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Mac - Administrative privileges

Privilege escalation with the Privileges app

If you are using a Mac laptop that is 2022 or newer, admin and sudo privilege elevation is typically automatic through the Privileges app. Do not submit a request for access if this is already enabled. For more information, see Escalating Admin Rights on your Mac via Privileges.

To verify you have admin access:

  1. Click the Spotlight icon on your taskbar, type Users & Groups, and then press ENTER.
  2. In the window that opens, locate your account in the list and confirm that Adminappears by your account name.

To verify you have sudo access:

  1. In the terminal, run the following command:

    sudo -v

  2. When prompted, type your password. This is the same password used to log in to your laptop.

  3. The command generates nothing if you have sudo access; otherwise, the following message appears:

    Sorry, user [username] may not run sudo on [hostname].