Privilege escalation

Privilege escalation is a cybersecurity term referring to the act of exploiting a bug, design flaw, or configuration oversight to gain elevated access to resources that are normally protected. This can be achieved through various methods, including exploiting vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, or using social engineering techniques, and is critical because it can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data and system control. The primary targets of privilege escalation are systems and applications with inadequate security measures, making it a significant concern for IT administrators and cybersecurity professionals.