How do I add access scopes to "trusted applications for identity propagation" in the AWS IAM Identity Center?

Greeting

Hi Chidi,

Thanks for reaching out with your question! Configuring access scopes for trusted applications in the AWS IAM Identity Center can be a bit tricky, but it's great that you're diving into this. Let’s work together to clarify the issue and solve this step by step. 😊

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Clarifying the Issue

From what you've described, it seems you’re trying to increase the access scopes for AWS-managed Q Business applications from the default three scopes to all five available scopes. You’ve already created a role and confirmed that the user assuming it can only perform limited actions, such as listing applications but not creating new conversations.

Additionally, you’re encountering an AccessDeniedException when running the ChatSync command in the CLI. This suggests that either the access scopes haven’t been properly propagated or there’s a misalignment in the trust relationship, permissions, or role assignments.

We’ll address these potential issues step by step and ensure your configuration is working as expected.

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Key Terms

• Access Scopes: Define the permissions granted to trusted applications for specific actions, such as managing messages or conversations.
• IAM Identity Center: Centralized place to manage user access across AWS accounts and applications.
• Identity Propagation: The process by which a user's identity is passed to an application for managing actions securely.
• AccessDeniedException: A common error indicating insufficient permissions to execute an operation.
• Service Control Policies (SCPs): Policies at the AWS Organization level that can restrict what actions roles or users can perform.

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The Solution (Our Recipe)

Steps at a Glance:

1. Verify the current access scopes for your application.
2. Modify the role to ensure the required access scopes are granted.
3. Update the trust relationship for the role.
4. Confirm user assignments in the IAM Identity Center.
5. Test the configuration by re-running the ChatSync command.

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Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Verify the Current Access Scopes
   • Go to the AWS IAM Identity Center.
   • Navigate to the Trusted Applications for Identity Propagation section.
   • Check the configured access scopes for the relevant application. Ensure that only three scopes are currently enabled.

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2. Modify the Role to Ensure Required Access Scopes
   Update the IAM policy associated with the role. Ensure all five access scopes are included. For example:

   {
       "Version": "2012-10-17",
       "Statement": [
           {
               "Effect": "Allow",
               "Action": [
                   "qbusiness:conversations:access",
                   "qbusiness:conversations:write",
                   "qbusiness:messages:access",
                   "qbusiness:messages:write",
                   "qbusiness:apps:access"
               ],
               "Resource": "*"
           }
       ]
   }

   Explanation: This policy grants the necessary permissions for all Q Business operations, including conversations, messages, and app access.

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3. Update the Trust Relationship for the Role
   Ensure the trust policy includes the application as a principal. For example:

   {
       "Version": "2012-10-17",
       "Statement": [
           {
               "Effect": "Allow",
               "Principal": {
                   "Service": "qbusiness.amazonaws.com"
               },
               "Action": "sts:AssumeRole"
           }
       ]
   }

   Explanation: This trust relationship allows the Q Business application to assume the role on behalf of the user.

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4. Confirm User Assignments in the IAM Identity Center
   • Navigate to the IAM Identity Center’s Assignments section.
   • Confirm that the correct user or group is assigned to the application and the role in question.
   • If not, create a new assignment for the user/group with the appropriate role and application.

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5. Test the Configuration
   • Assume the role using the AWS CLI:

     aws sts assume-role --role-arn "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/YourRoleName" --role-session-name "TestSession"

   • Re-run the ChatSync command to verify that the user now has the necessary permissions:

     aws qbusiness chatsync --region us-east-1

   • Expected Outcome: If successful, the AccessDeniedException error should no longer appear, and the operation will complete as expected.

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Closing Thoughts

If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, consider these additional checks:

• Verify that Service Control Policies (SCPs) at the AWS Organization level aren’t restricting the required actions. SCPs can override IAM role permissions.
• Ensure that permissions boundaries aren’t limiting the actions the role can perform.

Here are some helpful AWS documentation links to guide you further:

• AWS IAM Identity Center Documentation
• IAM Policy Reference
• Amazon Q Business Documentation
• Service Control Policies (SCPs)

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Farewell

I hope this helps, Chidi! Let me know if you run into any other hurdles or need further clarification on any of the steps. Best of luck with configuring your access scopes! 🚀😊

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Cheers,

Aaron 😊