This CEH practice question tests your understanding of enumeration and system hacking. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
During a penetration test, you gain access to a Linux server as a low-privileged user. Which of the following is an effective technique to escalate privileges by exploiting misconfigured file permissions?
Pass-the-hash
Why wrong: Pass-the-hash is used for lateral movement in Windows.
Token impersonation
Why wrong: Token impersonation is a Windows-specific technique.
SUID/GUID abuse
SUID/GUID binaries can allow privilege escalation if misconfigured.
Kerberoasting
Why wrong: Kerberoasting targets Kerberos service accounts in Active Directory.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
SUID/GUID abuse
SUID (Set User ID) and GUID (Group ID) bits allow a binary to execute with the privileges of the file owner (often root) rather than the calling user. If a low-privileged user can run a binary with the SUID bit set that performs unsafe operations (e.g., spawning a shell, reading arbitrary files, or executing commands), they can leverage it to gain root-level access. This is a classic privilege escalation vector on Linux systems when file permissions are misconfigured.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Pass-the-hash
Why it's wrong here
Pass-the-hash is used for lateral movement in Windows.
Token impersonation
Why it's wrong here
Token impersonation is a Windows-specific technique.
SUID/GUID abuse
Why this is correct
SUID/GUID binaries can allow privilege escalation if misconfigured.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Kerberoasting
Why it's wrong here
Kerberoasting targets Kerberos service accounts in Active Directory.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse SUID/GUID abuse with Windows-specific techniques like token impersonation or pass-the-hash, because the CEH exam often intermixes cross-platform attack vectors to test your ability to match the technique to the correct operating system.
Detailed technical explanation
The SUID bit (chmod u+s) causes the effective UID to become the file owner's UID when the binary executes. A common real-world example is the 'find' binary with SUID set, which can be abused via 'find / -exec /bin/sh -p \;' to spawn a root shell. The '-p' flag preserves the effective UID, which is critical because many shells drop privileges unless explicitly told not to.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Enumeration and System Hacking — This question tests Enumeration and System Hacking — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: SUID/GUID abuse — SUID (Set User ID) and GUID (Group ID) bits allow a binary to execute with the privileges of the file owner (often root) rather than the calling user. If a low-privileged user can run a binary with the SUID bit set that performs unsafe operations (e.g., spawning a shell, reading arbitrary files, or executing commands), they can leverage it to gain root-level access. This is a classic privilege escalation vector on Linux systems when file permissions are misconfigured.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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