“The Art of Bug Bounties Unraveling the Secrets of Privilege Escalation”

Bug bounty programs have become a crucial aspect of cybersecurity, allowing ethical hackers to identify and report vulnerabilities in software, websites, and applications. Among the myriad of potential exploits, privilege escalation stands out as a particularly intriguing and impactful category. In this article, we’ll unravel the secrets of privilege escalation, exploring its significance, common techniques, and how ethical hackers can leverage this knowledge in bug bounty programs.

Understanding Privilege Escalation

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker gains unauthorized access to higher levels of permissions within a system, enabling them to perform actions beyond their intended scope. In the realm of bug bounties, discovering and responsibly disclosing privilege escalation vulnerabilities can yield substantial rewards and contribute to strengthening the overall security posture of the targeted systems.

1. Local Privilege Escalation

Local privilege escalation exploits target vulnerabilities within an operating system or software application, allowing an attacker to elevate their privileges from a lower-privileged account to a higher-privileged one. Common vectors include misconfigured permissions, unpatched vulnerabilities, or weakly protected system files.

2. Vertical Privilege Escalation

Vertical privilege escalation involves an attacker elevating their privileges within a multi-tiered system. This could be gaining admin access on a web application or escalating from a regular user to an administrator on a network. Understanding the architecture and user roles within a system is crucial for identifying and exploiting vertical privilege escalation vulnerabilities.

3. Horizontal Privilege Escalation

In horizontal privilege escalation, attackers aim to gain access to the same level of privileges but for a different user account. This often involves exploiting flaws in session management, authentication mechanisms, or other user-related vulnerabilities. Uncovering horizontal privilege escalation vulnerabilities can be equally impactful, especially in scenarios where attackers can compromise multiple user accounts.