A normal user assuming the identity of an administrator is what kind of attack?

Elevation of privilege occurs when an attacker with limited permissions gains higher-level access, such as a normal user obtaining administrator rights. This is a core security violation because it breaks the principle of least privilege. Denial of service (B) disrupts availability but doesn't involve privilege escalation. Spoofing (C) involves faking identity rather than gaining privileges. Repudiation (D) refers to the inability to prove a user performed an action - a different security property (non-repudiation) altogether.