Index: permissions_helper.php
===================================================================
--- permissions_helper.php	(revision 13557)
+++ permissions_helper.php	(working copy)
@@ -110,6 +110,11 @@
 			$perm_status = false;
 			foreach ($check_perms as $perm_name) {
 				// check if at least one of required permissions is set
+				if ($perm_name == 'debug' && $this->Application->isDebugMode(false)) {
+					// universal "debug" permission
+					return true;
+				}
+
 				$perm_name = $section.'.'.$perm_name;
 				$perm_status = $this->CheckPermission($perm_name, 1);
 				if (($perm_name == $section.'.add') && $perm_status && ($top_prefix == $event->Prefix)) {
@@ -170,7 +175,8 @@
 			// mapping between specific permissions and common permissions
 			static $perm_mapping = Array(
 				'add' => 'ADD', 'add.pending' => 'ADD.PENDING', 'edit' => 'MODIFY',
-				'edit.pending' => 'MODIFY.PENDING', 'delete' => 'DELETE', 'view' => 'VIEW'
+				'edit.pending' => 'MODIFY.PENDING', 'delete' => 'DELETE', 'view' => 'VIEW',
+				'debug' => 'DEBUG'
 			);
 
 			$top_prefix = $event->getEventParam('top_prefix');
@@ -243,6 +249,12 @@
 					// not mapped permission (e.g. advanced:approve) -> skip
 					continue;
 				}
+
+				if ($perm_name == 'debug' && $this->Application->isDebugMode(false)) {
+					// universal "debug" permission
+					return true;
+				}
+
 				$perm_name = $item_prefix.'.'.$perm_mapping[$perm_name];
 				$perm_status = $this->CheckPermission($perm_name, 0, (int)$category_id);