# NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 AC-6(8) — Privilege Levels For Code Execution - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ac-6-8-privilege-levels-for-code-execution - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 Controls](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5) › AC — Access Control - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5**·Control `AC-6(8)`·high·Component: **Access Control** ## What this control requires > Prevent organization-defined software from executing at higher privilege levels than users invoking it, ensuring users do not gain unauthorized elevated privileges. This control supports the Operating System capability within the Access Control family. > > — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Control AC-6(8) ### In plain English Prevent organization-defined software from executing at higher privilege levels than users invoking it, ensuring users do not gain unauthorized elevated privileges. In practice, this means you can prove you access access control-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters SP 800-53 is the catalogue every U.S. federal authorisation (FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC) and most regulated industries point at. A missing control surfaces as a Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) item that an Authorizing Official must approve before the Authority To Operate is granted or renewed. This control is rated **high**. Auditors expect a named owner, a remediation SLA, and a tooling artefact that evidences continuous operation. ## What an auditor looks for A 3PAO (FedRAMP) or Independent Assessor (NIST RMF) tests against NIST SP 800-53A assessment procedures. For each control they expect a documented implementation that addresses every assessment objective (Examine, Interview, Test) and an implementation summary in the System Security Plan. Within **Access Control**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control AC-6(8)) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Secure Development **Pipeline.** Require code review, SAST (Semgrep / Snyk Code), SCA (Dependabot / Renovate), secret-scanning and IaC scanning in the merge pipeline. **Branch protection.** Protected branches enforce reviews, signed commits and passing CI before merge; document the protection rules as the control evidence. #### Code Review Testing **Pipeline.** Require at least one human reviewer plus passing CI (lint, type, unit, security scan) before merge — protected branches enforce this. ### Operational checklist - **Access.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Security.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Review.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Privilege.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Access Control.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** access control, organization, system, application, privilege, software, review, capability. ## Evidence to collect - **Code Repo Scan.** Source-control evidence — branch protection, required reviewers, CI status, SCA / SAST reports. Source control pipelines (GitHub, GitLab) enforce SDLC guardrails. Focus: Privilege Levels For Code Execution. ## Common pitfalls - CI security checks set to warn-only; the merge button is faster than the security feedback. ## How it maps to other frameworks Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit. - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.13.13** — Mobile Code](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-13-mobile-code) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.8.28** — Secure coding](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-8-28-secure-coding) - [**CIS Controls v8 16.12** — Implement Code-Level Security Checks](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/16-12-implement-code-level-security-checks) ## Related controls in NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 - [**Control SA-10(5)** — Mapping Integrity For Version Control](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-10-5-mapping-integrity-for-version-control) - [**Control MA-3** — Maintenance Tools](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ma-3-maintenance-tools) - [**Control SA-20** — Customized Development Of Critical Components](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-20-customized-development-of-critical-components) - [**Control SI-7(6)** — Cryptographic Protection](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/si-7-6-cryptographic-protection) - [**Control AT-2(4)** — Suspicious Communications And Anomalous System Behavior](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/at-2-4-suspicious-communications-and-anomalous-system-behavior) - [**Control CM-7(7)** — Code Execution In Protected Environments](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cm-7-7-code-execution-in-protected-environments) ## References - [NIST Computer Security Resource Center — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5](https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/risk-management/sp800-53-controls) - Catalogue identifier: `Control AC-6(8)` Topics: application securitysecure developmentcode review testingdevsecops ## Related compliance guidance - [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: a practical implementation guide for cloud teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5): Start with the full NIST SP 800-53 implementation guide — scope, roadmap, evidence and how the assessment runs. - [NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC: a practical guide to protecting CUI in the cloud](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3): If your obligation is protecting CUI in your own systems for a federal or defence contract, this derived subset — not the full catalogue — is the requirement. - [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Most commercial SaaS already hold a SOC 2 Type 2, and FedRAMP 20x Class A is designed for providers that have one.