Elevation 2 - Hidden Privileges in Windows

In this lab, you will analyze a corporate Windows server that hosts multiple user accounts. It is suspected that one of them has misconfigurations that could allow privilege escalation and lead to full system control.

Your objective is to identify exposed credentials, gain remote access to the machine, and analyze the environment's configuration to determine whether you can become an administrator.

🌱 How to Start This Lab

Follow these steps to begin:

1. Download the virtual machine from this link:

1  https://storage.googleapis.com/cybersecurity-machines/elevation-windows-machine.ova

1. Import the machine into your preferred virtualization manager like VirtualBox.
2. To perform this lab, you'll need an additional virtual machine that will act as your attack environment. This machine must have cybersecurity tools. We recommend using Kali Linux.
   • Download the pre-built Kali Linux virtual machine image from its official website. Using the option for "Virtual Machines" from this link.
3. Once both machines are started, you can begin the lab!

Recommended Tools

During your analysis, you may consider using:

• Nmap, Netdiscover – for service discovery and resource detection
• SMBClient – to enumerate and access shared resources
• Hydra, rockyou.txt – for brute-force attacks on remote services

Remember: sometimes you don't need a technical vulnerability—just a bad security practice.

Happy hacking!