When specifying a search user for an LDAP authentication realm, what administrative permissions are required on the search user account?

In the context of LDAP authentication realms, the search user account is responsible for querying the directory to locate user attributes and authenticate users. When specifying this search user, it is sufficient for the account to have read access to retrieve the necessary information about users without needing any additional privileges.

Having no special permissions required means that the search user can perform searches on the LDAP directory without the ability to alter or manage the data. This minimizes the security risks associated with granting elevated privileges, adhering to the principle of least privilege, which is foundational in access control strategies.

In many LDAP configurations, requiring only read permissions for the search user simplifies the setup and reduces the chance of unintended changes to the directory data, allowing for secure and efficient user authentication.