Definition · foundations
confused deputy
confused deputy is a failure where someone tricks a trusted system into misusing its access. You can spot confused deputy in practice when the record shows what the system observes, what choice it makes, and what changes next, without asking the reader to guess or trust a slogan.
157 definitions656 sourced recordsNamed source: ACL Anthology
Why does confused deputy matter?
A trusted system may have valid access but use it for the wrong aim. An identity check alone will miss that risk. For confused deputy, start with three checks: What can the system observe? What choice can it make? What changes after it acts? The answers should point to visible evidence, not a promise.
What does confused deputy look like?
A file tells a payroll agent to send salary data outside the firm with the agent's own key. This example makes confused deputy visible by naming the actor, the action, and the result in practice. It is an illustration for readers, not a claim that every product behaves this way.
What is confused deputy easy to confuse with?
A confused deputy misuses valid rights for someone else. Secret exfiltration is the theft of guarded data. The closest entries here are compounding error, durable execution, active RAG. Compare their definitions with confused deputy before using the names as if they mean the same thing.
How certain is this definition?
This definition is provisional. ACL Anthology supports the version you see today, but a better or more direct source may change it. Open the cited page and check its date before you use this entry to choose a product, write a policy, set a safety control, or design a system.
Who introduced the term confused deputy?
We have not verified who first introduced confused deputy. The source supports a useful definition, but it may not be the earliest use. Until a dated primary record settles the question, we leave the origin open. A popular article or product page is not enough to name the person who coined a term.
What should you understand before confused deputy?
Read artificial intelligence (AI) first when confused deputy depends on a more basic idea or mechanism. The link gives you a useful route through the glossary. It does not mean every author teaches the subject in this order, so follow the source when the sequence matters.
What should this term help you answer?
Use confused deputy to ask what an agent can observe, decide, change, remember, or hand off. The questions below turn the definition into a practical check. They are prompts for your own work, not claims made by the source, so change them to fit the system you are examining.
- What can the system observe?
- What choice can it make?
- What changes after it acts?
Which source supports this definition of confused deputy?
ACL Anthology supports this working definition of confused deputy. We checked the link on 2026-07-12. Open the original record for its context, methods, limits, and publication details. The short explanation here is a guide to confused deputy; the linked source remains the evidence to inspect when the wording or boundary matters.
source foundconfused deputyChecked 2026-07-12→