Analogies:
You bought a balcony ticket, but the stairs to the backstage were just… open. No one stopped you. No one checked. You walked in, sat at the controls, and nobody noticed.
You bought a regular ticket. But no one’s watching, so you just walk past the velvet rope into VIP, then backstage, then the cash counter. No one stops you. No one even asks, “Hey, should you be here?”
What’s happening:
It’s not about who you are, it’s about what you’re allowed to do. Broken access control means those checks are either missing, misconfigured, or just trusting too much.
Test Like This:
Change IDs in URLs. Hit admin routes with a normal account. Submit actions you shouldn’t have access to. If the system doesn’t push back, that’s your red flag.
Simple rule:
Getting in is one thing (authentication). But being let loose to do anything once you’re in? That’s the real problem.
You bought a balcony ticket, but the stairs to the backstage were just… open. No one stopped you. No one checked. You walked in, sat at the controls, and nobody noticed.
You bought a regular ticket. But no one’s watching, so you just walk past the velvet rope into VIP, then backstage, then the cash counter. No one stops you. No one even asks, “Hey, should you be here?”
What’s happening:
It’s not about who you are, it’s about what you’re allowed to do. Broken access control means those checks are either missing, misconfigured, or just trusting too much.
Test Like This:
Change IDs in URLs. Hit admin routes with a normal account. Submit actions you shouldn’t have access to. If the system doesn’t push back, that’s your red flag.
Simple rule:
Getting in is one thing (authentication). But being let loose to do anything once you’re in? That’s the real problem.
