hacktricks/windows-hardening/checklist-windows-privilege-escalation.md

Checklist - Local Windows Privilege Escalation

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Best tool to look for Windows local privilege escalation vectors: WinPEAS

System Info

• Obtain System information
• Search for kernel exploits using scripts
• Use Google to search for kernel exploits
• Use searchsploit to search for kernel exploits
• Interesting info in env vars?
• Passwords in PowerShell history?
• Interesting info in Internet settings?
• Drives?
• WSUS exploit?
• AlwaysInstallElevated?

Logging/AV enumeration

• Check Audit and WEF settings
• Check LAPS
• Check if WDigest is active
• LSA Protection?
• Credentials Guard?
• Cached Credentials?
• Check if any AV
• AppLocker Policy?
• UAC
• User Privileges
• Check current user privileges
• Are you member of any privileged group?
• Check if you have any of these tokens enabled: SeImpersonatePrivilege, SeAssignPrimaryPrivilege, SeTcbPrivilege, SeBackupPrivilege, SeRestorePrivilege, SeCreateTokenPrivilege, SeLoadDriverPrivilege, SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege, SeDebugPrivilege ?
• Users Sessions?
• Check users homes (access?)
• Check Password Policy
• What is inside the Clipboard?

Network

• Check current network information
• Check hidden local services restricted to the outside

Running Processes

• Processes binaries file and folders permissions
• Memory Password mining
• Insecure GUI apps

Services

• Can you modify any service?
• Can you modify the binary that is executed by any service?
• Can you modify the registry of any service?
• Can you take advantage of any unquoted service binary path?

Applications

• Write permissions on installed applications
• Startup Applications
• Vulnerable Drivers

DLL Hijacking

• Can you write in any folder inside PATH?
• Is there any known service binary that tries to load any non-existant DLL?
• Can you write in any binaries folder?

Network

• Enumerate the network (shares, interfaces, routes, neighbours, ...)
• Take a special look at network services listening on localhost (127.0.0.1)

Windows Credentials

• Winlogon credentials
• Windows Vault credentials that you could use?
• Interesting DPAPI credentials?
• Passwords of saved Wifi networks?
• Interesting info in saved RDP Connections?
• Passwords in recently run commands?
• Remote Desktop Credentials Manager passwords?
• AppCmd.exe exists? Credentials?
• SCClient.exe? DLL Side Loading?

Files and Registry (Credentials)

• Putty: Creds and SSH host keys
• SSH keys in registry?
• Passwords in unattended files?
• Any SAM & SYSTEM backup?
• Cloud credentials?
• McAfee SiteList.xml file?
• Cached GPP Password?
• Password in IIS Web config file?
• Interesting info in web logs?
• Do you want to ask for credentials to the user?
• Interesting files inside the Recycle Bin?
• Other registry containing credentials?
• Inside Browser data (dbs, history, bookmarks, ...)?
• Generic password search in files and registry
• Tools to automatically search for passwords

Leaked Handlers

• Have you access to any handler of a process run by administrator?

Pipe Client Impersonation

• Check if you can abuse it

Support HackTricks and get benefits!

• Do you work in a cybersecurity company? Do you want to see your company advertised in HackTricks? or do you want to have access to the latest version of the PEASS or download HackTricks in PDF? Check the SUBSCRIPTION PLANS!

• Discover The PEASS Family, our collection of exclusive NFTs

• Get the official PEASS & HackTricks swag

• Join the 💬 Discord group or the telegram group or follow me on Twitter 🐦@carlospolopm.

• Share your hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the hacktricks github repo.