Privilege Escalation Attacks
In cybersecurity, privilege escalation attacks are malicious activities where an attacker gains higher-level access to a computer system, network, or application than they are authorized to have. Essentially, they're trying to "level up" their access to perform actions they shouldn't be able to. Here's a breakdown:
Core Concept:
Systems operate with varying access levels, with administrators having the most control.
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker moves from lower-level access (like a standard user) to higher-level access (like an administrator or root user).
Types:
Vertical Privilege Escalation:
This involves gaining higher-level privileges within the same system. For example, a standard user becoming an administrator.
Horizontal Privilege Escalation:
This involves gaining access to the privileges of another user with similar access levels, such as another employee's account.
Attack Vectors:
Exploiting Software Vulnerabilities: Attackers can use flaws in operating systems or applications to gain elevated privileges.
Credential Exploitation: Stolen or weak passwords or credential stuffing are often used.
Misconfigurations: Improperly configured systems can inadvertently grant excessive privileges.
Malware: Malicious software can be used to escalate privileges.
Social Engineering: Tricks and manipulation can convince users to grant higher access.
Why it Matters:
Privilege escalation allows attackers to cause significant damage, such as:
Stealing sensitive data.
Installing malware or ransomware.
Disrupting critical systems.
Gaining persistent access to a network.
Privilege escalation is key in many cyberattacks, allowing attackers to deepen their control and inflict more significant harm.
Based on the provided document, here's an explanation of how ThreatNG addresses privilege escalation concerns through its various capabilities:
ThreatNG performs external, unauthenticated discovery without needing connectors. This is crucial for identifying potential entry points attackers might use to gain initial access before attempting privilege escalation. For example, it can discover exposed web applications or open ports that are vulnerable to exploitation.
ThreatNG provides several assessment ratings that directly and indirectly help in identifying vulnerabilities that could lead to privilege escalation:
Web Application Hijack Susceptibility: This assesses the susceptibility of web applications to hijacking, a technique attackers might use to gain control and potentially escalate privileges within the application's environment.
Example: ThreatNG analyzes external attack surfaces and digital risk intelligence to find potential entry points. This could include identifying unsecured file upload functionalities or vulnerable authentication mechanisms in a web application.
Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility: ThreatNG analyzes subdomains, DNS records, and SSL certificate statuses to identify subdomains that could be taken over by attackers. A successful subdomain takeover can give an attacker a foothold to compromise the main domain further and escalate privileges.
Example: ThreatNG's analysis might reveal a forgotten subdomain with outdated software, which an attacker could exploit.
Cyber Risk Exposure: This assessment considers domain intelligence parameters like certificates, subdomain headers, vulnerabilities, and sensitive ports. These factors are critical in identifying weaknesses that could be exploited for privilege escalation.
Example: ThreatNG might discover exposed sensitive ports (like those for databases) or known vulnerabilities in subdomain headers, indicating potential avenues for attack.
Code Secret Exposure: ThreatNG discovers code repositories and checks for exposed sensitive data, such as credentials. Exposed credentials are a direct privilege escalation risk, as they can allow attackers to gain immediate high-level access.
Example: ThreatNG's Code Repository Exposure module can find exposed API keys or database passwords within public code repositories.
Mobile App Exposure: ThreatNG evaluates an organization's mobile app exposure and identifies embedded credentials or sensitive data. Exposed credentials in mobile apps can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to backend systems and escalate privileges.
Example: ThreatNG can discover mobile apps in marketplaces and find hardcoded API keys or access tokens within the app's code.
3. Reporting
ThreatNG provides various reports, including technical and prioritized reports, that highlight the identified risks. These reports enable security teams to focus on the most critical vulnerabilities, including those that could lead to privilege escalation.
Example: A report might prioritize findings related to exposed credentials or critical vulnerabilities in internet-facing applications.
ThreatNG continuously monitors the external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings. This ongoing monitoring helps detect new vulnerabilities or misconfigurations that could be exploited for privilege escalation.
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide detailed intelligence that aids in understanding and addressing potential privilege escalation risks:
Domain Intelligence: This module provides in-depth information about an organization's domains, including DNS records, subdomains, and WHOIS information. This information helps identify potential attack vectors, such as vulnerable subdomains or misconfigured DNS settings.
Example: The Subdomain Intelligence feature can identify outdated server headers or exposed admin pages on subdomains.
IP Intelligence: This module provides information about an organization's IP addresses, which can help identify exposed services or potential attack sources.
Certificate Intelligence: This module analyzes TLS certificates, which can reveal vulnerabilities or misconfigurations related to encryption and authentication.
Sensitive Code Exposure: This module discovers and analyzes public code repositories for exposed secrets like API keys, credentials, and configuration files. This is critical for preventing privilege escalation through leaked credentials.
Example: It can identify an exposed configuration file in a GitHub repository that contains database credentials.
Mobile Application Discovery: This module discovers mobile apps and analyzes their contents for security vulnerabilities, including embedded credentials.
Search Engine Exploitation: This module helps identify information exposed through search engines that could aid attackers in privilege escalation, such as exposed admin directories or credentials.
Example: It can discover exposed admin directories or files containing sensitive information indexed by search engines.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: This module identifies the organization's cloud services and SaaS applications and potential misconfigurations or exposures. This helps prevent privilege escalation through compromised cloud accounts or services.
Example: It can detect publicly accessible cloud storage buckets or unsanctioned SaaS applications with weak security settings.
Dark Web Presence: This module monitors the dark web for compromised credentials and mentions of ransomware events. Compromised credentials found on the dark web are a significant privilege escalation risk.
Example: It can alert an organization to compromised employee credentials on a dark web marketplace.
ThreatNG uses intelligence repositories, including data on compromised credentials, known vulnerabilities, and ransomware events. These repositories provide valuable context for assessing and prioritizing privilege escalation risks.
7. Work with Complementary Solutions
The document does not explicitly detail ThreatNG's direct integrations with specific complementary solutions. However, its capabilities suggest it would work well with:
SIEM Systems: ThreatNG's findings can be fed into SIEM systems for centralized monitoring and correlation with other security events.
Vulnerability Management Tools: ThreatNG's identification of external vulnerabilities can complement internal vulnerability scanning efforts.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) Systems: ThreatNG's insights into exposed credentials and access risks can inform IAM policies and controls.
ThreatNG helps address privilege escalation by providing comprehensive external attack surface management, identifying vulnerabilities, detecting exposed credentials, and continuously monitoring for new risks.
