CWE-266 Incorrect Privilege Assignment
What this means
SiteShadow flagged privilege/role assignment that can grant more access than intended (wrong default role, client-controlled privilege fields, missing admin-only guards).
Why it matters
Incorrect privilege assignment can grant excessive access.
- Privilege escalation: users gain admin/staff capabilities.
- Persistent compromise: once stored, bad privileges remain until fixed.
- High blast radius: privileged roles can access/export/modify everything.
Safer examples
1) Make "least privilege" the default
New accounts should start with minimal permissions and require explicit elevation.
2) Don't accept role/permission fields from clients
Ignore fields like role, isAdmin, permissions in normal user flows (see API01).
3) Require re-auth/MFA for privilege changes
Role changes should be admin-only and require step-up auth (see MFA01).
How SiteShadow detects it (high level)
- Flags client-controlled privilege fields flowing into persistence or security decisions.
- Detects admin-only operations without strong guards.
References
- CWE-266: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/266.html
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