Privilege escalation

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages security weaknesses or misconfigurations to elevate their permissions from lower-level access to more sensitive or administrative privileges. This typically involves exploiting bugs, insecure access controls, or flawed authorization mechanisms within applications or operating systems. Privilege escalation vulnerabilities enable attackers to access confidential data, modify protected resources, or even take complete control of systems, posing significant security risks.

To prevent privilege escalation, implement strict access control measures adhering to the principle of least privilege, ensuring users and applications receive only the minimal permissions necessary. Regularly audit and update authorization mechanisms to verify that permissions are correctly configured and consistently enforced. Keep software and operating systems up to date to patch known vulnerabilities promptly. Employ security monitoring and logging to detect unusual privilege elevation attempts proactively. Training developers and administrators on secure configuration practices helps further reduce the risk of privilege escalation vulnerabilities.