privilegeescalate

Privilege escalation is a cybersecurity term referring to the act of exploiting a bug, design flaw, or configuration oversight in an operating system or software application to gain elevated access to resources that are normally protected from an application or user. Essentially, it's about obtaining a higher level of permissions than originally intended. There are two main types: vertical privilege escalation and horizontal privilege escalation.

Vertical privilege escalation occurs when a user with lower-than-administrative privileges is able to gain administrative or root access. This allows them to perform actions that would typically be restricted, such as installing software, accessing sensitive files, or modifying system settings.

Horizontal privilege escalation happens when a user gains access to the resources or data of another user at the same privilege level. For example, a regular user might be able to access another regular user's account information or files.

Attackers often use privilege escalation techniques after gaining initial access to a system through other means, such as phishing or exploiting a known vulnerability. Successful privilege escalation can turn a minor security breach into a major compromise, allowing attackers to move freely within a network and achieve their malicious objectives. Security professionals employ various methods to prevent and detect privilege escalation attempts, including regular patching, strong access controls, and security monitoring.