Privilege Escalation

Understanding Linux Privilege Escalation and Defending Against It

The best way to defend a system is by understanding how attackers work. Learn about privilege escalation on Linux and discover the measures and tools.

Summary

What is Linux privilege escalation? Privilege escalation is the process of elevating your permission level, by switching from one user to another one and gain more privileges. For example, a normal user on Linux can become root or get the same permissions as root. This can be authorized usage, with the use of the su or sudo command. It can also be unauthorized, for example when an attacker leverages a software bug.