Windows Privilege Escalation Cheat Sheet 2026: Every Technique That Works
Windows privilege escalation is one of the most critical skills in offensive security. You land on a box as a low-privileged user, and your job isn’t done until you have SYSTEM. This cheat sheet covers every technique that actually works in 2026 — with real commands, the right tools, and notes on which Windows versions each technique applies to. Bookmark it. You’ll use it. Why Windows PrivEsc Is Different From Linux Linux privilege escalation has patterns: SUID binaries, sudo misconfigs, writable cron jobs, kernel exploits. Clean and predictable. ...