SUID and GUID Abuse

The SUID (Set-UID) and GUID (Set-GID) abuse technique is a privilege escalation method where attackers exploit executables with special permission bits set that allow them to run with the privileges of the file owner or group rather than the user who executed them. During the Deepening Control phase, after initial access is established, attackers search for SUID/GUID binaries using commands like find / -perm -u=s -type f 2>/dev/null to identify potential targets. They then leverage these binaries—either through intended functionality or exploitation of vulnerabilities within them—to execute code with elevated privileges. Common targets include misconfigured system utilities like nano, vi, find, or custom applications with unnecessary SUID/GUID permissions. This technique is particularly effective in Linux and Unix environments where improperly configured permissions on critical binaries can provide attackers a direct path to privilege escalation, allowing them to deepen their control over the compromised system and establish persistence.