AC-6(2) Non-privileged Access for Nonsecurity Functions
Enhancement of: AC-6
High-Level Description
Family: Access Control (AC)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Requiring the use of non-privileged accounts when accessing nonsecurity functions limits exposure when operating from within privileged accounts or roles. The inclusion of roles addresses situations where organizations implement access control policies, such as role-based access control, and where a change of role provides the same degree of assurance in the change of access authorizations for the user and the processes acting on behalf of the user as would be provided by a change between a privileged and non-privileged account.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AC-6(2) 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
Require that users of system accounts (or roles) with access to [organization-defined] use non-privileged accounts or roles, when accessing nonsecurity functions.
Implementation Guidance
Requiring the use of non-privileged accounts when accessing nonsecurity functions limits exposure when operating from within privileged accounts or roles. The inclusion of roles addresses situations where organizations implement access control policies, such as role-based access control, and where a change of role provides the same degree of assurance in the change of access authorizations for the user and the processes acting on behalf of the user as would be provided by a change between a privileged and non-privileged account.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|
| AC-6(2) Non-privileged Access for Nonsecurity Functions not implemented | High | Access Control |
| AC-6(2) partially implemented | Medium | Incomplete Access Control |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|
| CWE-284 | Improper Access Control |
References
Checklist
