insider threat risks
• Privilege creep over time
• Inability to enforce least privilege

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What This Tool Does

Scans AWS IAM configuration and generates visual attack graphs showing:

• ✅ All privilege escalation paths to admin access
• ✅ Direct and indirect admin assignments
• ✅ Role assumption chains and cross-account access
• ✅ Risk scoring and remediation recommendations

Output:

• Color-coded visual graph (red = admin access, shows all paths)
• Detailed JSON report with findings
• Risk assessment and compliance metrics

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Real Findings from Production Scan

From the visualization above:

• 25 IAM entities analyzed (users, roles, groups)
• 7 entities with admin access identified
• 2 privilege escalation paths discovered
• Risk Level: HIGH - Users gaining admin through group membership

Example findings:

• User: API-User → Group: Administrators → Admin Access
• User: Darius_Admin1 → Group: Administrators → Admin Access

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Technical Stack

Built with:

• Python 3.10+ - Core application logic
• boto3 - AWS IAM API integration
• NetworkX - Graph analysis and privilege path detection
• Matplotlib - Professional visualization generation
• Colorama - Enhanced terminal output

Demonstrates:

• AWS IAM policy analysis and trust relationship parsing
• Graph theory application to security problems
• Automated risk assessment and scoring
• Professional security tool development

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Quick Start

Prerequisites

• AWS account with IAM read access
• Python 3.10+
• AWS CLI configured with credentials

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Dfrank77/iam-attack-path-visualizer.git
cd iam-attack-path-visualizer

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Run complete scan and generate visualization:

python src/visualizer.py

Scan only (no visualization):

python src/aws_scanner.py

Output files:

• output/attack_paths.png - Visual graph
• output/report.json - Detailed findings

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Sample Output Structure

{
  "scan_date": "2026-01-16T...",
  "account_id": "804826263083",
  "summary": {
    "total_users": 10,
    "total_roles": 12,
    "total_groups": 3,
    "admin_count": 7,
    "privilege_paths_found": 2
  },
  "privilege_paths": [
    {
      "type": "user_to_group_admin",
      "path": ["API-User", "Administrators"],
      "risk": "HIGH",
      "description": "User API-User has admin through group Administrators"
    }
  ],
  "risk_assessment": {
    "risk_level": "HIGH",
    "admin_percentage": 28.0,
    "recommendation": "Review admin access assignments..."
  }
}

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Business Value

For Security Teams:

• Identify shadow admins before auditors do
• Automate least-privilege compliance reviews
• Visualize complex IAM relationships instantly
• Generate audit-ready reports

For Compliance:

• SOC 2 - Demonstrates access review controls
• PCI-DSS - Shows admin access monitoring
• ISO 27001 - Evidences privilege management

Cost Savings:

• Manual IAM audits: 40+ hours per quarter
• This tool: < 5 minutes automated
• ROI: 99% time savings on access reviews

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What This Project Demonstrates

IAM Expertise:

• Deep understanding of AWS IAM privilege escalation
• Trust policy analysis and role chaining concepts
• Cross-platform IAM knowledge (applies to Entra ID, GCP)

Security Engineering:

• Offensive security mindset (how attackers escalate)
• Risk assessment and scoring methodologies
• Compliance and audit readiness

Technical Skills:

• Python development with AWS SDK (boto3)
• Graph algorithms for security analysis
• Data visualization for security communication
• Professional tool development and documentation

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Future Enhancements

• Multi-account organization scanning
• Cross-account privilege escalation detection
• Integration with Entra ID (Azure AD)
• Automated remediation recommendations
• Slack/email alerting for new findings
• Historical trend analysis
• SIEM integration (Splunk, Sumo Logic)

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Author

Darius Frank
Information Security Specialist | IAM & Cloud Security

GitHub: @Dfrank77 LinkedIn: Darius Frank Portfolio: security-learning-artifacts

Background:

• 2 years hands-on cybersecurity experience (IAM, SIEM, incident response)
• Security+, Microsoft SC-300 certified
• Career transition from 15 years hospitality management
• Building enterprise IAM skills across AWS, Entra ID, and Okta

IAM specialist with hands-on experience in Entra ID, AWS, and Okta. Built this tool to demonstrate automated privilege escalation detection and IAM security expertise.

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License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

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Acknowledgments

Built with:

• Python 3.10+
• boto3 (AWS SDK)
• NetworkX (graph analysis)
• Matplotlib (visualization)

Inspired by real-world IAM security challenges and the need for automated privilege escalation detection.

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"If you can visualize the attack path, you can defend against it."