Arrangement and method of privilege escalation detection in a computer or computer network

Abstract

An arrangement and a method of privilege escalation detection in a computer or computer network. The method comprises examining which executables are running in a target host; searching from a behavioral data source behavioral information of the executables running in the target host; including in a first list identification information of executables running in the target host which the behavioral information indicates are known to run with a first or a higher level privilege; including in a second list identification information of sensitive resources loaded or executed by the executables included in the first list; examining the sensitive resources included in the second list to determine whether that resource is writable by an executable running at a privilege level lower than the first level; and providing an indication of every resource that is loaded by the first or higher level privilege executable but is writable by the executable running at a privilege level lower than the first level as a potential vulnerability.