Add Keypair to existing EC2 instance

Question

I was given AWS Console access to an account with 2 instances running that I cannot shut down (in production). I would, however, like to gain SSH access to these instances, is it possible to create a new Keypair and apply it to the instances so I can SSH in? Obtaining the existing pem file for the keypair the instances were created under is currently not an option. If this isn't possible is there some other way I can get into the instances? Select the correct answer from above options

Answer 1

According to official AWS documentation, there is a way to can regain access to your instance if you have lost your key pair, which I think might be helpful in your case. Try the following steps to change key pair for your EC2 instance. Step 1: Stop your instance Step 2: Detach the EBS volume from your instance Step 3: Launch a new instance and create a key pair for this instance. Step 4: Attach the same EBS volume that you detached from your original instance to the newly launched instance. Step 5: Modify the authorized key file as shown below: copy ~/.ssh/authorized_keys to /mnt/tmp/home/ubuntu/.ssh/authorized_keys Step 6: Detach this volume and then attach it back to your original instance Step 6: Restart your original instance Step 7: Use the new key pair to connect and login to your original instance.