3.1 — Capability Bloat and Least-Privilege Configuration

CCAR-P Domain 3 · Task 3.1

What You Need to Know

Least privilege = agent gets only the tools its role needs. Capability bloat = every tool beyond that. Removal beats mitigation every time.

Every Unnecessary Tool Costs Twice

1. Security — if wired, the capability exists (prompt prohibition does not remove it)
2. Performance — every tool definition consumes context; selection degrades past a documented threshold

Start From the Role’s Task List

Judge configuration from the role’s task list, never from the platform’s capability catalogue. Build a few thoughtful tools for specific high-impact workflows.

Removal Beats Mitigation

Offered control	Category	What it cannot do
Audit logging	Detective	Finds abuse after damage
Confirmation prompt	Compensating	Adds friction to a capability that should not exist
System-prompt prohibition	Instruction	Constrains behaviour, not capability
Removing the tool	Elimination	The risk no longer exists

Consolidate What Survives

Overlapping/vague tools confuse selection. Consolidate into fewer clearly described, task-scoped tools with common prefixes.

Exam Traps

• Adding audit logging or confirmation prompt to a tool the role never needs
• Relying on system-prompt prohibition to prevent use of a wired capability
• Choosing a larger model to fix an over-privileged configuration
• Wiring the full platform catalogue “so the agent can handle anything”