Exploit

An exploit↗ is a piece of code, technique, or sequence of commands that takes advantage of a specific vulnerability↗ in software or hardware to cause unintended behavior, such as gaining unauthorized access, escalating privileges, or crashing a system. Exploits are the mechanism that turns a theoretical vulnerability into an actual attack.

Exploits are often bought, sold, and traded, with some fetching enormous prices on underground markets, particularly zero-day↗ exploits for which no patch↗ yet exists. Applying security patches promptly closes the vulnerabilities that exploits rely on, which is why patch management↗ is such a core defense.