Specifically, it attempts to retrieve (temporary access keys) associated with a specific IAM role assigned to an EC2 instance. What it means
Here is a simplified overview of the process: including: Instance ID and hostname.
Understanding the AWS Metadata Security Risk: The Role of 169.254.169.254 including: Instance ID and hostname.
The IP address is a link-local address accessible only from within an EC2 instance. It hosts the Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) , which provides details about the instance's configuration, including: Instance ID and hostname. including: Instance ID and hostname.