What is a zero-day exploit?
9th April 2025
The result of constant innovation is that hackers could exploit unknown weaknesses in new technology and updates: how can consumers stay ahead of bad actors when technology companies themselves can’t?
A zero-day exploit refers to a cyber-attack that is unknown to the vendor or developer at the time. This means that they have “zero-days” to fix the issue as it can be easily exploited by cyber criminals.
These vulnerabilities can be found in software, hardware or firmware. Malware can be installed, data stolen or systems disrupted, all before the problem is fixed. Often used in targeted attacks zero-day exploits are difficult to defend against due to their unknown nature.
Recently, Apple had to patch a zero-day exploit* that was impacting users on older operating systems – even the largest companies with the most in-depth testing can’t account for everything. 76% of applications have unknown vulnerabilities*2 that, if cyber criminals can discover them, can be exploited in zero-day attacks.
Zero-day incidents can be broken down into three stages:
Zero-Day Vulnerability: the security flaw itself, unknown to the vendor, that has no available patch or fix.
Zero-Day Exploit: the method or code used by bad actors to take advantage of this vulnerability.
Zero-Day Attack: the attack itself being used to compromise a system.
To defend against a zero-day exploit, we advise that you keep your software updated so the latest security patches can be implemented as soon as they are available. Security solutions such as endpoint detection and response (EDR), firewalls or network monitoring are also recommended.
We also suggest you have a plan in place in the event of a zero-day exploit, to ensure you are impacted as little as possible. If you would like more information on how zero-day exploits may affect your business, please contact us HERE.