Privilege escalation attacks ?

Privilege escalation attacks are a type of cyber attack where an attacker exploits vulnerabilities in a system to gain higher levels of access or privileges than they are supposed to have. This allows the attacker to access sensitive information, manipulate data, or carry out other malicious activities on the system.

There are two main types of privilege escalation attacks:

1. Vertical privilege escalation: In this type of attack, the attacker gains higher levels of access within the same user account. For example, an attacker with limited user privileges may exploit a vulnerability to gain administrative privileges on the system.

2. Horizontal privilege escalation: In this type of attack, the attacker gains access to another user account with the same level of privileges. For example, an attacker may exploit a vulnerability to gain access to another user's account with the same level of access.

Privilege escalation attacks can be carried out through various methods, such as exploiting software vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, or weak security controls. To prevent privilege escalation attacks, it is important to regularly update software, implement strong access controls, and monitor system activity for any suspicious behavior.