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SageMaker Notebooks Should Only Allow IMDSv2

With IMDSv2, every request is now protected by session authentication. A session begins and ends a series of requests that software running on an EC2 instance uses to access the locally stored EC2 instance metadata and credentials. The software starts a session with a simple HTTP PUT request to IMDSv2.

Category

Controls

Medium

Applies to

AWS

Coverage

null controls, 1 queries

Asset types

1 covered

Overview

With IMDSv2, every request is now protected by session authentication. A session begins and ends a series of requests that software running on an EC2 instance uses to access the locally stored EC2 instance metadata and credentials. The software starts a session with a simple HTTP PUT request to IMDSv2.

You can read more about it at in this AWS Blog post: Add defense in depth against open firewalls, reverse proxies, and SSRF vulnerabilities with enhancements to the EC2 Instance Metadata Service

Remediation guidance

AWS remediation

Console

  1. Open SageMaker notebook instance.
  2. Update instance metadata service configuration.
  3. Enforce IMDSv2 only.

AWS CLI

aws sagemaker update-notebook-instance \
  --notebook-instance-name <notebook-name> \
  --instance-metadata-service-configuration MinimumInstanceMetadataServiceVersion=2

References

  • https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/machine-learning/amazon-sagemaker-notebook-instances-now-support-configuring-and-restricting-imds-versions/
  • https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/sagemaker/update-notebook-instance.html

Multiple Remediation Paths

AWS

SERVICE-WIDE (RECOMMENDED when many resources are affected): Deploy centralized guardrails and remediation using AWS Config Conformance Packs and (if applicable) AWS Organizations SCPs.

aws configservice put-organization-conformance-pack --organization-conformance-pack-name <pack-name> --template-s3-uri s3://<bucket>/<template>.yaml

ASSET-LEVEL: Apply the resource-specific remediation steps above to only the affected assets.

PREVENTIVE: Add CI/CD policy checks (CloudFormation/Terraform validation) before deployment to prevent recurrence.

References for Service-Wide Patterns

  • AWS Config Conformance Packs: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/config/latest/developerguide/conformance-packs.html
  • AWS Organizations SCP examples: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/organizations/latest/userguide/orgs_manage_policies_scps_examples.html

Operational Rollout Workflow

Use this sequence to reduce risk and avoid repeated drift.

1. Contain at Service-Wide Scope First (Recommended)

  • AWS: deploy/adjust organization conformance packs and policy guardrails.
aws configservice put-organization-conformance-pack --organization-conformance-pack-name <pack-name> --template-s3-uri s3://<bucket>/<template>.yaml

2. Remediate Existing Affected Assets

  • Execute the control-specific Console/CLI steps documented above for each flagged resource.
  • Prioritize internet-exposed and production assets first.

3. Validate and Prevent Recurrence

  • Re-scan after each remediation batch.
  • Track exceptions with owner and expiry date.
  • Add preventive checks in IaC/CI pipelines.

Query logic

These are the stored checks tied to this control.

Retrieve SageMaker notebooks without IMDSv2 required

Connectors

AWS

Covered asset types

SageMakerNoteBook

Expected check: eq []

{
  sageMakerNoteBooks(
    where: {
     NOT: { minimumInstanceMetadataServiceVersion: "2" } 
    }
  ) {...AssetFragment}
}

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