Tag: Zero-Day Exploits

A Zero Day is both a previously undetected hole in security software and the code attackers use to take advantage of said hole.

Zero day actually refers to two things—a Zero-Day Vulnerability or a Zero-Day Exploit.

Zero-Day Vulnerability refers to a security hole in software—such as browser software or operating system software—that is yet unknown to the software maker or to antivirus vendors. This means the vulnerability is also not yet publicly known, though it may already be known by attackers who are quietly exploiting it. Because zero day vulnerabilities are unknown to software vendors and to antivirus firms, there is no patch available yet to fix the hole and generally no antivirus signatures to detect the exploit, though sometimes antivirus scanners can still detect a zero day using heuristics (behavior-tracking algorithms that spot suspicious or malicious behavior).

Zero-Day Exploit refers to code that attackers use to take advantage of a zero-day vulnerability. They use the exploit code to slip through the hole in the software and plant a virus, Trojan horse or other malware onto a computer or device. It’s similar to a thief slipping through a broken or unlocked window to get into a house.

Zero day vulnerabilities and exploit codes are extremely valuable and are used not only by criminal hackers but also by nation-state spies and cyber warriors, like those working for the NSA and the U.S. Cyber Command.
—WIRED, “Hacker Lexicon: What Is a Zero Day?“