Service-linked roles for AWS Security Hub CSPM

AWS Security Hub CSPM uses an AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) service-linked role named AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub. This service-linked role is an IAM role that's linked directly to Security Hub CSPM. It's predefined by Security Hub CSPM, and it includes all the permissions that Security Hub CSPM requires to call other AWS services and monitor AWS resources on your behalf. Security Hub CSPM uses this service-linked role in all the AWS Regions where Security Hub CSPM is available.

A service-linked role makes setting up Security Hub CSPM easier because you don't have to manually add the necessary permissions. Security Hub CSPM defines the permissions of its service-linked role, and unless defined otherwise, only Security Hub CSPM can assume the role. The defined permissions include the trust policy and the permissions policy, and you can't attach that permissions policy to any other IAM entity.

To review the details of the service-linked role, you can use the Security Hub CSPM console. In the navigation pane, choose General under Settings. Then, in the Service permissions section, choose View service permissions.

You can delete the Security Hub CSPM service-linked role only after you disable Security Hub CSPM in all the Regions where it's enabled. This protects your Security Hub CSPM resources because you can't inadvertently remove permissions to access them.

For information about other services that support service-linked roles, see AWS services that work with IAM in the IAM User Guide and locate the services that have Yes in the Service-linked roles column. Choose a Yes with a link to review the service-linked role documentation for that service.

Service-linked role permissions for Security Hub CSPM

Security Hub CSPM uses the service-linked role named AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub. It's a service-linked role required for AWS Security Hub CSPM to access your resources. This service-linked role allows Security Hub CSPM to perform tasks such as receive findings from other AWS services and configure the requisite AWS Config infrastructure to run security checks for controls. The AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role trusts the securityhub.amazonaws.com service to assume the role.

The AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role uses the managed policy AWSSecurityHubServiceRolePolicy.

You must grant permissions to allow an IAM identity (such as a role, group, or user) to create, edit, or delete a service-linked role. For the AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role to be successfully created, the IAM identity that you use to access Security Hub CSPM must have the required permissions. To grant the required permissions, attach the following policy to the IAM identity.

JSON

{
    "Version":"2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": "securityhub:*",
            "Resource": "*"    
        },
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": "iam:CreateServiceLinkedRole",
            "Resource": "*",
            "Condition": {
                "StringLike": {
                    "iam:AWSServiceName": "securityhub.amazonaws.com"
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}

Creating a service-linked role for Security Hub CSPM

The AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role is created automatically when you enable Security Hub CSPM for the first time or you enable Security Hub CSPM in a Region where you didn't previously enable it. You can also create the AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role manually by using the IAM console, the IAM CLI, or the IAM API. For more information about creating the role manually, see Creating a service-linked role in the IAM User Guide.

Important

The service-linked role that's created for a Security Hub CSPM administrator account doesn't apply to associated Security Hub CSPM member accounts.

Editing a service-linked role for Security Hub CSPM

Security Hub CSPM doesn't allow you to edit the AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role. After you create a service-linked role, you can't change the name of the role because various entities might reference the role. However, you can edit the description of the role by using IAM. For more information, see Editing a service-linked role in the IAM User Guide.

Deleting a service-linked role for Security Hub CSPM

If you no longer need to use a feature or service that requires a service-linked role, we recommend that you delete the role. That way, you don't have an unused entity that isn't actively monitored or maintained.

When you disable Security Hub CSPM, Security Hub CSPM doesn't automatically delete the AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role for you. If you enable Security Hub CSPM again, the service can then start using the existing service-linked role again. If you no longer need to use Security Hub CSPM, you can manually delete the service-linked role.

Important

Before you delete the AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role, you must first disable Security Hub CSPM in all the Regions where it's enabled. For more information, see Disabling Security Hub CSPM. If Security Hub CSPM isn't disabled when you try to delete the service-linked role, the deletion fails.

To delete the AWSServiceRoleForSecurityHub service-linked role, you can use the IAM console, the IAM CLI, or the IAM API. For more information, see Deleting a service-linked role in the IAM User Guide.