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Permission Sprawl

The uncontrolled and excessive distribution of permissions to Non-Human Identities (NHIs) across systems and applications.

Description

Permission Sprawl refers to the phenomenon where Non-Human Identities (NHIs), such as service accounts, API keys, and bots, accumulate excessive permissions over time, often without proper oversight or management. This situation arises when permissions are granted liberally to facilitate development or operational tasks, leading to a scenario where NHIs possess more access rights than necessary for their intended functions. As organizations grow and systems evolve, these permissions can become scattered across multiple platforms, making it challenging to track who has access to what and why. This sprawl can potentially expose systems to security risks, as compromised NHIs could be leveraged by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive resources. Effectively managing permission sprawl involves implementing strict governance policies, regular audits of NHIs, and employing the principle of least privilege to ensure that each identity only has the permissions it needs to perform its duties.

Examples

  • A service account used by a web application is granted access to multiple databases, even though it only needs access to one.
  • An API key has been shared across several teams and applications without a clear understanding of its permissions, leading to potential security vulnerabilities.

Additional Information

  • Regular audits of NHIs can help identify and rectify permission sprawl.
  • Implementing automated tools for permission management can assist in maintaining a principle of least privilege.

References