What type of attack targets vulnerabilities that are unknown to the vendor?

Study for the Network Security Instructional Terminology Test. Enhance your knowledge with multiple choice questions, each accompanied by hints and explanations. Ensure readiness for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What type of attack targets vulnerabilities that are unknown to the vendor?

Explanation:
Zero-day attacks exploit vulnerabilities that vendors haven’t discovered or patched yet. Since the flaw is unknown, there’s no available patch or signature to detect or stop the exploit, so defenders must rely on workarounds or generic security controls until a fix is released. This makes zero-day attacks particularly dangerous because attackers can act while there are no defenses in place specific to that flaw. Phishing targets people rather than software flaws, DDoS aims to overwhelm resources, and spoofing involves impersonation, not exploiting an unknown vulnerability.

Zero-day attacks exploit vulnerabilities that vendors haven’t discovered or patched yet. Since the flaw is unknown, there’s no available patch or signature to detect or stop the exploit, so defenders must rely on workarounds or generic security controls until a fix is released. This makes zero-day attacks particularly dangerous because attackers can act while there are no defenses in place specific to that flaw. Phishing targets people rather than software flaws, DDoS aims to overwhelm resources, and spoofing involves impersonation, not exploiting an unknown vulnerability.

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