A cybersecurity firm discovers that a nation-state actor has been exploiting a previously unknown flaw in a popular web browser. The exploit allows the actor to gain remote control of targeted systems. The browser vendor was unaware of the flaw and has not yet developed a patch. What type of vulnerability is being exploited?
The correct answer is a zero-day vulnerability. This term refers to a vulnerability that is actively being exploited by attackers before the software vendor is aware of it or has had an opportunity to release a patch. The name 'zero-day' signifies that the developers have had zero days to address the flaw. A buffer overflow is a specific type of memory vulnerability, which could be the underlying mechanism, but the key element in the scenario is that the flaw was unknown to the vendor. A race condition involves issues with the timing of operations. An SQL injection is a web application attack targeting databases, not a flaw within browser software itself.
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What does 'zero-day' mean in cybersecurity?
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