Privilege Escalation Detection via Event Log Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting unauthorized privilege escalation in computer networks are largely reactive and invasive, requiring manual intervention and are not universally applicable, making it difficult for IT administrators to efficiently manage and control software privileges across complex network environments.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a proactive approach using event logging and tracing functionality provided by modern operating systems, such as Microsoft Event Tracing for Windows and Linux pnotify, to monitor and track the privilege levels of running processes, identifying unauthorized privilege escalations without interfering with system control flows or user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual detection methods are used for unauthorized privilege escalation, then detection accuracy may be maintained, but IT administrator workload and response time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated self-detection of unauthorized privilege escalation by monitoring process privilege level changes against a database of known exploitation techniques. The detection system operates autonomously without requiring manual administrator intervention, continuously analyzing event logs and comparing them against known patterns to identify and respond to privilege escalation attempts in real-time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-populating a database with known privilege escalation exploitation techniques and patterns before they are attempted. This preparatory work enables the automated detection system to quickly recognize and respond to threats as they occur, eliminating the need for manual analysis and significantly reducing response time.
2Reliability
If invasive detection methods are implemented, then detection capability is improved, but system performance and user experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses event logs as an intermediary layer to detect privilege escalation attempts. Instead of directly interfering with process execution or system control flows, the detection mechanism analyzes recorded events and patterns in the logs, allowing for reliable detection while maintaining normal system operation and user experience without invasive interventions.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive monitoring of all processes is performed, then detection accuracy improves, but system complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial monitoring by focusing detection efforts on specific indicators of privilege escalation attempts rather than analyzing every process event in detail. By targeting key patterns and known exploitation techniques in the event logs, the system achieves high detection accuracy for privilege escalation while avoiding the complexity and resource consumption of comprehensive full-system monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
Automatic detection of software that performs unauthorized privilege escalation is disclosed. Examples disclosed herein include detecting, in an event log, a first event associated with a start of execution of a process, the first event to identify a first privilege level associated with the process, and storing the first privilege level in a data structure associated with the process. Disclosed examples also include detecting, in the event log by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a subsequent second event associated with the execution of the process, the second event to identify a second privilege level associated with the process. Disclosed examples further include at least one of terminating, pausing or suspending the process in response to the second privilege level being higher than the first privilege level.