What does horizontal privilege escalation refer to?

Horizontal privilege escalation involves obtaining access to a different user account that has varying permissions but remains at the same hierarchical level of privilege as the original account. In this scenario, an attacker may exploit weaknesses in the system to gain unauthorized access to another user’s account, allowing them to take actions that their own account would not normally permit. This differs from vertical privilege escalation, where an attacker gains access to a higher privilege account, such as an administrator, enabling them to perform actions that can significantly impact the security and integrity of the system.

In the context of cybersecurity practices and assessments, understanding horizontal privilege escalation is crucial, as it demonstrates how attackers can exploit user accounts to access sensitive information or perform malicious actions without necessarily needing to elevate their access to system administrator levels. Thus, mastering this concept aids in identifying and mitigating potential security vulnerabilities that facilitate such attacks.