Privilege Escalation in Linux — From User to Root

Linux Privilege Escalation

After getting initial access to a system, the next step is escalating from a low-privilege user to root (administrator).

Common Techniques

• SUID Binaries: find / -perm -4000 — Find files that run as root
• Sudo Misconfiguration: sudo -l — Check what you can run as root
• Cron Jobs: Writable scripts executed by root
• Kernel Exploits: uname -a — Check for known vulnerable kernels
• Writable /etc/passwd: Add a new root user

Tools

• LinPEAS: Automated Linux privesc scanner
• GTFOBins: Database of exploitable Linux binaries

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