Security

Permission Scope Minimizer

Shrink the blast radius before the integration becomes load-bearing and mysteriously sacred.

Use when

A tool, plugin, OAuth app, API key, or agent workflow asks for broad access and nobody has proven which permissions are actually needed.

Intermediatedifficulty
Securitycategory
Mia daily expansionsource

Cadence

Before launching an integration, agent tool, or automation with account access

Verification

The workflow succeeds with the narrowest tested permissions, unused scopes are documented for removal, and any live credential changes remain approval-gated.

Structured loop spec

FieldValue
NamePermission Scope Minimizer
CategorySecurity
TriggerBefore launching an integration, agent tool, or automation with account access
ObjectiveShrink the blast radius before the integration becomes load-bearing and mysteriously sacred.
Allowed inputsRelevant files, source notes, logs, tests, screenshots, metrics, or task state for this loop
Allowed actionsInventory the app, token, OAuth scopes, API keys, service accounts, connected tools, and workflows that depend on them.; Map each permission to a real action the workflow must perform, separating read-only needs from write, admin, billing, security, and public-facing actions.; Test the workflow in local, staging, sandbox, or preview mode with the narrowest plausible credential set and record every failure by missing permission.; Recommend the minimal approved scope, required monitoring, owner, rotation schedule, and fallback if a permission is denied.; Do not revoke production access, rotate keys, change account security settings, or grant broader scopes without explicit approval and rollback clarity.
VerificationThe workflow succeeds with the narrowest tested permissions, unused scopes are documented for removal, and any live credential changes remain approval-gated.
Stop conditionStop when the verifier passes, the budget is exhausted, no progress is made, a blocker appears, or approval is required.
BudgetSet a time, turn, token, retry, file, or dollar cap before running the loop.
Approval boundaryHuman approval required before publishing, sending, deleting, spending, changing accounts, touching production, or making reputational/legal/financial commitments.
Safe outputDraft, report, checklist, table, or approval-gated recommendation
Works withClaude, ChatGPT, Gemini, any tool-using AI assistant

Steps

  1. Inventory the app, token, OAuth scopes, API keys, service accounts, connected tools, and workflows that depend on them.
  2. Map each permission to a real action the workflow must perform, separating read-only needs from write, admin, billing, security, and public-facing actions.
  3. Test the workflow in local, staging, sandbox, or preview mode with the narrowest plausible credential set and record every failure by missing permission.
  4. Recommend the minimal approved scope, required monitoring, owner, rotation schedule, and fallback if a permission is denied.
  5. Do not revoke production access, rotate keys, change account security settings, or grant broader scopes without explicit approval and rollback clarity.

Prompt

Run the Permission Scope Minimizer loop. Given an integration, agent tool, OAuth app, API key, service account, or automation, inventory requested permissions and map each one to a required workflow action. Separate read-only, write, admin, billing, security, and public-facing permissions. Test the workflow with the narrowest plausible credential set in sandbox, staging, local, or preview mode, then document missing-permission failures and the minimal recommended scope. Do not revoke production access, rotate keys, change account security settings, or grant broader scopes without explicit approval. Return the permission map, test evidence, recommended scope, risks, and approval queue.

Run in Claude Code

Paste this into Claude Code (or any tool-using agent) to run the loop bounded: one change per round, the same verification every round, durable state files, and explicit stop conditions.

Run the "Permission Scope Minimizer" loop from AI Loop Library (https://ailooplibrary.com/loops/permission-scope-minimizer/) as a bounded loop.
Goal: Shrink the blast radius before the integration becomes load-bearing and mysteriously sacred.
Rules: one change per round; run the same verification every round (The workflow succeeds with the narrowest tested permissions, unused scopes are documented for removal, and any live credential changes remain approval-gated.); append each round to docs/loops/permission-scope-minimizer/progress.md and update docs/loops/permission-scope-minimizer/state.json; stop on verifier pass, 8 rounds, 3 consecutive failed verifications, no progress, a blocker, or anything needing human approval (money, production, outbound, deletion). Finish with a proof report: rounds used, changes made, verification output, remaining risk, and the next human decision.

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Tags

permissionsOAuthleast privilegeagent safety

Related

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