Platform & DevOps·Secrets, identity and the supply chain
an internal HTTP endpoint hands out the machine's cloud credentials to anything running on it that can make a request.
Instance metadata service
Also calledIMDS, metadata endpoint, link-local credentials
The link-local endpoint from which an instance retrieves its identity and temporary credentials. It is the mechanism that makes credential-free workloads possible and a notorious escalation path, because a server-side request forgery in an application can reach it and read the credentials. The defences are the session-based version that resists simple forgery, blocking pod-level access, and keeping instance roles minimal.