Hackers Beware

What Is an Exploit?

Because the topic of exploits will be addressed throughout the book, this is probably a good time to cover what an exploit actually is.

If this were a short-answer question, the correct answer would be “an exploit can be anything.” Basically, anything that can be used to compromise a machine is considered an exploit. Remember, we are also using a loose definition of the word compromise. A compromise could include the following:

• Gaining access

• Simplifying gaining access

• Taking a system offline

• Desensitizing sensitive information

For example, going through a company’s garbage to find sensitive information can be considered an exploit. If an attacker goes through the garbage and finds a computer printout of top-secret information ...