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OfficialSecurity

AWS IAM MCP

by AWS Labs

Official AWS Labs MCP for IAM administration: users, roles, groups, policies, inline policies, access keys, and policy simulation. Read-only mode supported via --allow-write opt-in pattern. Apache-2.0 within awslabs/mcp monorepo.

8,924·7 tools·Released APR 2025·Apache-2.0
pip install awslabs.iam-mcp-server
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Official AWS Labs MCP for IAM administration: users, roles, groups, policies, inline policies, access keys, and policy simulation. Read-only mode is supported via the --allow-write opt-in pattern. 5 commits on the server path in the last 30 days. Apache-2.0 with AWS Labs official-vendor signal.

Reviewed by M. Nouriel · MAY 2026

INSTALL THIS SERVER

Requires authenticationAWS credentials chain (AWS_PROFILE, environment, or instance role). IAM permissions required: iam read for default mode; mutation permissions for --allow-write mode.
{ "mcpServers": { "awslabs.iam-mcp-server": { "command": "uvx", "args": [ "awslabs.iam-mcp-server@latest" ], "env": { "AWS_PROFILE": "default", "AWS_REGION": "us-east-1" } } } }
PrereqRequires uv installed and an AWS profile with IAM permissions. PyPI package: `awslabs.iam-mcp-server`. Default mode is read-only; pass --allow-write to enable IAM mutations. Recommended posture is read-only for production. Path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS).
{ "mcpServers": { "awslabs.iam-mcp-server": { "command": "uvx", "args": [ "awslabs.iam-mcp-server@latest" ], "env": { "AWS_PROFILE": "default", "AWS_REGION": "us-east-1" } } } }
{ "mcpServers": { "awslabs.iam-mcp-server": { "command": "uvx", "args": [ "awslabs.iam-mcp-server@latest" ], "env": { "AWS_PROFILE": "default", "AWS_REGION": "us-east-1" } } } }
{ "mcpServers": { "awslabs.iam-mcp-server": { "command": "uvx", "args": [ "awslabs.iam-mcp-server@latest" ], "env": { "AWS_PROFILE": "default", "AWS_REGION": "us-east-1" } } } }
{ "mcpServers": { "awslabs.iam-mcp-server": { "command": "uvx", "args": [ "awslabs.iam-mcp-server@latest" ], "env": { "AWS_PROFILE": "default", "AWS_REGION": "us-east-1" } } } }

7 TOOLS AVAILABLE

list_users
List IAM users in the account
Read
list_roles
List IAM roles
Read
list_policies
List managed and inline policies
Read
attach_user_policy
Attach a managed policy to a user (gated by --allow-write)
Write
put_user_policy
Set an inline policy on a user (gated by --allow-write)
Write
simulate_principal_policy
Test permissions before applying
Read

OUR ASSESSMENT

Strengths
  • 5 commits on the server path in the last 30 days.
  • Apache-2.0 licence.
  • Official AWS Labs maintenance.
  • Policy simulation surface for testing permissions before applying.
  • Force-delete capability handles users with associated resources.
  • Permissions Boundary support for enhanced security guardrails.
  • Trust policy validation runs JSON validation before submission.
  • Read-only default with explicit --allow-write opt-in.
Weaknesses
  • IAM mistakes carry blast-radius risk; broad MCP access to mutating IAM operations carries significant operational risk.
  • AWS account-level scoping; multi-account IAM administration runs separate MCP instances per account.
  • Policy simulation depends on accurate input policies; results reflect the simulated state, distinct from live evaluation.
  • 5 commits on the path in the last 30 days, modest cadence.
Security Notes

IAM is the security-critical control plane of an AWS account; MCP access carries the same blast radius. Default to --allow-write off. Run the MCP under a dedicated AWS profile with IAM administration scoped to a least-privilege admin role (avoid root). Use Permissions Boundaries on any roles the MCP creates to enforce that the boundary applies to created principals. For production environments, restrict the MCP to read-only and use it for diagnostic surfaces (who has access, what does this policy grant), then apply changes through a separate, audit-logged path.

Best For

AWS shops where IAM administration is part of operator workflows and an MCP entry point would speed up routine queries (who has access to what, what does this policy grant in effect); permission auditing flows that simulate policy effects before applying them; read-only IAM diagnostic agents that surface policy attachments and effective permissions.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Language
python
Transport
stdio
Clients
Claude DesktopClaude CodeCursorVS CodeWindsurf
License
Apache-2.0
GitHub
awslabs/mcp · ★ 8,924
npm
awslabs.iam-mcp-server
Last Release
awslabs.iam-mcp-server (PyPI)MAY 1, 2026
First Released
APR 1, 2025

ADOPTION METRICS

// GitHub Stars
8,924

// Reading this8,924 stars on the awslabs/mcp parent monorepo. 5 commits on the IAM server path in the last 30 days.

// Popularity Rank
#4
Globally · #4 in Security

// Reading thisFourth-ranked in security. Tier 2 cadence; Tier 1 vendor signal.

SOURCES & VERIFICATION

We don't take any single directory's word for it. Before scoring, we cross-reference 4 public MCP sources, install the server ourselves against the clients we cover, and record when we last re-verified.

01
Discovered
Manual submission
First indexed MAY 1, 2026
02
Cross-referenced
4 directories
PulseMCP, MCP.so, Glama, Official MCP Registry
03
Verified against
Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, Kiro (per awslabs/mcp install instructions)
Installed and tested across clients
04
Last re-checked
MAY 1, 2026
Weekly re-verification
// How other directories see it

The same server, 4 different lenses. We reconcile these signals into our editorial score, which is why our number sometimes diverges from a directory-aggregate star count.

SourceTheir ratingTheir star countTheir downloadsLast synced
AutomationSwitch This page4.1editorial8,924MAY 1, 2026
PulseMCP— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 1, 2026
MCP.so— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 1, 2026
Glama— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 1, 2026
Official MCP Registry— unratedunavailableunavailableMAY 1, 2026

// Counts are directory-reported; we don't adjust them. Discrepancies usually come from different snapshot times or star-caching.

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