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What is Privilege Escalation?

Privilege escalation lets attackers gain unauthorized system permissions. Learn its workings, examples like CVE-2021-3156, and detection tools.

Explain Like I'm 5

Think of a big building with many floors. You have a key that only lets you into the lobby, but you want to reach the fancy penthouse on the top floor. Privilege escalation is like finding a way to use your lobby key to sneak into the elevator and press the button for the penthouse. Sometimes, you might even trick someone with a penthouse key to let you in.

There are two main tricks here. One is like swapping keys with someone on the same floor but with access to a room you can't enter. The other is using a clever trick to reach a floor way above yours. Why is this important? In the digital world, reaching the penthouse means accessing important systems or sensitive data that should be protected.

Understanding privilege escalation helps us keep digital buildings safe. If bad actors reach the penthouse, they can cause a lot of trouble. So, we need to make sure the elevator and keys are secure.

Technical Definition

Definition

Privilege escalation is a cyber attack technique where an attacker gains higher-level permissions on a system than those initially granted. This can be achieved through exploiting vulnerabilities or misconfigurations to access restricted areas of the system.

How It Works

  • Vertical Privilege Escalation: The attacker gains higher privileges than they are authorized for, such as moving from a user account to an admin account.
  • Horizontal Privilege Escalation: The attacker accesses resources at the same privilege level but within another user's account, bypassing authorizations.

Common Vectors

  1. 1Kernel exploits
  2. 2SUID binaries
  3. 3Misconfigured sudo settings
  4. 4Token manipulation
  5. 5Service account abuse

Key Characteristics

  • Exploitation often uses existing system vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.
  • Can be difficult to detect without proper monitoring.
  • Often used in combination with other exploitation techniques.

Comparison

AspectVertical Privilege EscalationHorizontal Privilege Escalation
ObjectiveGain higher privilegesAccess another user's resources
ExampleUser to AdminUser A accessing User B data
DetectionMonitoring privilege changesMonitoring access logs

Real-World Example

CVE-2021-3156, known as the sudo Baron Samedit vulnerability, allowed attackers to gain root access on Unix systems by exploiting a bug in the sudo command. Another example is Windows token impersonation, where attackers manipulate tokens to assume higher privileges.

Detection & Prevention

  • Tools: Use LinPEAS and WinPEAS to detect privilege escalation paths.
  • Prevention:
- Regularly update and patch systems to fix vulnerabilities. - Audit and restrict use of privileged commands. - Implement proper logging and monitoring.

Common Misconceptions

  • Myth 1: Only admins are targets for privilege escalation.
- Reality: Regular users can also be targeted to escalate privileges horizontally.
  • Myth 2: Privilege escalation only happens on servers.
- Reality: Can occur on any system, including personal computers and mobile devices.
  • Myth 3: Antivirus software can prevent privilege escalation.
- Reality: Antivirus may not detect all privilege escalation techniques, especially if they exploit system misconfigurations.

Keywords

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