CC 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.
This skill should be used when the user asks to "escalate privileges on Linux", "find privesc vectors on Linux systems", "exploit sudo misconfigurations"…
As a process C 55/100 · Has gaps — weak spots: result and completion, consistency, running it twice
The same skill appears in 1 more place: RA-Skills
What is at stake
Medium-severity findings: the skill is probably honest, but read what alarmed the scanner.
Below is the worst case for this category. The finding here is medium: the guard saw a sign, not a proof.
The instructions or scripts send data out: environment variables, keys, file contents, chat history. You may never notice, because the agent performs the upload as "part of the task".
If the upload is not needed for the task, remove it: catalogs flag such skills and delist them. If it is needed, name the destination explicitly, say what leaves the machine, and give the user a switch.
Below is the worst case for this category. The finding here is medium: the guard saw a sign, not a proof.
The skill contains commands that delete files, rewrite disks or execute code fetched from the network. The agent may run them without asking if it believes the instructions require it.
Replace destructive commands with safe equivalents that ask for confirmation, scope them to one folder, and stop piping curl into a shell: pin a version and a checksum.
How to improve
- Your own cases (evals/evals.json, 4–6 real requests with expected answers): the full check would then run those instead of a model-drafted suite.
- A spec.yaml with trigger phrases and assertions — a behaviour contract for CI; `skilltest init` writes a template.
Guard findings · 17
✓ No critical or high findings
Medium and low: 17
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medium Exfiltration
exfil-read-secret-filesSKILL.md:292Reads credential / secret files (documentation of a security skill)base64 /etc/shadow | base64 -d > shadow.txt
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medium Dangerous commands
cmd-persistenceSKILL.md:337Persistence mechanism (cron / launchd / scheduled task / autorun registry) (documentation of a security skill)cat /etc/crontab
security skill -
medium Dangerous commands
cmd-persistenceSKILL.md:352Persistence mechanism (cron / launchd / scheduled task / autorun registry) (documentation of a security skill)# Identify writable cron script from /etc/crontab
security skill -
medium Exfiltration
exfil-read-secret-filesSKILL.md:471Reads credential / secret files (documentation of a security skill)$ base64 /etc/shadow | base64 -d
security skill -
medium Dangerous commands
cmd-persistenceSKILL.md:483Persistence mechanism (cron / launchd / scheduled task / autorun registry) (documentation of a security skill)$ cat /etc/crontab
security skill -
low Risky intent
intent-offensive-securitySKILL.md:2Offensive-security / dual-use content (legitimate for authorised testing; review intended use)name: Linux Privilege Escalation
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low Risky intent
intent-offensive-securitySKILL.md:3Offensive-security / dual-use content (legitimate for authorised testing; review intended use) (quoted — discussed, not commanded)description: 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
quoted -
low Risky intent
intent-offensive-securitySKILL.md:9Offensive-security / dual-use content (legitimate for authorised testing; review intended use)# Linux Privilege Escalation
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low Risky intent
intent-offensive-securitySKILL.md:13Offensive-security / dual-use content (legitimate for authorised testing; review intended use)Execute systematic privilege escalation assessments on Linux systems to identify and exploit misconfigurations, vulnerable services, and security weaknesses that allow elevation from low-privilege use
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low Risky intent
intent-offensive-securitySKILL.md:20Offensive-security / dual-use content (legitimate for authorised testing; review intended use)- Network access for reverse shell connections (if needed)
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low Dangerous commands
cmd-pipe-to-shell-known-hostSKILL.md:144Pipe-to-shell installer from a well-known host (still executes remote code) (documentation of a security skill)curl -L https://github.com/carlospolop/PEASS-ng/releases/latest/download/linpeas.sh | sh
security skill -
low Dangerous commands
cmd-privilegeSKILL.md:230Privilege escalation / world-writable permissions (documentation of a security skill)sudo python -c 'import os; os.system("/bin/bash")'security skill -
low Dangerous commands
cmd-privilegeSKILL.md:249Privilege escalation / world-writable permissions (documentation of a security skill)setuid(0);
security skill -
low Dangerous commands
cmd-persistenceSKILL.md:403Persistence mechanism (cron / launchd / scheduled task / autorun registry) (documentation table row; documentation of a security skill)| Cron jobs | `cat /etc/crontab` |
tablesecurity skill
A further 3 matches are quotations in this security skill's documentation and are not counted as findings.
Files scanned: 1. Evidence is masked. Grey chips explain why severity was lowered.
Against the Agent Skills spec
- warning
name-formatname should be kebab-case (lowercase letters, digits, hyphens)
Process rating: all ten parameters 55/100
- 0Result and completion. Does not say what the result is
- 0Progress reporting. Says nothing while it works
- 30Running it twice. 2 mutating operations with no state check
- 40Consistency. Frontmatter name (Linux Privilege Escalation) differs from the folder (linux-privilege-escalation)
- 50Failures and branches. 0 branches, has a failure section
- 60Tools and files. Uses tools (bash, web) that frontmatter does not declare
- 70When it triggers. States when to use, but not when not to
- 70Inputs and preconditions. Inputs and preconditions are listed
- 85Steps. 36 steps, 1 vague phrases
- 100Execution cost. Instruction body is 2801 tokens
- medium Safety rules and hard prohibitions inside a skill: they belong in the system prompt, here they protect nothing
Everything here is measured from the skill text rather than judged by a model, so the numbers are checkable. A parameter weighs more when it is a more common reason for the process to stall.
Quality signals
- +4Description does not say when NOT to use the skill (false activations)
- +3Output format is not stated: the model decides each time
- -4Absolute local paths (C:\Users, /home/…): not portable
- +1No license
- +2Single-language instructions
- +5Description quotes 7 example trigger phrases
- +3Description length 427: enough signal without eating the budget
- +4Structure: 52 headings
- +3Step-by-step instructions: 36 items
- +4Has examples (28 code blocks)
Quality base 70; lint remarks subtract, signals add up to 100. Result: 80.