macOS - System Preferences - Temporarily Elevate Permissions

What the macOS temporary admin elevation Worklet does

This Automox Worklet™ identifies the currently active user on a macOS endpoint and temporarily adds them to the admin group, allowing them to perform administrative tasks. The Worklet automatically removes the user from the admin group after a configurable time period expires (default ten minutes, customizable via the timer_to_remove_admin parameter).

The Worklet uses macOS system tools to detect the active user session, verify their current privilege level, and manage group membership. It creates a launchd service (scheduled system task) that automatically removes the elevated privileges after the specified duration. This approach ensures permissions are revoked even if the user logs off or the endpoint reboots.

The Worklet will not execute if no user is currently logged in. If the user already has admin privileges, the Worklet exits without making changes and logs that the user already possesses the requested access level.

Why grant temporary admin elevation

Standard macOS users lack permissions to install software, modify system settings, or troubleshoot configuration issues. Granting permanent admin rights solves this problem but increases your security risk surface and violates least-privilege principles. Many IT operations teams must balance user productivity with security: some users require periodic administrative access, but providing permanent elevation creates vulnerability to credential theft, malware, and unauthorized system modifications.

Your helpdesk team benefits from the Worklet's automation: instead of manually adding and removing users from admin groups, they can deploy this Worklet via Automox RunNow, which instantly elevates permissions and schedules automatic removal. This reduces human error, eliminates forgotten privilege revocations, and provides audit trails through Automox activity logs.

The time-limited approach aligns with zero-trust security principles and least-privilege access models. Users get the minimal permissions they need for the minimal duration required. You maintain compliant endpoint configurations and reduce the risk of compromised or misused administrative credentials.

How macOS temporary admin elevation works

1. Evaluation phase: The Worklet checks whether a user is currently logged in via the scutil command. If no active user session exists, the Worklet exits without remediation. If a user is logged in, the Worklet verifies their current group membership by running id -Gn to check if the user is already in the admin group. If the user already possesses admin privileges, the Worklet exits without making changes. Only if the active user lacks admin access does the Worklet proceed to remediation.

2. Remediation phase: The Worklet adds the current user to the admin group using the dseditgroup command. It then creates a launchd property list (plist) file at /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.automox.remove.user.from.admin.group.plist that schedules automatic removal. The launchd configuration runs after the specified delay (default 600 seconds). The Worklet creates a companion shell script at /Library/Application Support/Automox/ax_remove_user_from_admin_group.sh that executes after the timer expires, removing the user from the admin group and unloading the launchd service. If any step fails, the Worklet's exit trap automatically reverts all changes and cleans up both the plist and shell script.

Temporary admin elevation requirements

• macOS endpoint with an active user session logged in (the Worklet cannot execute on login screens)

• User account must not be the root user (UID 0) or a system account

• Automox agent must run with sufficient privileges to execute dseditgroup and launchctl commands

• Write access required to /Library/LaunchDaemons/ and /Library/Application Support/Automox/ directories

• The timer_to_remove_admin parameter accepts values in seconds (default 600 seconds = ten minutes); you can customize this value from one second to any duration your operations require

Expected state after temporary elevation

After successful remediation, the endpoint enters a temporary elevated-privilege state. The active macOS user immediately gains admin group membership and can perform administrative tasks without entering a password. They can install software, modify system settings, access protected files, and perform other actions restricted to administrators. A launchd service is automatically loaded at /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.automox.remove.user.from.admin.group.plist and will execute the removal script after the configured delay. You can verify the elevation by running "dscl . -read /Groups/admin GroupMembership" in Terminal–the user's account name appears in the admin group member list.

After the timer expires, the scheduled task automatically removes the user from the admin group, and the launchd service unloads itself and cleans up all associated files. The user returns to their previous privilege level without requiring a restart or manual intervention. You can verify the elevation was temporary by checking the endpoint one minute after the configured time has elapsed–the user should no longer be listed in the admin group (you can confirm by running id -Gn as that user or through macOS System Settings > Users and Groups).

How to validate temporarily elevate permissions changes

1. Run this Worklet on a pilot macOS endpoint and review evaluation output for temporarily elevate permissions.

2. Confirm Automox activity logs show successful completion and exit code 0.

3. Verify endpoint state using checks aligned to evaluation script logic, such as function, exit, return.

4. Validate remediation effects from script operations such as function, exit, return, then rerun evaluation for compliance.