Privilege Escalation
: An attack where a user gains higher access privileges than intended, either by exploiting vulnerabilities to gain another user’s permissions (horizontal escalation) or by elevating to a more privileged role like admin (vertical escalation). It is one of the most impactful security failures in web applications.
Why It Matters for AI-Coded Apps
AI-generated authorization logic is often incomplete or client-side only. LLMs tend to hide admin UI elements with CSS or conditional rendering but forget to enforce permissions on the server. A user who discovers the API endpoint can access admin functionality without restriction.
Real-World Example
A vibe-coded app hides the admin panel with {user.role === 'admin' && <AdminPanel />}. But the API endpoint /api/admin/users has no role check. Any authenticated user can call this endpoint directly and manage all user accounts, effectively escalating to admin privileges.
How to Detect and Prevent It
Implement authorization checks on every server-side endpoint, not just in the UI. Use middleware or decorators to enforce role-based access control (RBAC). Follow the principle of least privilege. Audit all API routes to verify they check permissions. Never rely on client-side role checks alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between horizontal and vertical privilege escalation?
Vertical escalation means gaining higher-privilege access (user to admin). Horizontal escalation means accessing another user’s resources at the same privilege level (user A accessing user B’s data). Both are critical but vertical escalation typically has broader impact.
How common is privilege escalation in vibe-coded apps?
Extremely common. In our analysis, over 70% of vibe-coded apps with role-based features had at least one privilege escalation vulnerability, usually missing server-side authorization checks on admin-only API endpoints.
What is the principle of least privilege?
The principle of least privilege states that every user, process, or system should have only the minimum access rights needed to perform its function. Applied to web apps: default to no access, explicitly grant specific permissions, and regularly audit access levels.
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