Privilege Escalation

Privilege escalation is the process of gaining higher-level permissions on a system after an initial, often limited, foothold has been established.

Vertical vs Horizontal Escalation

Vertical escalation moves from a lower-privileged account to a higher one, such as gaining administrator rights, while horizontal escalation moves laterally to access another user's resources at the same privilege level.

Common Escalation Techniques

Attackers exploit misconfigured permissions, unpatched software, weak service configurations, or exposed credentials to move beyond their initial level of access.

Why It's a Critical Testing Phase

Gaining initial access is often just the first step. Privilege escalation shows how far an attacker could realistically go once inside, which is usually the most damaging part of a real breach.

Defending Against Escalation

Applying the principle of least privilege, patching systems regularly, and auditing permissions are key defenses that limit how much damage a compromised account can cause.