AC-6(7)_review-of-user-privileges

AC-6(7) Review of User Privileges

Enhancement of: AC-6

High-Level Description

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

The need for certain assigned user privileges may change over time to reflect changes in organizational mission and business functions, environments of operation, technologies, or threats. A periodic review of assigned user privileges is necessary to determine if the rationale for assigning such privileges remains valid. If the need cannot be revalidated, organizations take appropriate corrective actions.

What to Check

• Verify AC-6(7) Review of User Privileges is documented in SSP
• Validate all 2 control requirements are implemented
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AC-6(7)
• 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(7) 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

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Review [organization-defined] the privileges assigned to [organization-defined] to validate the need for such privileges; and Reassign or remove privileges, if necessary, to correctly reflect organizational mission and business needs.

Implementation Guidance

The need for certain assigned user privileges may change over time to reflect changes in organizational mission and business functions, environments of operation, technologies, or threats. A periodic review of assigned user privileges is necessary to determine if the rationale for assigning such privileges remains valid. If the need cannot be revalidated, organizations take appropriate corrective actions.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - AC-6(7)
• NIST SP 800-53A Rev 5 (Assessment Procedures)
• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Full Catalog

Checklist

• Control documented in SSP
• Implementation evidence collected
• Operating effectiveness validated
• Continuous monitoring in place
• Related controls (CA-7) reviewed