List All Administrator Accounts
Read the admin group membership with dscl to see exactly which users are administrators.
Run `dscl . -read /Groups/admin GroupMembership` — every name listed after 'GroupMembership:' is an administrator.
01Command
Command
$ dscl . -read /Groups/admin GroupMembership02What it does
Administrator rights come from membership in the local 'admin' group, and this command reads that group record directly — including accounts that never appear prominently in System Settings. An unexpected extra name here is a genuine security finding worth investigating. The standard set on a personal Mac is usually just 'root' and your own username.
03Risk
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- dscl — Directory Service command line utility (macOS man page)Evidence: Documents dscl for reading directory records, including group membership records such as /Groups/admin.
- Change Users & Groups settings on MacEvidence: Explains that administrator accounts form a distinct group with privileges to change settings and install software.
Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: Security & Privacy