Exploitation
The Exploitation stage of the Cyber Kill Chain marks a pivotal moment in a cyberattack, where the attacker leverages vulnerabilities within the target system to gain unauthorized access. During this phase, the malicious payload delivered in the preceding stages is activated, allowing the attacker to execute malicious code on the compromised system. This stage is crucial as it transitions the attack from a preparatory phase to an active breach, enabling the attacker to manipulate, exfiltrate, or destroy data. Effective exploitation typically exploits weaknesses in software, applications, or human factors, often bypassing security measures and leading to significant security breaches if not promptly detected and mitigated.
In this chapter, we will delve into the various aspects of the exploitation stage of the cyber kill chain. We will begin by exploring the vulnerabilities commonly targeted by attackers, including software flaws, misconfigurations, and human errors....
