What Is Privilege Escalation? Types, Examples, and Prevention – Source: securityboulevard.com

Privilege escalation is a critical cybersecurity threat in which a user—usually a malicious actor—gains access to data beyond what their account permissions allow. Attackers can gain this access through human error, stolen credentials, or social engineering. 

This article explores what privilege escalation is and explains how organizations can prevent attacks.

What Is Privilege Escalation in Cybersecurity?

Privilege escalation happens when an attacker exploits security weaknesses to gain access to a system beyond their authorized level, allowing them to act as system administrators or high-level users.

Once they’ve obtained administrative privileges, intruders can turn minor breaches into major threats. With increased access, they can install harmful software, steal confidential data, or compromise an entire network. 

In the typical privilege escalation attack example, a cybercriminal first gains access to a system via phishing or exploiting weak credentials. From there, the malicious actor expands their access, often by exploiting software vulnerabilities or weak configurations. 

This type of attack doesn’t require advanced techniques. Sometimes, it’s as simple as discovering a hardcoded password or leveraging a human error. 

How Does Privilege Escalation Work?

Privilege escalation typically unfolds in three steps:

1. Attackers gain initial access: This happens through weak credentials, phishing, or malware.
2. Attackers identify system vulnerabilities: They use these to gain more access and bypass security measures. 
3. Attackers use administrative access: They then take advantage of the elevated access to manipulate critical settings, exfiltrate data, or establish ongoing entry to the system.

For example, a cybercriminal might gain access to a network through phishing, then exploit an unpatched weakness in the system to escalate their privileges. After that, they might gain root-level access to control critical functions and access company data. 

Types of Privilege Escalation

Privilege escalation attacks fall into two primary categories: vertical and horizontal. These categories define whether attackers aim to increase their access rights or simply misuse the access of another account with a similar permission level. Each type exploits different weaknesses in the system.

Vertical Privilege Escalation

Vertical privilege escalation happens when a threat actor gains higher-level permissions, typically by taking advantage of system weaknesses or inadequate authentication methods. For example, a lower-level user might exploit a software defect to gain administrator rights and make unauthorized system changes. Once elevated, attackers can control critical system functions, disable security controls, or access sensitive data. 

Vertical privilege escalation is particularly dangerous because it grants attackers the same powers as an admin. This means they may be able to disable servers or databases, steal data, or deploy malware or ransomware. They may also gain hidden access that would let them take control of the system in the future.

Horizontal Privilege Escalation

Horizontal privilege escalation happens when an attacker uses valid credentials to access resources or sensitive data. For example, if an attacker steals an employee’s login credentials, they might gain access to that employee’s email account, files, or other internal resources.

Cybercriminals using horizontal privilege escalation can exploit users’ access rights, usually to steal data or carry out unauthorized actions, without escalating to higher privileges.

Common Examples of Privilege Escalation Attacks

These attacks can take many forms. Understanding the most common methods can help you identify and mitigate these threats.

Credential Exploitation

Credential exploitation happens when attackers use stolen or guessed passwords to gain access to accounts. They may get credentials through methods like phishing, data breaches, or brute force attacks, which use trial and error to guess passwords. 

Vulnerabilities and Exploits

Attackers can exploit unpatched software vulnerabilities to bypass security restrictions and increase privileges. For example, in a November 2024 attack on over 2,000 Palo Alto Networks firewalls, hackers exploited two zero-day vulnerabilities. One allowed attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative access, while the other enabled privilege escalation to execute commands with root privileges. Attackers exploited these systems before Palo Alto Networks could release security patches, leaving thousands of firewalls exposed to attack. 

Misconfigurations 

When systems, applications, or user roles are improperly set up, it’s known as a misconfiguration. This allows users to gain unintended access. Examples include overly permissive access controls, default credentials, and public-facing sensitive resources. 

Malware

Malware is malicious software that exploits system weaknesses, often including privilege escalation features. Attackers use malware to infiltrate systems, exploit vulnerabilities, and manipulate processes to gain admin rights. This can lead to data theft or allow malware to spread to other systems.

Social Engineering

The goal of social engineering is to trick users into revealing sensitive information or granting unwarranted higher access. Attackers use techniques like phishing emails or impersonation to trick users into revealing passwords, clicking malicious links, or authorizing additional permissions. This method exploits human vulnerability instead of technological weakness.

How to Prevent Privilege Escalation Attacks: 6 Tips

To effectively prevent privilege escalation attacks, organizations should combine proactive strategies that address both technical vulnerabilities and human factors. Here are some ways of mitigating privilege escalation:

1. Implement a Strong Password Policy

In addition to requiring strong, unique passwords, organizations should use adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add another layer of defense. This way, even if passwords are compromised, attackers can’t gain access without additional verification like an email code or mobile app notification.

2. Update Systems Regularly

Attackers often target unpatched vulnerabilities. Regularly update systems and software to resolve known security flaws as quickly as possible. Additionally, you should test patches in a staging environment before full deployment to prevent issues in the live system and put a comprehensive vulnerability management program in place to track and reduce risks. 

3. Follow the Least Privilege Principle

The principle of least privilege means giving users and systems only as much access as they need to do their jobs. Restricting user permissions based on necessity limits the potential damage caused by privilege escalation. For example, a system administrator should only have elevated privileges for the tasks that require them—not for all operations. 

4. Educate Employees on Cybersecurity

It’s impossible to completely mitigate human error, but in-depth training can help. Cybersecurity training should include phishing practices and other methods attackers might use to escalate privileges, like socially engineered requests for password resets. 

5. Isolate Sensitive Data and Systems

Segmentation and isolation protect critical assets by separating them from less secure network segments. When you restrict access to sensitive systems and data, attackers can’t move laterally across the network, even if they gain access to some accounts. 

6. Monitor Data and Respond to Potential Threats

Continuously monitoring user activity makes it possible to detect unusual behavior early. Look for data breaches and observe user behavior for signs of privilege escalation, like unauthorized changes to critical system configurations. 

Trigger alerts if your system detects unusual activity, like if an account with low-level access suddenly attempts to access sensitive areas of the network.

Avoid Privilege Escalation Attacks With Legit Security 

Preventing privilege escalation attacks requires multi-layered security, including strong password policies, regular updates, and continuous monitoring. Legit Security can help.

Legit Security can identify where your organization has permissions issues, spotting potential escalations before they have the chance to grow. Plus, Legit Security’s secrets scanner gives you the visibility, prevention, and remediation capabilities you need to secure sensitive information across the entire development lifecycle. 

Book a demo today.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Legit Security Blog authored by Legit Security. Read the original post at: https://www.legitsecurity.com/blog/what-is-privilege-escalation