Full Disclosure mailing list archives
Re: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root on Unix
From: petard <petard () freeshell org>
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 14:58:28 +0000
On Mon, Jan 19, 2004 at 04:20:58PM -0500, KF wrote:
I am currious to know what you folks think the differences are between obtaining local SYSTEM on a win32 box and obtaining root on a Unix machine. Same thing? Different? One is worse than the other? Which one? Why?
I'd say best case, it's more or less the same thing. NTAUTHORITY\LocalSystem has complete access to all of the resources of the local machine. IIRC, it is possible to create local users and add them to local groups from a program running with LocalSystem privileges. [This is why I'd say it's equal to root in the best case.] In the worst case, it can be much worse than root. If a domain has been improperly configured such that the computer account for the machine on which you've got LocalSystem is overly privileged, you may have gained control over the domain as well :-) Here's a decent summary of the account: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dllproc/base/localsystem_account.asp regards, petard -- If your message really might be confidential, download my PGP key here: http://petard.freeshell.org/petard.asc and encrypt it. Otherwise, save bandwidth and lose the disclaimer. _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
Current thread:
- local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root on Unix KF (Jan 19)
- Re: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root on Unix petard (Jan 20)
- Re: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root on Unix S G Masood (Jan 20)
- Re: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root on Unix Erik van Straten (Jan 20)
- Re: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root on Unix K_aneda (Jan 20)
- RE: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root onUnix joe (Jan 20)
- Re: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root onUnix Jeremiah Cornelius (Jan 21)
- RE: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root onUnix joe (Jan 20)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root on Unix 3APA3A (Jan 20)
- Re: local SYSTEM on Windows vs. local root on Unix petard (Jan 20)