# Permissions for backup user with X-Pack
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/permissions-for-backup-user-with-x-pack/88057
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [June 2, 2017, 10:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/permissions-for-backup-user-with-x-pack/88057 "2017-06-02T10:05:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lherrera](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lherrera)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2017, 10:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/permissions-for-backup-user-with-x-pack/88057/1 "2017-06-02T10:05:55Z")
Hi there,
I have setup an ELK cluster and i am using x-pack for authentication.
I am now setting up daily backups using snapshots and it's all working ok.
The problem I have is that it seems that my backup user needs to have superuser privileges to be able to take the snapshots, and I cannot find anywhere in the documentation whether or not it is possible to reduce those privileges, as this is a security concern.
I have tried with several build-in roles with no luck, mostly i get this error even trying to access an existing snapshot:
"error":{"root\_cause":[{"type":"security\_exception","reason":"action [cluster:admin/snapshot/get] is unauthorized for user [my-bkup-user]"
Any advice as to how to limit access to this user, while allowing it to manage snapshots?
Ta
Laura
---
### Author:  [@jetnet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jetnet)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/permissions-for-backup-user-with-x-pack/88057/2 "2017-06-07T19:45:05Z")
try to add the following in the `roles.xml`
```
curator:
cluster:
- monitor
- cluster:admin/repository/get
- cluster:admin/snapshot/*
```
and then give the user `my-bkup-user` the role `curator`
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/permissions-for-backup-user-with-x-pack/88057/3 "2017-07-05T19:45:16Z")
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