ac-6-5-privileged-accounts

name	AC-6(5)_privileged-accounts
description	Restrict privileged accounts on the system to [organization-defined].
category	authorization
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","ac-6-5","ac","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["aws","azure","gcp","linux","windows"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-284"]
chains_with	["IA-2","MA-3","MA-4"]
prerequisites	["AC-6"]
severity_boost	{"IA-2":"Chain with IA-2 for comprehensive security coverage","MA-3":"Chain with MA-3 for comprehensive security coverage","MA-4":"Chain with MA-4 for comprehensive security coverage"}

AC-6(5) Privileged Accounts

Enhancement of: AC-6

High-Level Description

Family: Access Control (AC) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Privileged accounts, including super user accounts, are typically described as system administrator for various types of commercial off-the-shelf operating systems. Restricting privileged accounts to specific personnel or roles prevents day-to-day users from accessing privileged information or privileged functions. Organizations may differentiate in the application of restricting privileged accounts between allowed privileges for local accounts and for domain accounts provided that they retain the ability to control system configurations for key parameters and as otherwise necessary to sufficiently mitigate risk.

What to Check

• Verify AC-6(5) Privileged Accounts is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AC-6(5)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control AC-6

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AC-6(5) implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.

Step 2: Validate Implementation

# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly

# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null

Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness

Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.

Tools

Tool	Purpose	Usage
cloud-audit-mcp	Check IAM policies and access controls	cloud_audit_iam_policies
hackbrowser-mcp	Test web application access controls	browser_auth_test

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Restrict privileged accounts on the system to [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

Privileged accounts, including super user accounts, are typically described as system administrator for various types of commercial off-the-shelf operating systems. Restricting privileged accounts to specific personnel or roles prevents day-to-day users from accessing privileged information or privileged functions. Organizations may differentiate in the application of restricting privileged accounts between allowed privileges for local accounts and for domain accounts provided that they retain the ability to control system configurations for key parameters and as otherwise necessary to sufficiently mitigate risk.