====== BASH - Find - Find Files Based On their Permissions ======

The typical syntax to find files based on their permissions is:

<code bash>
find -perm mode
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  The **MODE** can be either with numeric or octal permission (like 777, 666.. etc) or symbolic permission (like u=x, a=r+x).

The MODE can be specified in three different ways:

  * If we specify the mode without any prefixes, it will find files of exact permissions.
  * If we use **“-“** prefix with mode, at least the files should have the given permission, not the exact permission.
  * If we use **“/”** prefix, either the owner, the group, or other should have permission to the file.

</WRAP>

----

===== Find files based on numeric permissions =====

Find Files Based On their Numeric (octal) Permissions

Now let me run the following command:

<code bash>
find -perm 777
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  This command will find the files with permission of exactly 777 in the current directory.
</WRAP>

----

===== Using "-" prefix =====

<code bash>
find -perm -766
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  This will find all files where the file owner has read/write/execute permissions, file group members have read/write permissions and everything else has also read/write permission.

  * Yes, it will display files which do have 766 permissions.

  * But this may also display some files which do not have exact 766 permissions.
    * This could include files with tighter permissions too.

</WRAP>

----

===== Using "/" prefix =====

<code bash>
find -perm /222
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  This will find files which are writable by somebody (either their owner, or their group, or anybody else).
</WRAP>


<code bash>
find -perm /220
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  This will find files which are writable by either their owner or their group.

  * That means the files do not have to be writable by both the owner and group to be matched; either will do.

</WRAP>

But if you run the same command with **“-”** prefix, you will only see the files only which are writable by both owner and group.

<code bash>
find -perm -220
</code>

----

===== Find Files Based On their Permissions using symbolic notation =====

Symbolic notations is used such as u (for user), g (group), o (others).

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:** 

  * The letter **a** can be used to represent all three of these categories.
  * The permissions can be specified using letters r (read), w (write), x (executable).

</WRAP>

----

==== To find any file with group write permissions ====

<code bash>
find -perm -g=w
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  You can use either **“=”** or **“+”** for symbolic notation.

  * It does not matter.

</WRAP>

For example, the following two commands will do the same thing.

<code bash>
find -perm -g=w
find -perm -g+w
</code>

----

==== Find any file which are writable by the file owner ====

<code bash>
find -perm -u=w
</code>

----

==== Find any file which are writable by all (the file owner, group and everyone else) ====

<code bash>
find -perm -a=w
</code>

----

==== Find files which are writable by both their owner and their group ====

<code bash>
find -perm -g+w,u+w
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  The above command is equivalent of **find -perm -220** command.
</WRAP>


----

==== Find files which are writable by either their owner or their group ====

<code bash>
find -perm /u+w,g+w
</code>

or,

<code bash>
find -perm /u=w,g=w
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  These two commands do the same job as the **find -perm /220** command.
</WRAP>

----

===== Help =====

For more details, refer the man pages.

<code bash>
man find
</code>