CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
How it's found
Improper Privilege Management describes a general pattern rather than a single fixed bug. Testers use a mix of static analysis and manual code review to find where a target's code matches this pattern, then confirm exploitability by hand.
Consequences
- Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Mitigations
- Architecture and Design/Operation: Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
- Architecture and Design: Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
- Architecture and Design: Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.
How TurboPentest tests for this
For AI/LLM targets, TurboPentest's agentic pentest tests for excessive agency by adversarially prompting the model, via Paladin AI, to invoke tools or take actions beyond its intended privileges, following the OWASP LLM Top 10 (LLM06) and MITRE ATLAS. A manual IntegSec engagement adds even deeper methodology and a larger context window on top of that automated coverage.
Tools: Paladin AI
Frequently asked questions
What is CWE-269?
The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
How do you find Improper Privilege Management?
Improper Privilege Management describes a general pattern rather than a single fixed bug. Testers use a mix of static analysis and manual code review to find where a target's code matches this pattern, then confirm exploitability by hand.
What is the impact of CWE-269?
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Does TurboPentest test for Improper Privilege Management?
For AI/LLM targets, TurboPentest's agentic pentest tests for excessive agency by adversarially prompting the model, via Paladin AI, to invoke tools or take actions beyond its intended privileges, following the OWASP LLM Top 10 (LLM06) and MITRE ATLAS. A manual IntegSec engagement adds even deeper methodology and a larger context window on top of that automated coverage.
Related CWEs
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