Privilege Escalation Bug: Unauthorized Access to User Data

A critical privilege escalation vulnerability was discovered, allowing unauthorized access to other users’ data, compromising privacy. Such bugs are common in misconfigured access controls, weak session management, or flawed API permissions.

You Should Know:

1. Identifying Privilege Escalation Vulnerabilities

• Linux Command: Check file permissions:

  find / -type f -perm -o+w 2>/dev/null  World-writable files 
  find / -type d -perm -o+w 2>/dev/null  World-writable directories 
  

• Windows Command: Verify user privileges:

  whoami /priv  Check current user privileges 
  net user [bash]  View user group memberships 
  

2. Exploiting Weak Access Controls

• Testing IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference):

  curl -X GET "https://example.com/api/user?id=123" -H "Authorization: Bearer [bash]" 
  

• Modifying Session Cookies:
  Use Burp Suite or Browser DevTools to manipulate cookies:

  document.cookie="admin=true; path=/";  Forced privilege escalation 
  

3. Securing Against Privilege Escalation

• Linux Hardening:

  chmod 750 /sensitive_directory  Restrict directory access 
  sudo visudo  Review sudoers file for excessive permissions 
  

• Windows Hardening:

  icacls "C:\Sensitive" /deny "Users:(R,W)"  Restrict folder access 
  

4. Automated Scanning Tools

• Linux:

  lynis audit system  Security auditing tool 
  

• Windows:

  Get-LocalUser | Where-Object { $_.Enabled -eq $true }  List active users 
  

What Undercode Say:

Privilege escalation remains a top attack vector due to misconfigurations and weak access controls. Regular audits, least privilege enforcement, and proper session validation are critical. Tools like Lynis, Burp Suite, and manual testing help uncover such flaws before attackers do.

Prediction:

As APIs and microservices grow, horizontal privilege escalation (accessing same-level users’ data) will rise. Zero-trust architecture and strict RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) will become mandatory.

Expected Output:

• Vulnerability: Privilege escalation via weak access controls.
• Impact: Unauthorized data access, privacy breaches.
• Fix: Implement strict permission checks, audit logs, and session validation.

URLs for further reading:

• OWASP Privilege Escalation Guide
• Linux Hardening Checklist
• Windows Security Baselines

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: Akshachudasama23 Bugbounty – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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