Host-Based Attacks (PenTest+) Privilege Escalation Quiz

1. What does the SUID bit enable on a Linux executable?

Execution with the permissions of the file owner

Shared user input

Sequential user identification

Secure user ID assignment

2. What is the significance of the /etc/sudoers file in Linux privilege escalation?

It defines which users can run commands with elevated privileges

It stores all system passwords

It controls firewall rules

It manages network interfaces

3. Which exploit technique uses DLL injection to escalate privileges on Windows?

DLL hijacking via missing or unquoted paths

XML external entity injection

LDAP injection

OS command injection

4. What is the primary risk of running services as the root or SYSTEM user?

A single service compromise leads to full system compromise

Increased network latency

Reduced file storage capacity

Slower application performance

5. Which technique involves exploiting weak file permissions to escalate privileges?

World-writable file exploitation

DNS poisoning

ARP spoofing

BGP hijacking

6. In post-exploitation, what does 'persistence' refer to?

Maintaining access after the initial compromise

Removing audit logs

Patching vulnerabilities

Stealing credentials

7. Which Windows component stores cached credentials that can be extracted for privilege escalation?

LSASS (Local Security Authority Subsystem)

Task Scheduler

Windows Update

Print Spooler

8. What is the purpose of 'Living off the Land' techniques in privilege escalation?

Using built-in OS tools to avoid detection

Installing custom malware

Disabling antivirus software

Creating new user accounts

9. Which Linux vulnerability allows reading kernel memory from user space?

Meltdown and Spectre

Shellshock

Heartbleed

EternalBlue

10. In Windows, what is a 'named pipe' vulnerability often exploited for?

Privilege escalation through impersonation

Network packet routing

File system encryption

Registry modification

11. What is the primary objective of privilege escalation in a penetration test?

Gain higher-level access from a compromised user account

Enumerate network topology

Perform password cracking

Establish initial network access

12. Which tool is commonly used to enumerate privilege escalation vectors on Windows?

Winpeas

Wireshark

Netstat

Ping

13. What vulnerability class does a buffer overflow in a setuid binary represent?

Memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution

Logic error

Configuration weakness

Cryptographic failure

14. In privilege escalation, what does lateral movement refer to?

Moving between systems at the same privilege level

Reducing system permissions

Exfiltrating data

Patching vulnerabilities

15. Which Windows service is commonly targeted for privilege escalation via unquoted service paths?

Services with spaces in executable paths that lack quotes

DNS services

DHCP services

NTP services

16. What is the purpose of spawning a reverse shell after privilege escalation?

Maintain persistent interactive access to the compromised host

Increase network bandwidth

Disable firewall rules

Encrypt stored files

17. Which of the following is a common kernel vulnerability exploitation technique?

Dirty COW (Copy-on-Write)

SQL injection

Cross-site scripting

Social engineering

18. In Linux, what privilege escalation technique involves exploiting misconfigured sudo permissions?

Sudo abuse

Buffer overflow

Kernel patching

File descriptor hijacking

19. What does UAC (User Account Control) primarily prevent in Windows?

Non-admin users from running elevated processes without consent

All network traffic

File access by any user

System startup operations

20. Which Windows component can be exploited through token impersonation attacks?

Access Tokens

Network adapters

Firewall rules

DNS records

Pentest Host Quiz: Can You Master Privilege Escalation?