Skip to content

Runtime Authorization

Runtime authorization is enforcement that happens at the moment of execution — not before the agent starts, and not after the tool runs.

Why it matters for AI agents

AI agents make tool calls dynamically. The set of calls an agent will make cannot be fully enumerated at deploy time. Prompt instructions, fine-tuning, and output filters all operate on text and model behavior. None of them are enforcement mechanisms in the software security sense.

Runtime authorization answers a different question: should this specific tool call, with these specific arguments, be executed right now?

This is the same question that IAM, Open Policy Agent, and API gateways answer for non-AI systems. ShadowAudit brings that model to AI agent tool use.

Where ShadowAudit enforces

Agent → [ShadowAudit Gate] → Tool

The gate sits at the boundary between the agent and the tool. It receives the structured arguments the agent is passing to the tool — not a prompt, not a response, but the actual JSON or string payload that would cause the tool to act.

Enforcement happens before tool.run() is called. If a call is denied, the tool function is never invoked.

What ShadowAudit evaluates

The gate receives:

  • agent_id: which agent is making the call
  • capability: the type of action being requested (e.g., shell.execute, payments.transfer)
  • payload: the tool arguments (command string, amount, file path, etc.)
  • policy_context (optional): runtime metadata like environment, user role, tenant

It evaluates these against a policy and returns one of three decisions: allow, deny, or require_approval.

Comparison to alternative approaches

Approach When it runs Deterministic? Covers tool execution?
System prompt instructions Before the agent starts No No
Output filters / moderation After the model generates No No
ShadowAudit gate At tool call time Yes Yes

Runtime authorization does not replace prompt design or output monitoring. It is the enforcement layer that makes the others auditable: you can verify that policy was actually applied at the point where consequences occur.