Which tool in windows enables a standard user to perform administrative tasks?
a user with limited access to IT systems can increase the scope and scale of their access permissions. For trusted users, privilege escalation allows expanded access for a limited time to complete specific tasks. For example, users may need access to troubleshoot a technical problem, run a quarterly financial report, or install a program.
Privilege escalation is also one of the most common techniques attackers use to discover and exfiltrate sensitive valuable data. From a hacker’s perspective, privilege escalation is the art of increasing privileges from initial access, which is typically that of a standard user or application account, all the way up to administrator, root, or even full system access. With NT Authority\System access, attackers have full access to one system. With Domain Administrator access, they own the entire network. Show
Let’s say an attacker successfully steals a User’s password and gains access to their account. That password may enable certain privileges, for example, it may only unlock data stored locally on a laptop. But an attacker is hungry for more. They’re looking for more sensitive data they can resell on the Dark Web. They’re looking for access to business-critical systems so they can deploy ransomware, threaten shutdown, and demand financial payment.
Examples illustrating the difference between vertical and horizontal privilege escalation
Example of when an attacker has pwned a system with NT Authority\System Privilege escalation focuses on privileged accounts and accessBefore we start getting into the mechanics of Windows privilege escalation attacks, we must first understand what privileged accounts are used for, the different types of privileges on Windows systems, and how they work. This foundation will help you understand the strategies cyber criminals use when attacking Windows systems so you know where to focus your defenses. How privileges are created and delegated in Windows systemsA privilege in Windows operating systems is the authorization delegated to a User account or Group that allows access to system resources, objects, and tasks. Privileges can be Local or Domain, which determines the scope of access the User account has. Computer Management Local Users and Groups A Local User account can be assigned as a member of a Group, which determines its privileges. User account properties showing it is a member of the Users Group Default Groups on a Windows system depend on the operating system role and features enabled. Groups tend to be focused on roles or tasks that the User will perform, based on their job function. A few default Groups that determine the privileges of users Typically, when a User doesn’t have permissions to an object within Windows, they’ll be prompted to enter a different User account with the necessary privileges. This is commonly known as User Account Control (UAC) and enables a User to run most tasks as a non-Administrator. User Account Control requiring elevated privileges to run cmd application Once the Users and Groups have been assigned and configured, security settings are determined and privileges are assigned to each Object, such as file systems, registries, services, and system resources. In a hierarchy, each Object can inherit permissions and privileges from its parent. Common Security Settings aka ACL for an Object in Windows Example of permissions aka ACL within the registry Windows Security Identifiers (SID)In Windows, the SID is how the operating system refers to accounts and processes, instead of using an account or process name. An Example of User Account SIDs To learn more about SIDs, I recommend reading Microsoft’s full documentation which can be found here: Did you catch the security concerns?We've now covered the ways privileges are created and assigned in Windows. That’s the “happy path,” in which everything works out according to plan. But, even if you follow all of the steps outlined above to manage privileges, you’re leaving yourself open to a privilege escalation attack. Privilege escalation attacks and exploit techniquesFor hackers, privilege escalation is the art of elevating privileges from initial access (typically, standard User or application account) to Administrator, root, or even full system access, on Windows referred to as NT Authority\System. How do privilege escalation attacks work?To target privileged accounts, attackers use common steps and proven techniques to identify system misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, overprivileged Users, and weak credentials.
You can learn more about these types of accounts in the blog: The 7 Deadly Privileged Accounts You MUST Discover, Manage, and Secure. Step-by-step path to privilege escalationExample of the steps an attacker will take Let’s assume the attacker has gained an initial foothold on a Windows system. The initial foothold could mean different things, such as a reverse shell (aka without creds), access to an application running on the system, or creds (credentials) of an account with limited privileges, such as a standard user account. Each type of foothold allows the attacker to begin their privilege escalation attack path.
Below is an example of these enumeration commands in action: Manual Enumeration Examples of privilege elevation techniquesWhen performing enumeration, attackers are looking for security vulnerabilities that allow for privilege escalation exploits, such as: This occurs when a service that's running under SYSTEM privileges, but the User has permissions to change the executable binpath to one which could create a reverse shell. 2. Unquoted service paths Surprisingly, while this is a known technique used for many years, it’s still common to find many services with unquoted service paths. When combined with weak folder permissions, this allows an attacker to place an executable in a parent folder, where Windows will look for the executable first to execute. For example, you might have a service path as C:\Program Files\Vendor\binary.exe. When the path is unquoted and the User has permissions to place objects in the C:\Program Files\ path, Windows will first try to execute program.exe. If the attacker can place a binary called program.exe in the path, they can then elevate privileges to the account which that service is running. 3. Weak registry permissions Like the insecure service permissions example, if an attacker can modify the registry configuration of a service, they can then change the path in service configuration to execute a binary they choose. This could create a reverse shell or elevate privileges on the system. 4. Insecure service executables If an attacker can simply replace the original executable with their own, they can then gain privilege escalation of the account which that service is running under. 5. Passwords I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found passwords for privileged users sitting in a text file on a desktop, in a browser, or in a configuration file. Even today, when many people know that passwords are a top attack target, it’s still common to store passwords in easy-to-find places. Many people create weak, crackable passwords, reuse them, and share them. Identifying stored passwords in an internet browser:
Example" Using Hashcat to crack hashes
9. Insecure GUI apps View the Insecure GUI App example on Twitter 10. OS vulnerabilities or kernel exploits Example: Exploiting Print Nightmare CVE 2021 34527 How to automate privilege escalationTo avoid detection, a hacker wants to escalate privileges as quickly as possible. Therefore, they may use tools to automate the privilege escalation process, such as the examples below: Bloodhound example from Hackthebox Windows Exploit Suggester—Next Generation (WES-NG) WES-NG running against Windows 10 System Info Windows Privilege Escalation Awesome Scripts WinPEAS running on Windows 10 endpoint We recently had the awesome Carlos Polop, author of winPEAS and Hacktricks.xyz, on the 401 Access Denied podcast to discuss winPEAS and privilege escalation. Make sure to check out the podcast and Carlos’s Hacktricks book, as it goes into full detail on many of the techniques used in this blog.
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PowerUp PowerUp is a collection of PowerShell scripts for finding common Windows privilege escalation vectors that rely on misconfigurations. Running Invoke-All checks will look for common misconfigurations on Windows endpoints. PowerUp running on Windows Endpoint Seatbelt Seatbelt running on Windows endpoint Privileged escalation attack paths with the Mitre ATT&CK frameworkThe Mitre ATT&CK framework is an awesome knowledge base of the common tactics and techniques used in real-world attacks. Knowing the techniques and how to reduce risk is critical to making your organization resilient against cyberattacks. Mitre ATT&CK Framework Privilege Escalation Top tips to make privilege escalation difficult for attackersNow that we’ve covered the common attack strategies cybercriminals use to escalate privileges, let’s dig into the defense strategies you can use to protect your organization.
First, let’s address the word “prevent.” It’s dangerous to assume anyone can definitively prevent privilege escalation attacks. In fact, assuming that you can prevent can lead to a false sense of security. Rather, we can reduce risks, we can make it more difficult for attackers to be successful, and we can increase visibility to stop the progression of exploits. Learn more in our whitepaper: Invisible PAM: Balance Productivity and Security Seamlessly 2. Remove local administrator privileges and practice the Principle of Least Privilege Looking for more advice on defending against privilege escalation attacks?We’ve covered a basic explanation of privileges in Windows and foundational techniques and security controls to combat privilege escalation attacks. Privilege escalation defense does get more complicated when we start looking into Active Directory, cloud environments, and Single-Sign-On. What is UAC used for?User Account Control (UAC) helps prevent malware from damaging a PC and helps organizations deploy a better-managed desktop. With UAC, apps and tasks always run in the security context of a non-administrator account, unless an administrator specifically authorizes administrator-level access to the system.
What is UAC and how does it work?User Account Control (UAC) helps prevent malicious programs (also called malware) from damaging a computer and helps organizations deploy a better-managed desktop.
What is Windows administrator account?An administrator is someone who can make changes on a computer that will affect other users of the computer. Administrators can change security settings, install software and hardware, access all files on the computer, and make changes to other user accounts.
Which utility enables you to add users and groups in Windows 7 Professional?Which utility enables you to add users and groups in Windows 7 Professional? trap: user account applet ( it creates users in window 10.
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