What Is Privilege Escalation Attack? Types of privileges and 5 Common Attack Techniques

For example, attackers will take control over the user account on a network and try to gain permission from the administration or access. This type of attack creates more complexity and leads to an advancing level of threats.

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The importance of Preventing Privilege Escalation Attacks?

This type of privilege escalation is considered the end of the attack. Why? Because this type of attacker takes advantage and gains access to an account, network, or system to gain in-depth data and perform intense malicious activities.

For example, privilege escalation can convert a superficial malware activity into a catastrophic data violation. Privilege escalations permit attackers to unlock new attack techniques on an intended system. For example, it can involve:

• Gain credentials to attack another connected system.
• Attackers will deploy additional illegal activity on the target system.
• This type of attack will modify the security setting and ownership
• Gain credentials to applications or data on a system beyond the privileges of the authentic compromised account
• To the extent level, gain root access to a target system or take control over the entire network

Conducting a thorough investigation is crucial when security teams detect privilege escalation. Malware on vulnerable systems, illicit logins, and unusual network communications are all signs of privilege escalation.

Depending on the organization's regulatory standards, each privilege escalation incident must be handled as a severe security incident and may need to be reported to the authorities.

How Do Privilege Escalation Attacks Work?

Attacks that increase a user's privilege level take advantage of software, configurations, and network access weaknesses. Join Networking Online Training and learn the fundamentals of networking, IP addressing, models, connection and management of network connections.

Every account that uses a system has certain privileges. System databases, confidential files, and other resources restrict system operators' access. Because they don't try to get access beyond what they are allowed, users occasionally have too much access to essential resources without even realizing it. In other situations, attackers can escalate privileges by taking advantage of system flaws.

A malicious attacker can gain access to a sensitive system by taking control of a low-level user account and either misusing or increasing privileges. Attackers may spend some time on a system conducting reconnaissance and wait for an opportunity to increase their access. They will eventually discover a means to elevate privileges from the hacked account to one that is higher.

Attackers can go up the privilege chain horizontally to take over more systems or vertically to obtain admin and root access until they have full access to the environment, depending on their objectives.

Privilege Escalation Attack Vectors

Now, we will discuss the attack vectors most important for the attackers to execute privilege escalation.

Credential Exploitation

Single-factor credentials open the door for attackers plotting to perform privilege escalation. If the hackers recognize the secret user's account name, attackers can breach their account even without knowing their passwords because it is accessed in a fraction of a second once they find out the target account. So, once they obtain the password, they can start detecting the environment completely.

If the organization finds and configures the password and detects the attackers, they discover another way to retain the system. That is why the privilege escalation attack is more crucial than we assume in exploiting security.

For example:

Suppose an attacker utilizes any attack against a database containing confidential data like credentials, passwords, and usernames through a login portal. In that case, they might get access to this login information. Here are standard methods attackers can gain access to credentials:

• Password exposure – Many passwords are easily accessible on the open site. The presence of passwords in the open site general occurs while we share our passcode with the employees to reuse the code and store it in the plain text on their system.
• Password guessing – This type of password cracking occurs when attackers utilize data available publicly. In such cases, hackers can easily recognize their passwords with hacking knowledge and techniques. Once they find out, they can gain access quickly.
• Shoulder surfing –Here, attackers will monitor the individual's action either personally or by utilizing illegal methods like keyloggers and cameras, which will help them gain the password quickly.
• Dictionary attacks – with the list of words, attackers automatically try to make the possible passcode based on the target and will try to breach the account. With the aid of the customized dictionary, they could find the password length.
• Rainbow table attacks –Using a rainbow table, an attacker can turn password hashes back into their original forms assuming they are aware of the algorithm used to hash the passwords. These assaults need to know a little bit of data to be successful.
• Password spraying: It is contrasting to the brute force attack. It is a type of attempt which is an automation process of gaining access to numerous accounts by utilizing a few passwords.
• Pass-the-Hash (PtH) -To accomplish this, a password's original plaintext version is swapped out for its NT Lan Manager hash. The hash can be retrieved by methods that take advantage of holes in the authentication protocol or by scraping it from running memory.
• Security questions – Many password systems depend on security questions if the user forgets their password. These are questions about the individual's life, many of which can be quickly addressed by looking up the person on social media, getting in touch with friends who know them, or using the dark web.
• Brute force password attacks – These are frequently the last choice for attackers. They only work when there are no restrictions on the number of password retries and the passwords are short and of minimal complexity.
• Credential stuffing –Attackers attempt to access accounts in a target system using a list of usernames, email addresses, and passwords collected from previous breaches or the dark web. This method is highly effective because passwords are frequently reused.
• Changes and resets the Password – Attackers can easily breach the password reset method. If we reset the password, we might risk storing and transmitting while setting a new passcode. In such a case, attackers may gain access to the password or reset the password illegally after compromising a system.

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Windows Privilege Escalation Attack Techniques and How to Mitigate Them

There are many techniques in the Windows OS privilege escalation attack. Now, we shall discuss three standard techniques and how these methods can control them.

Access Token Manipulation

Attack description

The window uses the access receipts to evaluate the proprietor of the running process. So, when the owner tries to perform the privileges-based task, the computer determines who runs the operation and analyzes whether the processor has sufficient credentials.

The manipulation of the access token is to deceive the system into believing that the process running in the computer is the intended user. The token manipulation trick will grant permission to run operations by implementing this access.

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Techniques

There are three methods to achieve access token manipulation:

• With the use of the Windows DuplicateToken(Ex), one can duplicate the access token and then use ImpersonateLoggedOnUserfunction or SetThreadToken to implement the impersonate thread.
• With the aid of impersonated token, one can build a new process by utilizing the DuplicateToken(Ex) function and the CreateProcessWithTokenW function.
• Utilize the LogonUser method to generate a token using the username and password. Without logging in, the attacker uses their login and password to initiate a logon session, get the new token, and use SetThreadToken to assign it to a thread.

In this technique, the user is not logged in, but the adversary has the account and password.

Mitigation

• Access tokens are impossible to turn off on Windows.
• To use this technique, an attacker must have admin privileges.
• Assign administrator permissions per the least-privilege rule, frequently reviewing administrative accounts, and deleting them if access is no longer required. It is the best way to prevent the attack. Monitor authorized accounts as well for any sign of unusual activity.

Bypass User Account Control

Attack description

The Windows user account control (UAC) method has segregated regular account users and administrators.

To stop malware from jeopardizing the operating system, it restricts all applications to regular user permissions unless an administrator approves. Some Windows programmes can escalate rights or execute Component Object Model with administrative capabilities if User Account Control protection is not set to the highest level.

Mitigation

Analyze Information technology systems and ensure UAC security is set to the highest possible level, or use alternative security measures if this is impossible. On sensitive systems, keep checking whether accounts are within the local administrator group and exclude regular users who aren't entitled to administrative privileges.

DLL Search Order Hijacking

Attack description

Attackers can "DLL preload." A harmful dynamic link library with the same name is placed in the location as a valid DLL, which will search the system before a legitimate DLL. This method helps in achieving this attack.

It is typically the current development directory, though sometimes attackers will remotely change it to an external file volume. The system executes the dynamic link library after discovering it in the working folder and determining it to be the correct DLL.

Techniques

There are many other ways to achieve DLL search order hijacking:

• Change a.manifest or. local redirection file, directory, junction, or replace an existingdynamic link library.
• Execute search order DLL hijacking on a weak application with a high standard of privileges, resulting in the attacker's DLL running at that same level.
• By doing this, rights can be increased from user to administrator or from administrator to SYSTEM.
• Enable systems to appear to operate correctly by loading both valid and malicious DLLs at the same time.

Mitigation

Here are multiple ways to prevent a DLL search order hijack:

• Disable the remote dynamic link library
• Activate safe, dynamic link library Search Mode to make directories subject to more constraints when looking for system DLLs.
• To find and fix DLL search order hijacking issues, use auditing tools like PowerSploit.
• Using whitelisting technologies like AppLocker, you may recognize and disable software performed through search order hijacking.

Linux Privilege Escalation

What Is Enumeration?

Attackers utilize a technique known as "enumeration" on Linux systems to find flaws that could lead to privilege escalation.

Enumeration consists of:

• Interact directly with a computer to understand and observe how it responds to inputs, port scanning, and Google searches.
• Determine whether high-level programming languages, such as Perl or Python, are accessible to exploit code.
• Locate software components and their versions, such as web servers.
• Locate information in critical network directories, including /etc, /proc, ipconfig, lsof, netstat, and uname.

Attackers use automated tools to enumerate Linux computers. By analyzing your system, finding its vulnerabilities, and fixing them, you should utilize the same methods to prevent an attack.

The two specific methods for escalation privilege on Linux are described below, along with solutions.

Kernel Exploit

Attack description

There are a few flaws in the Linux kernel that are occasionally discovered. Attackers can leverage these loopholes to manage a Linux system; once that occurs, there is no way to keep the network safe.

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Attackers follow the steps listed below:

• Understand the weaknesses
• Create or obtain code to be exploited
• Put the target under attack using the exploit
• Use the target to carry out the exploit.

Mitigation

• Follow security updates and patches for Linux as soon as they become available.
• Programs that assist file transfers, such as File Transfer Protocol, Secure copy protocol, or curl, should be prohibited, removed, or restricted to a set of users or IPs. It may stop an exploit from getting onto a target device.
• Compilers like general communication channels should be disabled or have access restrictions to stop vulnerabilities from working. Additionally, you want to restrict which folders are executable or accessible.

Exploiting SUDO Rights

Attack description

• A Linux software called SUDO enables users to execute programmes with another user's security privileges.
• Older versions would run automatically as the superuser (SU).
• Attackers may attempt to breach the security of a user with SUDO access to the system, and if they succeed, they will be granted root access.

Mitigation

Never grant SUDO access to any programming language's compiler, interpreter, or editors, including Nmap, Perl, Ruby, Python, or others. Give no programme that enables the use of shell SUDO rights. And use the least-privilege concept to restrict SUDO access strongly.

Protecting Against Privilege Escalation with Cynet

Three crucial parts of privilege escalation can be assisted by Cynet 360, an all-encompassing security solution:

• Network Analytics
• Endpoint Detection and Response
• User and Event Behavioral Analytics

Now that you have understood the challenge that attackers face. Moreover, you have a clear understanding of what is privilege escalation and privilege escalation attack types.

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