Integration Testing AWS S3 Read-Only Roles

The bucket waits, silent and locked behind read-only permissions. Your integration tests must prove they can touch it without breaking the rules. AWS S3 read-only roles are easy to attach to a user or service account. Confirming they behave correctly requires a clear, repeatable method.

Integration testing AWS S3 read-only roles starts with creating a controlled environment. Use a dedicated test bucket. Assign an IAM role with only s3:GetObject and s3:ListBucket permissions. Deny write access explicitly. This ensures that if your application tries to upload or delete, the test will fail fast.

Automate the setup with IaC tools like Terraform or AWS CloudFormation. Reference the role ARN in your test config. In CI pipelines, use temporary credentials from AWS STS to assume the read-only role. This keeps your tests isolated and safe from accidental writes to production buckets.

Test the full path your application will use to retrieve files. Verify listing objects, reading files, and handling permission errors. Include negative tests—attempt a PutObject and confirm the expected AccessDenied response. This guards against future IAM changes that could widen permissions without notice.

Log every request in your integration tests. If something fails, you need a clear audit trail of role assumptions, API calls, and responses. Keep the test outputs minimal but precise so your team can debug fast.

Once the tests pass, run them in multiple environments to confirm S3 read-only role behavior is consistent across accounts and regions. Integration tests are the final proof your permissions policy is watertight.

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