Arbitrary Code Execution

• Vulnerability allows an attacker to run their code without restrictions
• Lets attackers execute their code on the target system

Remote Code Execution

Type of arbitrary code execution that occurs remotely, often over the internet

Privilege Escalation

• Gaining higher-level permissions than originally assigned
• Allows attackers to operate with elevated privileges, such as administrator or root access
• Vertical Privilege Escalation — Going from normal user to higher privilege (e.g., admin or root)
• Commonly associated with code execution leading to admin-level permissions

Horizontal Privilege Escalation

• Accessing or modifying resources at the same level as the attacker
• Occurs when a user attempts to access resources for which they don’t have permissions at the same level

Understanding Privileges

• Application and process privileges are required for executing functions, reading, and writing data
• Applications inherit the permissions of the user running them (e.g., system, admin, or user)
• Understanding and managing privileges is crucial for system security
• Attackers aim to gain higher privileges to perform malicious actions

Rootkits

• Class of malware that conceals its presence by modifying system files, often at the kernel level