Amazon S3 Integration - Prowler Documentation

Prowler App allows automatic export of scan results to Amazon S3 buckets, providing seamless integration with existing data workflows and storage infrastructure. This comprehensive guide demonstrates configuration and management of Amazon S3 integrations to streamline security finding management and reporting. When enabled and configured, scan results are automatically stored in the configured bucket. Results are provided in csv, html and json-ocsf formats, offering flexibility for custom integrations:

Enabling this integration incurs costs in Amazon S3. Refer to Amazon S3 pricing for more information.

The Amazon S3 Integration provides the following capabilities:

Automate scan result exports to designated S3 buckets after each scan
Configure separate bucket destinations for different cloud providers or use cases
Customize export paths within buckets for organized storage
Support multiple authentication methods including IAM roles and static credentials
Verify connection reliability through built-in connection testing
Manage integrations independently with separate configuration and credential controls

Required Permissions

Before configuring the Amazon S3 Integration, ensure that AWS credentials and optionally the IAM Role used for S3 access have the necessary permissions to write scan results to the designated S3 bucket. This requirement applies when using static credentials, session credentials, or an IAM role (either self-created or generated using Prowler’s permissions templates).

IAM Policy

The S3 integration requires the following permissions. Add these to the IAM role policy, or ensure AWS credentials have these permissions:

s3:DeleteObject

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Condition": {
                "StringEquals": {
                    "s3:ResourceAccount": "<BUCKET AWS ACCOUNT NUMBER>"
                }
            },
            "Action": [
                "s3:DeleteObject"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "arn:aws:s3:::<BUCKET NAME>/*test-prowler-connection.txt"
            ],
            "Effect": "Allow"
        }
    ]
}

s3:DeleteObject permission is required for connection testing. When testing the S3 integration, Prowler creates a temporary beacon file, test-prowler-connection.txt, to verify write permissions, then deletes it to confirm the connection is working properly.

s3:PutObject

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Condition": {
                "StringEquals": {
                    "s3:ResourceAccount": "<BUCKET AWS ACCOUNT NUMBER>"
                }
            },
            "Action": [
                "s3:PutObject"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "arn:aws:s3:::<BUCKET NAME>/*"
            ],
            "Effect": "Allow"
        }
    ]
}

s3:ListBucket

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Condition": {
                "StringEquals": {
                    "s3:ResourceAccount": "<BUCKET AWS ACCOUNT NUMBER>"
                }
            },
            "Action": [
                "s3:ListBucket"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "arn:aws:s3:::<BUCKET NAME>"
            ],
            "Effect": "Allow"
        }
    ]
}

Replace <BUCKET AWS ACCOUNT NUMBER> with the AWS account ID that owns the destination S3 bucket, and <BUCKET NAME> with the actual bucket name.

Cross-Account S3 Bucket

If the S3 destination bucket is in a different AWS account than the one providing the credentials for S3 access, configure a bucket policy on the destination bucket to allow cross-account access. The following diagrams illustrate the three common S3 integration scenarios:

Same Account Setup (No Bucket Policy Required)

When both the IAM credentials and destination S3 bucket are in the same AWS account, no additional bucket policy is required.

Cross-Account Setup (Bucket Policy Required)

When the S3 bucket is in a different AWS account, you must configure a bucket policy to allow cross-account access.

Multi-Account Setup (Multiple Principals in Bucket Policy)

When multiple AWS accounts need to write to the same destination bucket, configure the bucket policy with multiple principals.

S3 Bucket Policy

Apply the following bucket policy to the destination S3 bucket:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
      {
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Principal": {
              "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::<SOURCE ACCOUNT ID>:role/ProwlerScan"
          },
          "Action": "s3:PutObject",
          "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::<BUCKET NAME>/*"
      },
      {
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Principal": {
              "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::<SOURCE ACCOUNT ID>:role/ProwlerScan"
          },
          "Action": "s3:DeleteObject",
          "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::<BUCKET NAME>/*test-prowler-connection.txt"
      },
       {
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Principal": {
              "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::<SOURCE ACCOUNT ID>:role/ProwlerScan"
          },
          "Action": "s3:ListBucket",
          "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::<BUCKET NAME>"
      }
  ]
}

Replace <SOURCE ACCOUNT ID> with the AWS account ID that contains the IAM role and <BUCKET NAME> with the destination bucket name. The role name ProwlerScan is the default name when using Prowler’s permissions templates. If using a custom IAM role or different authentication method, replace ProwlerScan with the actual role name.

Multi-Account Configuration

For multiple AWS accounts, modify the Principal field to an array:

"Principal": {
    "AWS": [
        "arn:aws:iam::<SOURCE ACCOUNT ID 1>:role/ProwlerScan",
        "arn:aws:iam::<SOURCE ACCOUNT ID 2>:role/ProwlerScan"
    ]
}

Available Templates

Prowler App provides Infrastructure as Code (IaC) templates to automate IAM role setup with S3 integration permissions.

Templates are optional. Custom IAM roles or static credentials can be used instead.

Choose from the following deployment options:

CloudFormation

AWS CLI

When using Prowler’s CloudFormation template, execute the following command to update the existing Prowler stack:

aws cloudformation update-stack \
  --capabilities CAPABILITY_IAM --capabilities CAPABILITY_NAMED_IAM \
  --stack-name "Prowler" \
  --template-url "https://prowler-cloud-public.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/permissions/templates/aws/cloudformation/prowler-scan-role.yml" \
  --parameters \
      ParameterKey=EnableS3Integration,ParameterValue="true" \
      ParameterKey=ExternalId,ParameterValue="your-external-id" \
      ParameterKey=S3IntegrationBucketName,ParameterValue="your-bucket-name" \
      ParameterKey=S3IntegrationBucketAccountId,ParameterValue="your-bucket-aws-account-id-owner"

Alternatively, if you don’t have the ProwlerScan IAM Role, execute the following command to create the CloudFormation stack:

aws cloudformation create-stack \
 --capabilities CAPABILITY_IAM --capabilities CAPABILITY_NAMED_IAM \
 --stack-name "Prowler" \
 --template-url "https://prowler-cloud-public.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/permissions/templates/aws/cloudformation/prowler-scan-role.yml" \
 --parameters \
      ParameterKey=EnableS3Integration,ParameterValue="true" \
      ParameterKey=ExternalId,ParameterValue="your-external-id" \
      ParameterKey=S3IntegrationBucketName,ParameterValue="your-bucket-name" \
      ParameterKey=S3IntegrationBucketAccountId,ParameterValue="your-bucket-aws-account-id-owner"

A CloudFormation Quick Link is also available here

AWS Console

If using Prowler’s CloudFormation template, execute the following command to update the existing Prowler stack:

Navigate to CloudFormation service in the AWS region you are using
Select “ProwlerScan”, click “Update” and then “Make a direct update”
Replace template, uploading the CloudFormation template
Configure parameters:
- ExternalId: Keep existing value
- EnableS3Integration: Select “true”
- S3IntegrationBucketName: Your bucket name
- S3IntegrationBucketAccountId: Bucket owner’s AWS account ID
In the “Configure stack options” screen, again, leave everything as it is and click on “Next”
Finally, under “Review Prowler”, at the bottom click on “Submit”

Terraform

Download the Terraform code:

# Clone or download from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/prowler-cloud/prowler.git
cd prowler/permissions/templates/terraform

Configure your variables:

cp terraform.tfvars.example terraform.tfvars

Edit terraform.tfvars with your specific values:

# Required: External ID from Prowler App
external_id = "your-unique-external-id-here"

# S3 Integration Configuration
enable_s3_integration = true
s3_integration_bucket_name = "your-s3-bucket-name"
s3_integration_bucket_account_id = "123456789012"  # Bucket owner's AWS Account ID

Deploy the infrastructure:

terraform init
terraform plan    # Review the planned changes
terraform apply   # Type 'yes' when prompted

After successful deployment, Terraform will display important values:

Outputs:
prowler_role_arn        = "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/ProwlerScan"
prowler_role_name       = "ProwlerScan"
s3_integration_enabled  = "true"

Copy the prowler_role_arn, as it’s required to complete the S3 integration credentials configuration.

For detailed information, refer to the Terraform README.

Configuration

Once the required permissions are set up, proceed to configure the S3 integration in Prowler App.

Navigate to “Integrations”
Locate the Amazon S3 Integration card and click on the “Configure” button
Click the “Add Integration” button
Complete the configuration form with the following details:
- Cloud Providers: Select the providers whose scan results should be exported to this S3 bucket
- Bucket Name: Enter the name of the target S3 bucket (e.g., my-security-findings-bucket)
- Output Directory: Specify the directory path within the bucket (e.g., /prowler-findings/, defaults to output)
Click “Next” to configure credentials
Configure AWS authentication using one of the supported methods:
- AWS SDK Default: Use default AWS credentials from the environment. For Prowler Cloud users, this is the recommended option as the service has AWS credentials to assume IAM roles with ARNs matching arn:aws:iam::*:role/Prowler* or arn:aws:iam::*:role/prowler*
- Access Keys: Provide AWS access key ID and secret access key
- IAM Role (optional): Specify the IAM Role ARN, external ID, and optional session parameters
Optional - For IAM role authentication, complete the required fields:
- Role ARN: The Amazon Resource Name of the IAM role
- External ID: Unique identifier for additional security (defaults to Tenant/Organization ID) - mandatory and automatically filled
- Role Session Name: Optional - name for the assumed role session
- Session Duration: Optional - duration in seconds for the session
Click “Create Integration” to verify the connection and complete the setup

Once credentials are configured and the connection test passes, the S3 integration will be active. Scan results will automatically be exported to the specified bucket after each scan completes. Run a new scan and check the S3 bucket to verify the integration is working.

Scan outputs are processed after scan completion. Depending on scan size and network conditions, exports may take a few minutes to appear in the S3 bucket.

Integration Status

Once the integration is active, monitor its status and make adjustments as needed through the integrations management interface.

Review configured integrations in the management interface
Each integration displays:
- Connection Status: Connected or Disconnected indicator
- Bucket Information: Bucket name and output directory
- Last Checked: Timestamp of the most recent connection test

Actions

Each S3 integration provides several management actions accessible through dedicated buttons:

Button	Purpose	Available Actions	Notes
Test	Verify integration connectivity	• Test AWS credential validity • Check S3 bucket accessibility • Verify write permissions • Validate connection setup	Results displayed in notification message
Config	Modify integration settings	• Update selected cloud providers • Change bucket name • Modify output directory path	Click “Update Configuration” to save changes
Credentials	Update authentication settings	• Modify AWS access keys • Update IAM role configuration • Change authentication method	Click “Update Credentials” to save changes
Enable/Disable	Toggle integration status	• Enable integration to start exporting results • Disable integration to pause exports	Status change takes effect immediately
Delete	Remove integration permanently	• Permanently delete integration • Remove all configuration data	⚠️ Cannot be undone - confirm before deleting

Management Best Practices

Test the integration after any configuration changes
Use the Enable/Disable toggle for temporary changes instead of deleting

Understanding S3 Export Structure

When the S3 integration is enabled and a scan completes, Prowler creates a folder inside the specified bucket path (using output as the default folder name) with subfolders for each output format:

Regular: prowler-output-{provider-uid}-{timestamp}.{extension}
Compliance: prowler-output-{provider-uid}-{timestamp}_{compliance_framework}.{extension}

output/
├── compliance/
│   └── prowler-output-111122223333-20250805120000_cis_5.0_aws.csv
├── csv/
│   └── prowler-output-111122223333-20250805120000.csv
├── html/
│   └── prowler-output-111122223333-20250805120000.html
└── json-ocsf/
    └── prowler-output-111122223333-20250805120000.ocsf.json

For detailed information about Prowler’s reporting formats, refer to the Prowler reporting documentation.

Troubleshooting

Connection test fails:

Check AWS credentials are valid
If using IAM Role, check its permissions
Verify bucket permissions and region
Confirm network access to S3

No scan results in bucket:

Ensure integration shows “Connected”
Check that provider is associated with integration
Verify bucket policies allow writes

Prowler Cloud/App

CLI

Providers

Compliance

​Required Permissions

​IAM Policy

​Cross-Account S3 Bucket

Same Account Setup (No Bucket Policy Required)

Cross-Account Setup (Bucket Policy Required)

Multi-Account Setup (Multiple Principals in Bucket Policy)

​S3 Bucket Policy

Multi-Account Configuration

​Available Templates

​CloudFormation

AWS CLI

AWS Console

​Terraform

​Configuration

​Integration Status

​Actions

​Understanding S3 Export Structure

​Troubleshooting

Required Permissions

IAM Policy

Cross-Account S3 Bucket

S3 Bucket Policy

Available Templates

CloudFormation

Terraform

Configuration

Integration Status

Actions

Understanding S3 Export Structure

Troubleshooting