hacktricks/windows/checklist-windows-privilege-escalation.md

# Checklist - Local Windows Privilege Escalation

### **Best tool to look for Windows local privilege escalation vectors:** [**WinPEAS**](https://github.com/carlospolop/privilege-escalation-awesome-scripts-suite/tree/master/winPEAS)\*\*\*\*

### [System Info](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#system-info)

* [ ] Obtain [**System information**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#system-info)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] Search for **kernel** [**exploits using scripts**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#version-exploits)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] Use **Google to search** for kernel **exploits**
* [ ] Use **searchsploit to search** for kernel **exploits**
* [ ] Interesting info in [**env vars**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#environment)?
* [ ] Passwords in [**PowerShell history**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#powershell-history)?
* [ ] Interesting info in [**Internet settings**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#internet-settings)?
* [ ] [**Drives**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#drives)?
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**WSUS exploit**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#wsus)?
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**AlwaysInstallElevated**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#alwaysinstallelevated)?

### [Logging/AV enumeration](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#enumeration)

* [ ] Check [**Audit** ](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#audit-settings)and [**WEF** ](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#wef)settings
* [ ] Check [**LAPS**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#laps)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] Check if [**WDigest** ](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#wdigest)is active
* [ ] [**LSA Protection**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#lsa-protection)?
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**Credentials Guard**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#credentials-guard)[?](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#cached-credentials)
* [ ] [**Cached Credentials**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#cached-credentials)?
* [ ] Check if any [**AV**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#av)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**AppLocker Policy**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#applocker-policy)?
* [ ] [**UAC**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#uac)?

### \*\*\*\*[**User Privileges**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#users-and-groups)

* [ ] Check [**current** user **privileges**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#users-and-groups)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] Are you [**member of any privileged group**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#privileged-groups)?
* [ ] Check if you have [any of these tokens enabled](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#token-manipulation): **SeImpersonatePrivilege, SeAssignPrimaryPrivilege, SeTcbPrivilege, SeBackupPrivilege, SeRestorePrivilege, SeCreateTokenPrivilege, SeLoadDriverPrivilege, SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege, SeDebugPrivilege** ? 
* [ ] [**Users Sessions**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#logged-users-sessions)?
* [ ] Check[ **users homes**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#home-folders) \(access?\)
* [ ] Check [**Password Policy**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#password-policy)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] What is[ **inside the Clipboard**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#get-the-content-of-the-clipboard)?

### [Network](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#network)

* [ ] Check **current** [**network** **information**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#network)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] Check **hidden local services** restricted to the outside

### [Running Processes](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#running-processes)

* [ ] Processes binaries [**file and folders permissions**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#file-and-folder-permissions)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**Memory Password mining**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#memory-password-mining)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**Insecure GUI apps**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#insecure-gui-apps)\*\*\*\*

### [Services](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#services)

* [ ] [Can you **modify any service**?](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#permissions)
* [ ] [Can you **modify** the **binary** that is **executed** by any **service**?](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#modify-service-binary-path)
* [ ] [Can you **modify** the **registry** of any **service**?](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#services-registry-permissions)
* [ ] [Can you take advantage of any **unquoted service** binary **path**?](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#unquoted-service-paths)

### \*\*\*\*[**Applications**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#applications)\*\*\*\*

* [ ] **Write** [**permissions on installed applications**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#write-permissions)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**Startup Applications**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#run-at-startup)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] **Vulnerable** [**Drivers**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#drivers)\*\*\*\*

### [DLL Hijacking](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#path-dll-hijacking)

* [ ] Can you **write in any folder inside PATH**?
* [ ] Is there any known service binary that **tries to load any non-existant DLL**?
* [ ] Can you **write** in any **binaries folder**?

### [Network](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#network)

* [ ] Enumerate the network\(shares, interfaces, routes, neighbours...\)
* [ ] Take a special look to network services listing on local \(127.0.0.1\)

### [Windows Credentials](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#windows-credentials)

* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**Winlogon** ](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#winlogon-credentials)credentials
* [ ] [**Windows Vault**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#windows-vault) credentials that you could use?
* [ ] Interesting [**DPAPI credentials**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#dpapi)?
* [ ] Passwords of saved [**Wifi networks**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#wifi)?
* [ ] Interesting info in ****[**saved RDP Connections**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#saved-rdp-connections)?
* [ ] Passwords in [**recently run commands**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#recently-run-commands)?
* [ ] [**Remote Desktop Credentials Manager**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#remote-desktop-credential-manager) passwords?
* [ ] [**AppCmd.exe** exists](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#appcmd-exe)? Credentials?
* [ ] [**SCClient.exe**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#scclient-sccm)? DLL Side Loading?

### [Files and Registry \(Credentials\)](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#files-and-registry-credentials)

* [ ] **Putty:** [**Creds**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#putty-creds) **and** [**SSH host keys**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#putty-ssh-host-keys)\*\*\*\*
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**SSH keys in registry**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#ssh-keys-in-registry)?
* [ ] Passwords in [**unattended files**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#unattended-files)?
* [ ] Any [**SAM & SYSTEM**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#sam-and-system-backups) backup?
* [ ] [**Cloud credentials**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#cloud-credentials)?
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**McAfee SiteList.xml**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#mcafee-sitelist-xml) file?
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**Cached GPP Password**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#cached-gpp-pasword)?
* [ ] Password in [**IIS Web config file**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#iis-web-config)?
* [ ] Interesting info in [**web** **logs**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#logs)?
* [ ] Do you want to [**ask for credentials**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#ask-for-credentials) to the user?
* [ ] Interesting [**files inside the Recycle Bin**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#credentials-in-the-recyclebin)?
* [ ] Other [**registry containing credentials**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#inside-the-registry)?
* [ ] Inside [**Browser data**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#browsers-history) \(dbs, history, bookmarks....\)?
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**Generic password search**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#generic-password-search-in-files-and-registry) in files and registry
* [ ] \*\*\*\*[**Tools**](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#tools-that-search-for-passwords) to automatically search for passwords

### [Leaked Handlers](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#leaked-handlers)

* [ ] Have you access to any handler of a process run by administrator?

### [Pipe Client Impersonation](windows-local-privilege-escalation/#named-pipe-client-impersonation)

* [ ] Check if you can abuse it

### And more...



If you want to **know** about my **latest modifications**/**additions** or you have **any suggestion for HackTricks or PEASS**, ****join the [💬](https://emojipedia.org/speech-balloon/) ****[**PEASS & HackTricks telegram group here**](https://t.me/peass), or **follow me on Twitter** [🐦](https://emojipedia.org/bird/)[**@carlospolopm**](https://twitter.com/carlospolopm)**.**  
If you want to **share some tricks with the community** you can also submit **pull requests** to ****[**https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks) ****that will be reflected in this book.  
Don't forget to **give ⭐ on the github** to motivate me to continue developing this book.

![](../.gitbook/assets/68747470733a2f2f7777772e6275796d6561636f666665652e636f6d2f6173736574732f696d672f637573746f6d5f696d616765732f6f72616e67655f696d672e706e67%20%286%29%20%284%29%20%284%29.png)

​[**Buy me a coffee here**](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carlospolop)\*\*\*\*