Privilege Escalation with Task Scheduler

When it comes to privilege escalation during penetration testing, many testers immediately look for SeImpersonatePrivilege as the golden ticket to SYSTEM-level access. But what happens when SeImpersonate isn’t available? Should you abandon all hope? Absolutely not!

One powerful yet often overlooked method is using Task Scheduler to escalate privileges. This approach relies on having specific privileges or access to manage scheduled tasks, and when used correctly, it can be just as effective.

Let’s break down how you can turn Task Scheduler into your secret weapon for privilege escalation.

Assess Your Privileges

The first step in any privilege escalation attempt is to check what you’re working with. Use the following command to identify your current privileges:

whoami /priv

Look for these critical privileges:

1. SeBatchLogonRight
   This privilege is required to create scheduled tasks.
2. SeCreateGlobalPrivilege
   While not mandatory, it can enhance your ability to execute tasks with elevated permissions.

If these privileges are present, you’re off to a great start. If not, don’t despair — this method can still work if you have sufficient access…