What Is an Exploit Kit?
An Exploit Kit is typically hosted on attacker-controlled infrastructure and designed to target vulnerabilities in browsers, browser plugins, or other software. When a user visits a compromised or malicious website, the Exploit Kit can examine the user’s system to determine whether it contains exploitable vulnerabilities.
If a suitable vulnerability is found, the Exploit Kit attempts to execute the corresponding exploit. A successful exploit can then allow the attacker to deliver a payload, such as ransomware, an information stealer, banking Trojan, botnet malware, or another malicious program.
How Do Exploit Kits Work?
Exploit Kits generally follow a sequence of stages:
- Landing page: A user is redirected from a compromised or malicious website to an attacker-controlled landing page.
- System profiling: The Exploit Kit examines the victim's environment and looks for vulnerable applications or software.
- Exploitation: If a matching vulnerability is identified, the kit attempts to exploit it.
- Payload delivery: After successful exploitation, the kit delivers or downloads malware onto the compromised system.
This automated process allows Exploit Kits to determine whether a visitor is a suitable target before attempting exploitation. Systems that are fully patched may not be targeted because the required vulnerability is not present.
Why Are Exploit Kits Dangerous?
Exploit Kits lower the technical barrier for cybercriminals because attackers do not necessarily need to develop or manually execute individual exploits. They can automate the identification and exploitation of vulnerable systems and use the resulting access to distribute malware.
Some Exploit Kits have also been offered as a service through underground markets, allowing attackers to rent or purchase access to the infrastructure and capabilities needed to conduct campaigns.
Exploit Kit vs. Exploit
An exploit is a specific technique or code used to take advantage of vulnerability. An Exploit Kit is a broader framework that can contain multiple exploits and automate their delivery and execution.
For example, an exploit may target a specific vulnerability in a browser, while an Exploit Kit can identify whether that vulnerability exists, select the appropriate exploit, and deliver a malicious payload if exploitation succeeds.
How to Protect Against Exploit Kits
Organizations can reduce the risk of Exploit Kits by keeping operating systems, browsers, plugins, and applications fully patched. Security teams should also use web and endpoint security controls to block malicious websites, detect exploitation attempts, and prevent malicious payloads from executing.
Reducing the attack surface, monitoring suspicious web activity, and quickly identifying vulnerable systems can make it harder for Exploit Kits to progress through their attack lifecycle.
- Track Key Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs)
- Visibility to Risk: Prioritizing CVEs
- Terrain-Aware Defense
