🔗 Confused Deputy Problem

🔗 Computing 🔗 Computer Security 🔗 Computer Security/Computing 🔗 Computing/Software

In information security, a confused deputy is a computer program that is tricked by another program (with fewer privileges or less rights) into misusing its authority on the system. It is a specific type of privilege escalation. The confused deputy problem is often cited as an example of why capability-based security is important.

Capability systems protect against the confused deputy problem, whereas access-control list–based systems do not.