Glossary - Exploit

Exploit is a small code or program designed to generate unwanted errors by exploiting system vulnerabilities, code errors, on any computer, software, or digital system. They are able to seize or draw information from a system's vulnerability. These programs are also designed for unauthorized access to the system, creating authorized users, and disabling the system.

Different Types of Exploits

According to their working principles, exploits are divided into three main categories:

  1. Remote exploits interact with the system over a digital network, such as a local network or the Internet.
  2. Local ones are designed to use authorized user features in the system.
  3. Client-Side programs generally interact with the systems over the network and must be triggered by the client or users. 

Purposes 

Hackers designed these harmful codes to take advantage of specific gaps in apps that software or game developers have overlooked. For example, some of them are designed to connect to the network remotely. Others are used to disable the system. However, essential exploits that benefit the attacker are generally used for logging into the system or creating authorized users in the system. With exploit, it is possible to log in to the system with a low-level user, and then upgrade or create an authorized user in the system. 

How to fix them?

System vulnerabilities can be corrected by the manufacturer operating system or program owner targeted by bugs. This is why it is crucial to keep the system or programs up-to-date.

Which Systems Can be Affected?

Exploit, Malware, or any harmful software can be written for all operating systems or programs. Therefore, they can show themselves in many different operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and macOS

Exploits can also be found in games. Here the players discover a bug in the game's programming that can be used to cheat.