LDAP Privilege Escalation: Risks, Detection, and Mitigation

LDAP privilege escalation is the act of manipulating permissions or attributes in an LDAP directory to gain higher-level access than originally granted. It can occur when LDAP configurations are insecure, access control rules are lax, or input validation is absent. Attackers often chain LDAP privilege escalation with other vulnerabilities to move from limited access to full administrative control.

Common attack vectors include:

• Weak Access Control Lists (ACLs): Misconfigured ACLs allow unauthorized writes to sensitive attributes like memberOf or adminRole.
• Attribute Injection: Unsafe LDAP modification operations allow attackers to add themselves to privileged groups.
• Exposed Bind Credentials: Service accounts with elevated roles stored without encryption or in client-side code.
• Privilege Creep: Over time, users accumulate roles without proper auditing, creating opportunities for lateral escalation.

Detection requires tight audit trails and real-time monitoring of LDAP changes. Focus on:

• Logging all bind and modify operations.
• Restricting direct writes to group membership or role attributes.
• Enforcing least privilege from the schema level.
• Regularly reviewing organizational units and group memberships.

Mitigation is straightforward but requires discipline:

1. Lock down ACLs to exact needs.
2. Encrypt and rotate credentials.
3. Implement read-only service accounts for most LDAP interactions.
4. Integrate change detection tools for immediate alerts.

LDAP privilege escalation thrives in environments where permissions are assumed rather than proven. Every blind spot in your directory schema is a possible entry point. Control the surface area, and you control the risk.

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