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Concepts

LDAP AWS S3 Read-Only Role Integration

Andrios Robert

• 1 min read

Why LDAP with AWS S3 Matters
LDAP centralizes identity. AWS IAM controls access to S3. When you link them, you remove shadow accounts and unmanaged credentials. You can enforce fine-grained access tied directly to your organization’s directory. Read-only roles prevent deletes, overwrites, and accidental data changes—while still allowing users to inspect and analyze stored objects.

Core Steps for LDAP AWS S3 Read-Only Roles

  1. Sync LDAP identities to AWS using AWS Single Sign-On or a SAML federation with your directory service. Map LDAP attributes like uid or cn to IAM user or role assumptions.
  2. Create an IAM role with a policy that limits actions. A sample read-only policy:
{
 "Version": "2012-10-17",
 "Statement": [
 {
 "Effect": "Allow",
 "Action": [
 "s3:GetObject",
 "s3:ListBucket"
 ],
 "Resource": [
 "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name",
 "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name/*"
 ]
 }
 ]
}
  1. Attach the role to LDAP-authenticated sessions via your SSO or federation layer. Ensure no other roles get assumed automatically.
  2. Test access paths by running aws s3 ls and aws s3 cp for read actions. Attempts to put or delete should be denied.
  3. Audit logs using CloudTrail. Correlate events back to LDAP user IDs to prove compliance.

Security and Compliance Benefits

  • Centralized role and policy management
  • Traceable access tied to verified LDAP identities
  • Immutable S3 data for research or archival purposes
  • Reduced risk of misconfig or accidental writes

LDAP AWS S3 read-only roles make access predictable, enforceable, and easy to audit. With precise IAM policies, you control exactly who can see what, and you never leave S3 open to costly mistakes.

See this live in minutes with hoop.dev — connect your LDAP, set your AWS S3 read-only role, and verify secure, compliant access without manual guesswork.