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Zero-day attacks refer to newly discovered attacks that have no known defense in place. These types of attacks utilize zero-day exploits to take advantage of weaknesses or vulnerabilities in targeted systems, which are often undisclosed or unknown to the general public. The term "zero-day" also indicates the absence of any direct or specific defense against the attack currently, which means that most systems containing the vulnerable asset being targeted are at risk. A zero-day attack can be defined as an exploit that takes advantage of a vulnerability in a product that the vendor has not yet addressed through a patch or update. In such cases, there may be measures like IDS or firewall filters that can help mitigate the risk of attack until the vendor finds a solution to the issue.

Zero-day vulnerabilities, which are security flaws identified by hackers that haven't been fully resolved by the security community, are exploited in numerous attacks. The reasons why these vulnerabilities continue to affect systems can be attributed to two primary factors. The first reason for the prevalence of zero-day vulnerabilities could be the inevitable time lag between the identification of a new form of malicious code and the release of corresponding patches and antivirus updates. The second reason could be the delayed implementation of updates by system administrators. Having a robust patch-management program is crucial in organizations due to the presence of zero-day vulnerabilities, which highlights the need for immediate application of critical security updates. It may also be beneficial to use a vulnerability scanner regularly to check for any known security problems on your systems.

Zero Day Attack Examples

Some of the examples of Zero day attacks are

SolarWinds Orion supply chain attack (2020):

The hackers behind this incident infiltrated the software build system of SolarWinds, a company that provides network management software. By inserting a backdoor known as "SUNBURST" into the Orion software, which was then disseminated to its clients, the attackers were able to remotely access the systems of numerous organizations, including various US government agencies.

Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities (2021):

Microsoft made public four zero-day vulnerabilities in its Exchange Server software in March 2021. HAFNIUM, a group of hackers, took advantage of these vulnerabilities, resulting in the unauthorized access of email accounts and the installation of further malware to maintain long-term access.

WhatsApp vulnerability (2019):

A zero-day vulnerability was detected in the widely used messaging application, WhatsApp, in May 2019. This flaw enabled attackers to implant spyware on the victim's device by initiating a WhatsApp call, regardless of whether the call was answered or not. The NSO Group, an Israeli firm, was identified as the responsible party for the attack.

Adobe Flash Player zero-day (2018):

February 2018 saw the exposure of a zero-day vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player that enabled attackers to run arbitrary code on the victim's computer. It has been reported that North Korean hackers leveraged this vulnerability to carry out focused attacks against South Korean entities.

EDR & Zero Day Attacks

EDR, which stands for Endpoint Detection and Response, is a category of cybersecurity solution created to detect and respond to potential security threats on endpoint devices like mobile devices, servers, and laptops. EDR employs several methods to safeguard against zero-day attacks.

Behavioral analysis:

By monitoring the behavior of endpoint devices, EDR solutions can identify any unusual or suspicious activity, which allows for the detection of zero-day attacks that take advantage of vulnerabilities that have not yet been discovered.

Machine learning:

Machine learning algorithms can be utilized by EDR solutions to analyze data collected from endpoint devices and recognize patterns that may signify a zero-day attack. These algorithms can advance and enhance their accuracy over time through learning and adaptation.

Threat intelligence:

To detect and prevent zero-day attacks, EDR solutions can utilize threat intelligence feeds that furnish real-time information regarding new and emerging threats. This information can then be used to update the EDR system's threat database and identify attacks that were previously unknown.

Sandboxing:

Sandboxing is a technique employed by EDR solutions to isolate suspicious files and applications and execute them within a secure and controlled environment. This method is useful in identifying zero-day attacks that might be concealed within seemingly legitimate files or applications.