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Privilege escalation vulnerabilities, even those initially classified as low severity, can become critical when chained with other vulnerabilities like Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR). In this case, the attacker discovered IDs through privilege escalation and exploited them via IDOR to compromise an entire organization.
You Should Know:
1. Privilege Escalation Techniques
Privilege escalation allows attackers to gain higher-level permissions. Common methods include:
Linux Privilege Escalation Commands:
Check sudo privileges sudo -l Find SUID binaries find / -perm -4000 -type f 2>/dev/null Check cron jobs crontab -l ls -la /etc/cron Kernel exploits uname -a searchsploit "Linux Kernel 5.4.0"
Windows Privilege Escalation Commands:
Check user privileges whoami /priv List scheduled tasks schtasks /query /fo LIST /v Find unquoted service paths wmic service get name,displayname,pathname,startmode | findstr /i "auto" | findstr /i /v "c:\windows"
2. Exploiting IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference)
IDOR occurs when an application exposes internal object references (e.g., user IDs, file paths) without proper authorization checks.
Example Exploitation:
GET /api/user?id=123 HTTP/1.1 Host: vulnerable.com
If changing `id=123` to `id=124` grants access to another user’s data, it’s an IDOR.
Prevention:
- Use indirect references (e.g., UUIDs instead of sequential IDs).
- Implement proper session-based access controls.
3. Chaining Vulnerabilities for Critical Impact
- Step 1: Gain low-privilege access (e.g., via phishing).
- Step 2: Escalate privileges (e.g., via misconfigured sudo rights).
- Step 3: Extract internal IDs (e.g., database leaks, API responses).
- Step 4: Exploit IDOR to access admin functions.
Automated Tools for Testing:
- Linux: `LinPEAS` (Privilege Escalation Awesome Script)
curl -L https://github.com/carlospolop/PEASS-ng/releases/latest/download/linpeas.sh | sh
- Windows: `WinPEAS`
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/carlospolop/PEASS-ng/releases/latest/download/winPEAS.bat" -OutFile "winpeas.bat"
What Undercode Say:
Privilege escalation and IDOR remain among the most dangerous vulnerabilities when combined. Organizations must enforce strict access controls, conduct regular penetration testing, and monitor internal API endpoints for unauthorized access. Automation tools like `LinPEAS` and `WinPEAS` help identify misconfigurations, but manual testing remains crucial for uncovering complex attack chains.
Prediction:
As APIs and microservices grow, IDOR vulnerabilities will increase, making privilege escalation attacks more impactful. Companies must adopt zero-trust architectures to mitigate these risks.
Expected Output:
[+] Checking sudo privileges... User may run the following commands: (root) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/vi [+] Exploiting IDOR... Accessing /api/admin?id=1 → Unauthorized Accessing /api/admin?id=0 → Admin panel leaked!
References:
Reported By: Sahil Kumar – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
