cm-5-5-privilege-limitation-for-production-and-operation

name	CM-5(5)_privilege-limitation-for-production-and-operation
description	Limit privileges to change system components and system-related information within a production or operational environment;
category	configuration
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","cm-5-5","cm","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["aws","azure","gcp","linux","windows"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-16"]
chains_with	["AC-2"]
prerequisites	["CM-5"]
severity_boost	{"AC-2":"Chain with AC-2 for comprehensive security coverage"}

CM-5(5) Privilege Limitation for Production and Operation

Enhancement of: CM-5

High-Level Description

Family: Configuration Management (CM) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

In many organizations, systems support multiple mission and business functions. Limiting privileges to change system components with respect to operational systems is necessary because changes to a system component may have far-reaching effects on mission and business processes supported by the system. The relationships between systems and mission/business processes are, in some cases, unknown to developers. System-related information includes operational procedures.

What to Check

• Verify CM-5(5) Privilege Limitation for Production and Operation is documented in SSP
• Validate all 2 control requirements are implemented
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for CM-5(5)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control CM-5

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for CM-5(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 configuration baselines	cloud_audit_config
AWS CLI	Review Config rules	aws configservice describe-config-rules

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Limit privileges to change system components and system-related information within a production or operational environment; and Review and reevaluate privileges [organization-defined].