Privilege Escalation

What is Privilege Escalation?

Gaining privileges, commonly known as privilege escalation, is the process of exploiting a flaw or configuration error in software to obtain higher administrative access.

With this elevated access, attackers can exploit existing design issues or mistakes, facilitating them to obtain resources and data that should remain protected. Consequently, they can steal confidential information, introduce malicious software, compromise your systems and damage your organization's reputation.

How Does Privilege Escalation Work?

Attackers typically gain entry into a system by identifying vulnerabilities within an organization's cybersecurity defenses. Once they successfully breach the initial barrier, they employ specific strategies for privilege escalation, which can be categorized into two types as outlined below.

Vertical Privilege Escalation: This method involves attackers exploiting the flaws in the system or software applications. By doing so, they upgrade their access from a regular user account to elevated privilege levels, like those held by system administrators. For instance, an attacker might use a regular employee's compromised credentials to access a vulnerable application, then execute a privilege escalation exploit to gain admin-level control over the system. In some cases, attackers may also employ social engineering tactics, such as phishing emails, to trick users into unintentionally providing access or revealing sensitive information.

Horizontal Privilege Escalation: Compared to vertical attacks, horizontal privilege escalations focus on accessing data at the same permission level but under different user identities. For instance, using an employee's stolen credentials to access another user's data is a common tactic.  While the attacker may not gain administrative or root control, their goal is often to tamper with or access sensitive information belonging to other users within the same privilege level.

How to Detect Privilege Escalation Attacks

The key to preventing unauthorized access and safeguarding system security lies in strong detection measures. Organizations have various ways to detect privilege escalation attacks, such as:

1. Monitor system logs: Inspect system logs to detect irregularities or suspicious behaviors, such as multiple failed login attempts or unusual command usage.
2. Detecting anomalies: Utilize anomaly detection tools to spot deviations from normal behavior within your network. For instance, sudden role changes  might indicate a privilege escalation incident.
3. Password monitoring: Establish password monitoring to notify administrators of any unauthorized password changes, which could indicate that an attacker is attempting to maintain their elevated privileges over time.

Preventing Privilege Escalation Attacks

Preventing an attack in cybersecurity is much easier than handling the fallout afterward. Here are essential practices to prevent privilege escalation attacks:

1. Regular system patching: Establish a  patch management strategy  to keep systems updated with the latest patches. This reduces the risk of attackers exploiting known vulnerabilities in software or operating systems.
2. Enhanced authentication techniques: Implement a two-factor (2FA) or multifactor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security. This minimizes the risk of credential theft and making unauthorized access more challenging for malicious actors.
3. Tracking user behavior: Monitor user actions regularly to detect suspicious activity that may indicate a compromised privileged account. Stay vigilant for unexpected changes in user activity or abnormal system administrator tasks to identify privilege escalation attempts.
4. Strong password policies: Develop guidelines that require users to set secure, complex passwords and update them frequently. This is particularly  crucial for large organizations to maintain account security.
5. Principle of least privilege: Limit users’ access only to the resources necessary for their role. This approach helps mitigate potential damage  if an attacker gains entry to user’s account.

Examples of gain privilege attacks

1. Windows Sticky Keys: The "sticky keys" attack is a well-known and straightforward method of performing privilege escalation, demanding little technical skill. It involves physical access to the computer and the ability to boot it with a repair disk. By pressing the Shift key five times, attackers can launch the Command Prompt with administrative privileges, permitting the execution of  malicious commands.
2. Windows Sysinternals: Tools from the Windows Sysinternals suite provides a powerful method for escalating privileges. Attackers often begin with a "sticky key" attack to establish a backdoor in the system. They then execute the command “psexec.exe -s cmd” to acquire administrative privileges.
3. Process Injection: Privilege escalation through process injection takes advantage of weak processes by inserting malicious code into active ones. This technique allows the privileges of the compromised process to be elevated, enabling unauthorized actions.
4. Linux Password User Enumeration: This is a commonly employed privilege escalation technique in which attackers use tools to discover valid usernames on a target system. They begin by identifying potential accounts on a Linux system through shell access, often exploiting misconfigured FTP servers to execute the attack.
5. Android Metasploit: Attackers rely on the Metasploit framework to exploit vulnerabilities in Android devices. As a widely recognized hacking tool, Metasploit provides a repository of known exploits, allowing privilege escalation attacks on Android systems.