Confused deputy problem

Imagine you are a police officer and you have been assigned to guard a bank. You have a gun and you are responsible for making sure no one robs the bank. However, you also have a friend who happens to be a thief. This friend asks you to let them in the bank after hours so they can steal some money. Now, you are in a tricky situation as you want to help your friend but at the same time, you are responsible for guarding the bank. This is what we call the confused deputy problem.

In computer terms, the confused deputy problem refers to a situation where an authorized user or program is tricked into performing a malicious act. For example, a web application that allows users to upload files can be exploited if a user uploads a file that contains malicious code. This code can then be executed by the application, which essentially becomes a "confused deputy," unknowingly performing an action that causes harm.

To prevent the confused deputy problem, system administrators need to implement access control measures that limit the actions that can be performed by authorized users and programs. This may include using appropriate authentication mechanisms, limiting the scope of privileges granted to users and programs, and monitoring access logs for unusual activity. By doing so, the risk of a confused deputy inadvertently performing a malicious act can be minimized, protecting the security and integrity of computer systems and data.