Course 25 - API Python Hacking | Episode 6: Privilege Modification and User Impersonation | CyberCode Academy

In this lesson, you’ll learn about:

Programmatic Privilege Modification
- How to use the AdjustTokenPrivileges API to enable or disable specific privileges
- Understanding the TOKEN_PRIVILEGES structure and how privilege attributes are modified
- Enabling critical privileges like SeDebugPrivilege to allow advanced system access
Preparing for Token Manipulation
- Identifying a target process or user through window handles or process IDs (PID)
- Elevating your script’s permissions to allow interaction with protected system processes
- Understanding why privilege elevation is required before duplicating tokens
Token Duplication Process
- Using DuplicateTokenEx to create a new primary token from an existing process
- Understanding how duplicated tokens inherit the identity and permissions of the original user
- Preparing duplicated tokens for use in launching new processes
Launching Processes Under a Different Identity
- Using CreateProcessWithToken to start applications (e.g., cmd.exe) under another user’s context
- Understanding how impersonation allows execution with different privilege levels
- Observing how processes can run with the security context of another active user or system account
Key Outcome
- Understanding how Windows tokens can be modified, duplicated, and used for impersonation
- Building the foundation for creating tools that perform privilege escalation, impersonation, and advanced system interaction

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Course 25 - API Python Hacking | Episode 6: Privilege Modification and User Impersonation