GCP - local privilege escalation ssh pivoting

👉 Overview

👀 What ?

GCP local privilege escalation via SSH pivoting revolves around acquiring escalated privileges on a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) instance by pivoting via a Secure Shell (SSH) connection. This technique allows a user to use an established SSH connection to remotely exploit vulnerabilities in the GCP instance and gain escalated privileges.

🧐 Why ?

Understanding GCP local privilege escalation via SSH pivoting is crucial as it exposes potential security vulnerabilities in cloud environments. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access, perform malicious actions, and potentially compromise the entire cloud infrastructure. Knowing how this technique works helps in implementing appropriate security measures and in identifying potential malicious activities.

⛏️ How ?

To perform GCP local privilege escalation via SSH pivoting, the attacker begins by establishing an SSH connection to a GCP instance. Once the connection is established, the attacker can exploit known vulnerabilities in the system or use brute force attacks to gain escalated privileges. The process involves finding an entry point, exploiting a vulnerability, and then using the escalated privileges to perform malicious actions.

⏳ When ?

The practice of GCP local privilege escalation via SSH pivoting started gaining traction with the rise in cloud computing. As more organizations migrated their data and operations to the cloud, attackers saw an opportunity to exploit security vulnerabilities in these new environments.

⚙️ Technical Explanations

GCP local privilege escalation via SSH pivoting involves multiple stages. It begins with the attacker establishing an SSH connection to a GCP instance. This can be done by exploiting weak SSH credentials or by using stolen SSH keys. Once the connection is established, the attacker can pivot through the network, using the compromised GCP instance as a stepping-stone to target other systems. The attacker then exploits a vulnerability in the system to gain escalated privileges. This could involve exploiting a known vulnerability, using a zero-day exploit, or performing a brute force attack. With escalated privileges, the attacker has full control over the system and can perform any actions they want. This could include stealing data, deploying malware, or even creating new user accounts with administrator privileges.