Database privilege escalation is a subtle yet powerful exploit vector that can grant attackers full control over enterprise systems. This talk demonstrates how to reverse-engineer database exploitation behavior and convert it into actionable detections.

Using a controlled PostgreSQL lab, we’ll trace a privilege escalation attempt (CREATE SUPERUSER) from network capture to IDS alert, showcasing how attackers embed privilege-manipulating SQL within normal traffic. Attendees will see how Suricata rules are engineered, tested, and tuned to detect these threats with minimal false positives.

All demonstrations are performed in a secure, isolated environment using sanitized PCAPs and synthetic payloads. The focus is purely defensive, understanding attacker logic to strengthen detection. The session concludes with remediation techniques for hardening database access, monitoring privilege changes, and integrating rule-based detections into SOC workflows.

Attendees leave with a repeatable workflow for transforming complex database exploits into reliable, production-grade IDS alerts.