aws secretsmanager get-secret-value: DecryptionFailure

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Pull a secret with aws secretsmanager get-secret-value naming the secret and the region explicitly, then extract the field you need from the returned JSON. Most failures are a wrong region, a missing IAM permission, or a KMS key the caller cannot use, and each one has a distinct error you can fix directly.

Error

aws secretsmanager cli

Steps

1. Set the region explicitly on every call: aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id [secret name] --region [region]. Expected: JSON containing SecretString or SecretBinary.
2. Extract one field without printing the whole secret - pipe through a JSON query for the key you need, e.g. --query SecretString --output text | jq -r '.[field name]'. Expected: only the single value is printed.
3. If you get ResourceNotFoundException, list secrets in that region to check the name: aws secretsmanager list-secrets --region [region]. Expected: you see whether the secret lives in a different region or under a different name.
4. If you get AccessDeniedException, the caller needs the secretsmanager:GetSecretValue action on that secret's ARN. Expected: after the policy update, the call succeeds.
5. If you get DecryptionFailure, the caller also needs permission to use the KMS key that encrypts the secret. Expected: adding KMS decrypt rights clears the error.

When to use

• You need a secret value in a shell script, CI job, or debugging session.
• You are triaging ResourceNotFoundException, AccessDeniedException, or DecryptionFailure from the CLI.

When not to use

• Application code should use the SDK or an injector (external-secrets, Vault agent), not shell out to the CLI.
• For rotating a secret, use the rotation workflow, not repeated reads.

Tool compatibility

• AWS CLI v2; Secrets Manager in any commercial region; jq for JSON parsing.

Variant phrasings

aws secretsmanager get-secret-value AccessDeniedException

Missing IAM permission on the secret or its KMS key.

aws secretsmanager list-secrets returns nothing

Wrong region or the caller cannot list; check both.

Why it happens

The CLI is region-scoped and the secret may live elsewhere, and Secrets Manager separates the read permission from the KMS decrypt permission, so partial access fails late with a decryption error.

Edge cases

• Binary secrets come back base64-encoded in SecretBinary; decode them before use.
• Cross-account access needs a resource policy on the secret, not just identity policy on the caller.
• --query with --output text still prints the value to the terminal; avoid it on shared screens.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_Z1hQSJjcN3N5q9GqqZtBVg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_Z1hQSJjcN3N5q9GqqZtBVg

Thread query: aws secretsmanager cli

TL;DR: Pull a secret with aws secretsmanager get-secret-value naming the secret and the region explicitly, then extract the field you need from the returned JSON. Most failures are a wrong region, a missing IAM permission, or a KMS key the caller cannot use, and each one has a distinct error you can fix directly.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

The caller can reach the secret but cannot decrypt it, which means the KMS key policy or the caller's IAM policy blocks decrypt. Grant decrypt on that key and the read succeeds.

Error

"aws secretsmanager get-secret-value: DecryptionFailure"

Steps

1. Identify the KMS key: describe-secret shows the key id, defaulting to the account key. Expected: the exact key.
2. Check the caller's IAM policy for permission to use that KMS key for decrypt. Expected: the gap found.
3. Check the KMS key policy too; both the identity policy and the key policy must allow. Expected: whichever side blocks is identified.
4. Add the decrypt grant on the correct side and retry the read. Expected: success.
5. If cross-account, the key policy must name the external account explicitly. Expected: cross-account reads work after the key policy update.

When to use

• get-secret-value fails with DecryptionFailure specifically.
• After key changes or cross-account setups.

When not to use

• ResourceNotFoundException (wrong name or region).
• AccessDeniedException on the secret itself (Secrets Manager permission, not KMS).

Tool compatibility

• AWS Secrets Manager with KMS encryption; CLI and SDKs.

Variant phrasings

secretsmanager decryption failed

Same KMS cause.

KMS access denied reading secret

Identical; fix the key policy side.

Why it happens

Secrets Manager encrypts with KMS, so reading needs two permissions: the secret read and the key decrypt. Setups often grant only the first.

Edge cases

• The default account key has a restrictive key policy; custom keys are easier to share cross-account.
• Rotation Lambdas need decrypt too, or rotation fails with the same error.
• Key deletion is scheduled; a pending-deletion key fails decrypts before it disappears.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_M1DRCxPMLjCzU-3Tec4PSA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_M1DRCxPMLjCzU-3Tec4PSA

Thread query: "aws secretsmanager get-secret-value: DecryptionFailure"

TL;DR: The caller can reach the secret but cannot decrypt it, which means the KMS key policy or the caller's IAM policy blocks decrypt. Grant decrypt on that key and the read succeeds.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

[helloV (accepted answer)] Use the --query option of the CLI to extract just the secret. ` aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id secrets --query SecretString --output text Context: Stack Overflow #50911540 (accepted answer, 150 votes, 16 answers): I am retrieving secrets I have stored in AWS secrets manager with the AWS cli like this: aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id secrets Which returns arn:aws:secretsmanager[ID]:secret - my\_secrets [number] my\_secrets {"API\_KEY":"ABCDEFGHI"} [UUID string] VERSIONSTAGES AWSCURRENT ` Does anyone know how I only get the se

Steps

1. [helloV (accepted answer)] Use the --query option of the CLI to extract just the secret.

``` aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id secrets ```

``` arn:aws:secretsmanager[ID]:secret - my_secrets [number] my_secrets {"API_KEY":"ABCDEFGHI"} [UUID string] VERSIONSTAGES AWSCURRENT ```

2. Does anyone know how I only get the secret ("API_KEY": "ABCDEFGHI")? I need to move these secrets to my register-task-definition environment variables. The best way would be to store them in a file and delete it after us or store them in variable. It is running on a linux machine.

## When to use

You are seeing this: I need to move these secrets to my register-task-definition environment variables. Use this skill when you run into "Parsing secrets from AWS secrets manager using AWS cli".

## When not to use

If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.

## Versions

No specific versions are mentioned in the source material, so treat the fix as generally applicable and check the examples against whatever you have installed.

## Why this happens

The original report does not dig into a root cause. It documents the symptom and the fix that resolved it.

Source: Stack Overflow #50911540 (accepted answer, 150 votes, 16 answers): I am retrieving secrets I have stored in AWS secrets manager with the AWS cli like this: `` aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id secrets Which returns arn:aws:secretsmanager[ID]:secret - my_secrets [number] my_secrets {"API_KEY":"ABCDEFGHI"} [UUID string] VERSIONSTAGES AWSCURRENT `` Does anyone know how I only get the secret ("API_KEY": "ABCDEFGHI")? I need to move these secrets to my register-task-definition environment variables. The best way would be to store them in a file and delete it after us or store them in variable. It is running on a linux machine.

Verified resolution: [helloV (accepted answer)] Use the --query option of the CLI to extract just the secret. `` aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id secrets --query SecretString --output text

Source URL: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/50911540