Privilege Escalation

Gaining higher-level access or control than initially authorized.

Understanding:

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker gains higher access permissions than initially granted, often moving from a low-privileged user to an administrator or root-level account. This is a critical phase in cyberattacks, enabling persistence, data theft, and system control.

Common Applications and Use Cases:

Exploiting Misconfigurations – Weak file permissions, unpatched vulnerabilities, or insecure system settings.
Kernel & Driver Exploits – Attackers leverage unpatched OS vulnerabilities to escalate privileges.
Credential Theft – Using stolen credentials to gain admin access.

Best Practices and Security Considerations:

Enforce Least Privilege Principle – Limit user access rights to the minimum necessary.
Apply Patching & Vulnerability Management – Fix privilege escalation vulnerabilities promptly.
Monitor for Unauthorized Access Attempts – Detect anomalous activity in logs.