While this URL is a legitimate tool for AWS Instance Profiles, it is also a primary target for Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) attacks. Here is a deep dive into what this URL does, why it’s a risk, and how to protect your infrastructure. What is 169.254.169.254?

When a request is made to http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/ , the response includes a JSON object containing temporary security credentials. These credentials include:

This string is a URL-encoded command used to target the .