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An access control list (ACL) is a set of rules associated with a resource that identifies which users, groups, devices, processes, or other entities may access it—and what they are allowed to do. The exact rules and how they are interpreted depend on the system using the ACL.
What an access control list means
NIST defines an ACL as a mechanism that implements access control for a system resource by listing the system entities permitted to access it and the access modes granted to each. In practical terms, an ACL connects three things: a protected resource, an entity seeking access, and the rights that entity has.
For example, a file’s ACL might specify that one user can read and edit it, a group can read it, and other users have no access. The entity could also be a machine or process rather than a person. NIST’s computer-security handbook describes ACLs in this broad sense as records of users, groups, machines, or processes and the kinds of access each has been granted.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsNIST CSRC glossary: access control list · NIST SP 800-12, An Introduction to Computer Security
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How an ACL controls access
- A resource is protected. This may be a file, another system object, or—in a networking context—traffic handled by a device or interface.
- The system evaluates an access request. It considers the requesting entity and the operation or access mode being requested.
- The applicable ACL rules determine the result. Depending on the implementation, the rules grant or deny access, or specify which kinds of access are available.
Access control is the broader decision to permit or deny a subject access to system objects. An ACL is one mechanism used to express or implement that decision; it is not the whole access-control process. NIST CSRC glossary: access control
ACLs in filesystems and networks
“ACL” does not describe one universal rule format. A file or operating-system ACL typically associates identities with rights on an object. A network ACL can instead match packet characteristics and determine whether traffic is permitted or denied. Because the protected resource and the rule format differ, behavior documented for a network device should not be assumed to apply to files or other operating-system resources.
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Network ACL example
Cisco’s NCS 1010 documentation describes a network ACL as a sequential list of permit and deny statements that apply to packet addresses and upper-layer protocols. In that documented context, the ACL has no effect until it is referenced by a command that accepts it. This is a Cisco networking example, not a general requirement for every ACL implementation. Cisco NCS 1010 system setup guide: Access Control Lists
Why ACL behavior varies
Rule order and conflict handling are implementation-specific. NIST SP 800-12 notes that there is no uniform approach across implementations for resolving apparently conflicting ACL entries. Do not assume that a deny rule always overrides an allow rule, that the first matching rule always decides, or that an unlisted entity is treated the same way on every system. Check the documentation for the specific platform and resource.
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It is also easier to inspect access to one resource than to answer the inverse question: what can a particular user access across an entire system? An ACL is resource-centered, so finding a user’s total privileges may require reviewing ACLs on many resources. NIST SP 800-12, An Introduction to Computer Security
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What to check when reading an ACL
- Resource: Identify exactly what the ACL protects, such as a file, object, interface, or traffic flow.
- Entity: Determine whether entries refer to individual users, groups, devices, processes, or packet attributes.
- Rights or actions: Check which operations are allowed or denied, rather than treating access as a single all-or-nothing permission.
- Evaluation rules: Find out how the platform handles ordering, conflicting entries, and requests not explicitly listed.
- Attachment and scope: Confirm how the ACL becomes active and which resources or traffic it covers.
- Audit needs: For a user’s overall access, account for permissions spread across multiple resource-specific ACLs.
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