Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Exploitation for Privilege Escalation [T1068]

Information

• Name: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

• ID: T1068

• Tactics: TA0004

Introduction

Exploitation for Privilege Escalation is identified as technique T1068 within the MITRE ATT&CK framework. It involves attackers exploiting vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, or weaknesses in software, operating systems, or services to escalate privileges on compromised systems. Privilege escalation allows adversaries to obtain higher-level permissions, enabling them to perform unauthorized actions, access sensitive data, maintain persistence, and move laterally within the network.

Deep Dive Into Technique

Attackers leverage various methods and mechanisms to escalate privileges through exploitation, including:

• Kernel Exploits:

  • Exploiting vulnerabilities in operating system kernels, such as Linux kernel vulnerabilities or Windows kernel driver flaws.

  • Commonly involves exploiting race conditions, memory corruption, or improper input validation.

• Application-Level Exploits:

  • Exploiting vulnerabilities in installed applications or services running with elevated privileges.

  • Typical targets include database services, web servers, or administrative tools.

• Misconfigured Services:

  • Exploiting improper security configurations or insecure permissions on services or files.

  • Examples include writable service executables, DLL hijacking, or insecure scheduled tasks.

• Exploiting Known Vulnerabilities:

  • Utilizing publicly disclosed vulnerabilities for which patches are available but not yet applied.

  • Attackers frequently leverage CVE-listed vulnerabilities and public exploit code.

• Zero-Day Exploits:

  • Exploiting unknown, unpatched vulnerabilities.

  • Typically employed by advanced persistent threats (APTs).

Attackers commonly use specialized tools and frameworks, such as Metasploit, Powersploit, or custom-developed scripts, to automate and streamline exploitation attempts.

When this Technique is Usually Used

Attackers utilize exploitation for privilege escalation across multiple attack scenarios and stages, including:

• Initial Access Stage:

  • After gaining initial foothold through phishing, malware, or web application compromise, attackers escalate privileges to establish deeper control.

• Persistence Stage:

  • Privilege escalation enables attackers to create persistent backdoors, scheduled tasks, or services running with high privileges.

• Lateral Movement Stage:

  • Elevated privileges facilitate lateral movement, allowing attackers to compromise additional systems within the network.

• Data Exfiltration Stage:

  • Higher privileges provide access to sensitive data, databases, and critical systems, facilitating exfiltration.

• Attack Expansion and Impact Stage:

  • Privilege escalation allows attackers to disrupt operations, install ransomware, or perform destructive actions.

How this Technique is Usually Detected

Detection of privilege escalation through exploitation involves monitoring, logging, and analyzing system activities and behaviors:

• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR):

  • Monitoring kernel-level activities, suspicious process injection, abnormal privilege assignments, and unauthorized access attempts.

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM):

  • Correlating events from multiple sources to identify anomalies and suspicious behavior patterns.

  • Monitoring logs for unusual privilege assignments, unexpected user account creations, or unauthorized access to critical resources.

• Behavioral Analysis and Anomaly Detection:

  • Identifying deviations from baseline behaviors, unusual process executions, or unexpected privilege escalations.

• Vulnerability Management and Patch Monitoring Tools:

  • Regular scanning and monitoring to detect unpatched vulnerabilities targeted by attackers for privilege escalation.

• File Integrity Monitoring (FIM):

  • Detecting unauthorized changes to critical system files, binaries, or configurations indicative of privilege escalation attempts.

Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) associated with this technique include:

• Unusual or unauthorized user account creation with administrative privileges.

• Unexpected system reboots or crashes following exploitation attempts.

• Suspicious kernel module loading or driver installations.

• Execution of privilege escalation tools or scripts (e.g., Mimikatz, Juicy Potato, Dirty COW).

• Unauthorized modifications to scheduled tasks, startup items, or services.

Why it is Important to Detect This Technique

Early detection of exploitation for privilege escalation is crucial due to its significant potential impacts:

• Increased Attacker Control and Persistence:

  • Elevated privileges enable attackers to install persistent backdoors, maintain long-term presence, and evade detection.

• Access to Sensitive Data and Resources:

  • Attackers can access sensitive corporate data, intellectual property, personal information, and critical infrastructure.

• Facilitation of Lateral Movement:

  • Privilege escalation often precedes lateral movement, enabling attackers to compromise additional systems and expand their foothold.

• Potential for Operational Disruption:

  • Attackers with elevated privileges can disrupt services, delete or encrypt data (ransomware), and cause operational downtime.

• Regulatory and Compliance Risks:

  • Undetected privilege escalation incidents can lead to compliance violations, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage.

Proactive detection and response reduce dwell time, limit attacker capabilities, and significantly mitigate potential damage and associated costs.

Examples

Real-world examples of exploitation for privilege escalation include:

• Dirty COW (CVE-2016-5195):

  • Linux kernel vulnerability allowing attackers to escalate privileges by exploiting a race condition in copy-on-write (COW) memory management.

  • Attackers used publicly available exploit code to gain root privileges, facilitating full system compromise.

• Juicy Potato and Rotten Potato Attacks:

  • Exploitation of Windows privilege escalation vulnerabilities leveraging impersonation tokens and COM interfaces.

  • Attackers frequently used these attacks to escalate privileges on Windows servers and endpoints, enabling further compromise.

• PrintNightmare (CVE-2021-34527):

  • Windows Print Spooler vulnerability allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges.

  • Widely exploited by attackers to escalate privileges, deploy ransomware, and establish persistent footholds.

• EternalBlue Exploit (CVE-2017-0144):

  • SMB vulnerability exploited by WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware attacks, enabling attackers to escalate privileges and propagate across networks.

  • Resulted in widespread operational disruptions, significant financial losses, and data destruction.

• Exploitation of Misconfigured Services:

  • Attackers commonly exploit insecurely configured services or scheduled tasks with weak permissions.

  • Example: writable service executables allowing attackers to replace binaries and escalate privileges easily.

These examples highlight the necessity of proactive vulnerability management, patching practices, and robust monitoring to detect and mitigate exploitation for privilege escalation effectively.