What are NTFS access mask flags with corresponding user permissions?

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Category:: ontap-9

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Applies to

ONTAP 9 and later
Windows
SMB/CIFS
NTFS volume

Answer

An ACCESS_MASK is a 32-bit set of flags that are used to encode the user rights to an object.
An access mask is used both to encode the rights to an object assigned to a principal and to encode the requested access when opening an object.
Below are the most commonly used access masks:
- For Read permission, use 0x1200A9. This corresponds to the following flags:
  FILE_READ_DATA (file) or FILE_LIST_DIRECTORY (directory)
  1 (0x1)
  FILE_READ_EA
  8 (0x8)
  FILE_EXECUTE (file) or FILE_TRAVERSE (directory)
  32 (0x20)
  FILE_READ_ATTRIBUTES
  128 (0x80)
  READ_CONTROL
  131072 (0x20000)
  SYNCHRONIZE
  1048576 (0x100000)
- For Change permission, use 0x1301BF. This corresponds to the following additional flags:
  FILE_WRITE_DATA (file) or FILE_ADD_FILE (directory)
  2 (0x2)
  FILE_APPEND_DATA (file) or FILE_ADD_SUBDIRECTORY (directory)
  4 (0x4)
  FILE_WRITE_EA
  16 (0x10)
  FILEget_ATTRIBUTES
  256 (0x100)
  DELETE
  65536 (0x10000)
- For Full Control permission, use 0x1F01FF. This corresponds to the following additional flags:
  FILE_DELETE_CHILD
  64 (0x40)
  WRITE_DAC
  262144 (0x40000)
  WRITE_OWNER
  524288 (0x80000)
Below is the access mask bitmap table for files:

Value Description

GENERIC_READ

0x80000000L

When used in an Access Request operation: When read access to an object is requested, this bit is translated to a combination of bits. These are most often set in the lower 16 bits of the ACCESS_MASK. (Individual protocol specifications MAY specify a different configuration.) The bits that are set are implementation dependent. During this translation, the GR bit is cleared. The resulting ACCESS_MASK bits are the actual permissions that are checked against the ACE structures in the security descriptor that attached to the object.

When used to set the Security Descriptor on an object: When the GR bit is set in an ACE that is to be attached to an object, it istranslated into a combination of bits, which are usually set in the lower 16 bits of the ACCESS_MASK. (Individual protocol specifications MAY specify a different configuration.) The bits that are set are implementation dependent. During this translation, the GR bit is cleared. The resulting ACCESS_MASK bits are the actual permissions that are granted by this ACE.

GENERIC_WRITE

0x4000000L

When used in an Access Request operation: When write access to an object is requested, this bit is translated to a combination of bits, which are usually set in the lower 16 bits of the ACCESS_MASK. (Individual protocol specifications MAY specify a different configuration.) The bits that are set are implementation dependent. During this translation,
the GW bit is cleared. The resulting ACCESS_MASK bits are the actual permissions that are checked against the ACE structures in the security descriptor that attached to the object.
When used to set the Security Descriptor on an object: When the GW bit is set in an ACE that is to be attached to an object, it is translated into a combination of bits, which are usually set in the lower 16 bits of the ACCESS_MASK. (Individual protocol specifications MAY specify a different configuration.) The bits that are set are implementation dependent. During this translation, the GW bit is cleared. The resulting ACCESS_MASK bits are the actual permissions that are granted by this ACE.

GENERIC_EXECUTE

0x20000000L

When used in an Access Request operation: When execute access to an object is requested, this bit is translated to a combination of bits, which are usually set in the lower 16 bits of the ACCESS_MASK. (Individual protocol specifications MAY specify a different configuration.) The bits that are set are implementation dependent. During this translation, the GX bit is cleared. The resulting ACCESS_MASK bits are the actual permissions that are checked against the ACE structures in the security descriptor that attached to the object.

When used to set the Security Descriptor on an object: When the GX bit is set in an ACE that is to be attached to an object, it is translated into a combination of bits, which are usually set in the lower 16 bits of the ACCESS_MASK. (Individual protocol specifications MAY specify a different configuration.) The bits that are set are implementation dependent. During this translation, the GX bit is cleared. The resulting ACCESS_MASK bits are the actual permissions that are granted by this ACE.

GENERIC_ALL

0x10000000L

When used in an Access Request operation: When all access permissions to an object are requested, this bit is translated to a combination of bits, which are usually set in the lower 16 bits of the ACCESS_MASK. (Individual protocol specifications MAY specify a different configuration.) Objects are free to include bits from the upper 16 bits in that translation as required by the objects semantics. The bits that are set are implementation dependent. During this translation, the GA bit is cleared. The resulting ACCESS_MASK bits are the actual permissions that are checked against the ACE structures in the security descriptor that attached to the object.

When used to set the Security Descriptor on an object: When the GA bit is set in an ACE that is to be attached to an object, it is translated into a combination of bits, which are usually set in the lower 16 bits of the ACCESS_MASK. (Individual protocol specifications MAY specify a different configuration.) Objects are free to include bits from the upper 16 bits in that translation, if required by the objects semantics. The bits that are set are implementation dependent. During this translation, the GA bit is cleared. The resulting ACCESS_MASK bits are the actual permissions that are granted by this ACE.

MAXIMUM_ALLOWED

0x02000000L

When used in an Access Request operation: When requested, this bit grants the requestor the maximum permissions allowed to the object through the Access Check Algorithm. This bit can only be requested; it cannot be set in an ACE.

When used to set the Security Descriptor on an object: Specifying the Maximum Allowed bit in the SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR has no meaning. The MA bit SHOULD NOT be set and SHOULD be ignored when part of a SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR structure.

ACCESS_SYSTEM_SECURITY

0x01000000L

When used in an Access Request operation: When requested, this bit grants the requestor the right to change the SACL of an object. This bit MUST NOT be set in an ACE that is part of a DACL. When set in an ACE that is part of a SACL, this bit controls auditing of accesses to the SACL itself.

SYNCHRONIZE

0x00100000L

Specifies access to the object sufficient to synchronize or wait on the object.

WRITE_OWNER

0x00080000L

Specifies access to change the owner of the object as listed in the security descriptor.

WRITE_DACL

0x00040000L

Specifies access to change the discretionary access control list of the security descriptor of an object.

READ_CONTROL

0x00020000L

Specifies access to read the security descriptor of an object.

DELETE

0x00010000L

Specifies access to delete an object.

Below is the access mask bitmap for directories:

Value	Description
FILE_LIST_DIRECTORY `0x00000001`	This value indicates the right to enumerate the contents of the directory.
FILE_ADD_FILE `0x00000002`	This value indicates the right to create a file under the directory.
FILE_ADD_SUBDIRECTORY `0x00000004`	This value indicates the right to add a sub-directory under the directory.
FILE_READ_EA `0x00000008`	This value indicates the right to read the extended attributes of the directory.
FILE_WRITE_EA `0x00000010`	This value indicates the right to write or change the extended attributes of the directory.
FILE_TRAVERSE `0x00000020`	This value indicates the right to traverse this directory if the underlying object store enforces traversal checking.
FILE_DELETE_CHILD `0x00000040`	This value indicates the right to delete the files and directories within this directory.
FILE_READ_ATTRIBUTES `0x00000080`	This value indicates the right to read the attributes of the directory.
FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES `0x00000100`	This value indicates the right to change the attributes of the directory.
DELETE `0x00010000`	This value indicates the right to delete the directory.
READ_CONTROL `0x00020000`	This value indicates the right to read the security descriptor for the directory.
WRITE_DAC `0x00040000`	This value indicates the right to change the DACL in the security descriptor for the directory. For the DACL data structure, see ACL in [MS-DTYP] section 2.4.5.
WRITE_OWNER `0x00080000`	This value indicates the right to change the owner in the security descriptor for the directory.
SYNCHRONIZE `0x00100000`	This flag MUST be ignored by both clients and servers.
ACCESS_SYSTEM_SECURITY `0x01000000`	This value indicates the right to read or change the SACL in the security descriptor for the directory. For the SACL data structure, see ACL in [MS-DTYP] section 2.4.5.
MAXIMUM_ALLOWED `0x02000000`	This value indicates that the client is requesting an open to the directory with the highest level of access that the client has on this directory. If no access is granted for the client on this directory, then the server MUST fail the open with STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED.
GENERIC_ALL `0x10000000`	This value indicates a request for all of the access flags that are listed above, except MAXIMUM_ALLOWED and ACCESS_SYSTEM_SECURITY.
GENERIC_EXECUTE `0x20000000`	This value indicates a request for the following access flags listed above: FILE_READ_ATTRIBUTES, FILE_TRAVERSE, SYNCHRONIZE, and READ_CONTROL.
GENERIC_WRITE `0x40000000`	This value indicates a request for the following access flags listed above: FILE_ADD_FILE, FILE_ADD_SUBDIRECTORY, FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES, FILE_WRITE_EA, SYNCHRONIZE, and READ_CONTROL.
GENERIC_READ `0x80000000`	This value indicates a request for the following access flags listed above: FILE_LIST_DIRECTORY, FILE_READ_ATTRIBUTES, FILE_READ_EA, SYNCHRONIZE, and READ_CONTROL.

Additional Information

For more details on Access_mask, please check below Microsoft documents:

NTFS access mask flags shows on vserver security file-directory show command output.