Check ID: emr_cluster_account_public_block_enabled
Provider: AWS
Service: emr
Severity: HIGH
Categories: internet-exposed
Resource type: Other

What this check verifies

Amazon EMR account-level Block Public Access configuration is assessed per Region. When BlockPublicSecurityGroupRules is enabled, clusters cannot use security groups that allow inbound public sources (0.0.0.0/0, ::/0) except on permitted ports.

Risk

Public EMR-facing rules enable Internet reachability to cluster nodes and UIs, inviting brute force and remote exploits. Attackers can exfiltrate job data, alter processing, or pivot into the VPC, degrading confidentiality, integrity, and availability through data theft, tampering, and service disruption.

Recommendation

Keep EMR Block Public Access enabled and minimize exceptions; allow only required ports and restrict sources. Apply least privilege on security groups, place clusters in private subnets, and use bastion hosts or Session Manager. Combine with VPC controls and monitoring for defense in depth.

Remediation

aws emr put-block-public-access-configuration --block-public-access-configuration BlockPublicSecurityGroupRules=true

References

Where this check fires

This check runs on every scheduled scan against your AWS account. Findings appear at Cloud Security → Findings filterable by Check ID = emr_cluster_account_public_block_enabled. To re-evaluate after a fix, hit Run now on the account’s schedule under Cloud Security → Schedules — the next scan re-checks this control and marks the finding fixed or keeps it persistent.
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