RoleScan

Rolescan is a term used in information security to describe a class of tools and processes that identify and analyze roles and their associated permissions within an identity and access management environment. The main goal is to enumerate who can perform which actions, how roles are granted, and where privilege escalation pathways may exist.

Most implementations focus on cloud IAM systems such as AWS IAM, Azure RBAC, and Google Cloud IAM, as well as directory services like Active Directory. They typically collect data on roles, policy documents, trust relationships, group memberships, and permission boundaries. The tool builds a role-permission map or graph, highlighting high-risk configurations such as broad admin-level access, cross-account role assumptions, or overly permissive policies.

Outputs commonly include a risk score or remediation recommendations, potential privilege escalations, and export formats like JSON or CSV for integration with ticketing or auditing workflows. RoleScan is used by security, compliance, and DevOps teams to verify least-privilege standing, prepare audits, or assist in remediation efforts.

Limitations include reliance on granted read permissions to IAM configuration and policies; some authorization might be out of scope if roles are granted through external identity providers or dynamic policy generation; scans may not reflect real-time changes without continuous monitoring.

See also: identity and access management, least privilege, privilege escalation, role-based access control, cloud security auditing.