Access Dictionary
Least privilege
Definition
Least privilege means each user and integration gets only the access required for their job, nothing more.
Also called: principle of least privilege
Why it matters for WordPress
Every Administrator account is full keys to the kingdom. Freelancers, interns, and old agency logins with admin rights turn a small phishing win into a full takeover. Least privilege shrinks that blast radius before anything goes wrong.
How it shows up in practice
- Five Administrators when one break-glass account would do
- Authors who somehow can install plugins
- Shared “team” admin accounts nobody wants to rotate
- Application passwords created with more power than the integration needs
What to do
- Map people to default roles (Editor, Author, Shop Manager) before creating more Admins.
- Use a separate admin account for break-glass work; day-to-day on a lower role when possible.
- Remove users who left the project.
- Audit capabilities added by membership or ecommerce plugins.
Related guide: WordPress user roles.
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Nearby ideas in the dictionary
- WordPress user roles User roles group capabilities that decide what each account can do in WordPress, from reading to full admin.
- Privilege escalation Privilege escalation is gaining higher access than intended, such as a subscriber becoming an administrator.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires a second proof of identity after the password, such as an app code.
- Application passwords Application passwords are per-app credentials WordPress can issue so integrations authenticate without using your main password.
