How to transfer files in AWS using SSM

[carlospolop]

🤖 Automated Content Update

This PR was automatically generated by the HackTricks News Bot based on a technical blog post.

📝 Source Information

• Blog URL: https://www.pentestpartners.com/security-blog/how-to-transfer-files-in-aws-using-ssm/
• Blog Title: How to transfer files in AWS using SSM
• Suggested Section: pentesting-cloud/aws-ssm-port-forwarding.md

🎯 Content Summary

Exfiltration and Internal Service Access via AWS SSM Port Forwarding

This blog post details a method to exfiltrate files and access internal services on AWS EC2 instances via AWS Systems Manager (SSM) port forwarding, without requiring any inbound network changes.

Prerequisites

• AWS CLI installed and configured (via AWS SSO or static keys)
• Appropriate SSM IAM permissions on the target instance (e.g., AmazonSSMManagedInstanceCore)
...

🔧 Technical Details

SSM Port Forwarding: Abuse the AWS-StartPortForwardingSession SSM document via the AWS CLI, specifying portNumber and localPortNumber, to create a bidirectional TCP tunnel through the SSM agent without opening inbound firewall ports.

Python HTTP Server Exfiltration: Serve arbitrary files on the EC2 instance by running python3 -m http.server <port>, then retrieve them locally over the established SSM tunnel wi...

🤖 Agent Actions

Added new practical SSM port-forwarding techniques (file exfiltration, internal service access, 7z encryption, defensive controls) to the existing AWS EC2/EBS/SSM/VPC post-exploitation page and included a reference to the Pentest Partners blog.

✅ Review Checklist

• Content is technically accurate
• Formatting follows HackTricks style guidelines
• Links and references are working
• Content adds educational value
• No sensitive information is exposed

---

This PR was automatically created by the HackTricks Feed Bot. Please review the changes carefully before merging.

[carlospolop]

🔗 Additional Context

Original Blog Post: https://www.pentestpartners.com/security-blog/how-to-transfer-files-in-aws-using-ssm/

Content Categories: Based on the analysis, this content was categorized under "pentesting-cloud/aws-ssm-port-forwarding.md".

Repository Maintenance:

• MD Files Formatting: 520 files processed

Review Notes:

• This content was automatically processed and may require human review for accuracy
• Check that the placement within the repository structure is appropriate
• Verify that all technical details are correct and up-to-date
• All .md files have been checked for proper formatting (headers, includes, etc.)

Bot Version: HackTricks News Bot v1.0