What Is an Exploit Kit?

An exploit kit is a toolkit that cybercriminals use to attack the security vulnerabilities of a system or device to distribute malware. An exploit is a bit of code that takes advantage of security vulnerabilities found within software and hardware. Cybercriminals collect these bits of code and compile them into a kit that can target multiple security vulnerabilities at once, and secretly install malware on devices. Exploit kits pose a dangerous threat as they can automatically deliver malware to your device while you browse the internet.

Continue reading to learn more about how exploit kits work and how to protect yourself from them.

How Do Exploit Kits Work?

Exploit kits identify and target the security vulnerabilities of browsers, plugins and other software applications to deliver malware at a large scale. The kits look for security vulnerabilities such as broken authentication, HTTP header injection, memory safety violations and security misconfigurations. Many of these vulnerabilities will not be flagged by the device as an issue, allowing exploits to go undetected.

The first step of an exploit kit attack is to make contact with a user through malicious ads, compromised websites or spoofed websites. The goal is to get the user to click on a link that redirects them to an exploit kit’s landing page. Once on the landing page, the exploit kit will detect any security vulnerabilities on the user’s device. If the exploit kit identifies an exploitable vulnerability, it sends a payload that downloads and executes malware onto the device.

Examples of Exploit Kits

Security updates patch security flaws that exploit kits can take advantage of. However, exploit kits are constantly evolving to adapt to these security patches and find new security vulnerabilities. Here are some well-known examples of exploit kits used in the past.

Blackhole

Exploit kits became well-known in 2013 by the infamous Blackhole exploit kit. It delivered a wide range of malware from Trojan horses to ransomware. Blackhole exploit kits found websites that could be exploited and injected them with malware that would then automatically be installed on a visitor’s device.

Angler

Discovered in 2013, the Angler exploit kit was known as one of the most devastating exploit kits. In 2015, Cisco reported on a single threat actor that targeted 90,000 victims and generated more than $30M annually using the Angler exploit kit. This kit launched zero-day attacks on Java, Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Flash applications by encrypting and decrypting data using transposition encryption. 

Nuclear

The Nuclear exploit kit was another infamous exploit kit that many cybercriminals used along with the Angler exploit kit. It came with a rotating list of malicious landing pages that users were redirected to from malicious links, compromised websites and malicious ads on Internet Explorer, Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight.

HanJuan

The HanJuan exploit kit used shortened URLs and false ads to distribute malware. It exploited the vulnerabilities of Internet Explorer and Adobe Flash to infect users with malware through malvertising or fake websites.

Rig

The Rig exploit kit follows the Angler and Nuclear exploit kits after most users patched the vulnerabilities they exploited, rendering the kits widely ineffective. Rig uses a combination of exploits from JavaScript, Adobe Flash and VBscript to act as a three-pronged attack on a device. The Rig exploit kit often hides malware within malicious ads such as a security software or alert that needs to be addressed. 

Magnitude

The Magnitude exploit kit targets vulnerabilities found in Internet Explorer by distributing malicious ads and compromising websites opened in the browser. Since Microsoft Edge has replaced Internet Explorer as the default browser, no updates have been created to patch the security vulnerabilities within the browser. Current users of Internet Explorer are still exposed to Magnitude exploit kit attacks.

Sundown

The Sundown exploit kit looks for vulnerabilities within image files that would hide and install malware. This is particularly common with Internet Explorer and Adobe Flash as it is easy to disguise exploits with PNG images on these applications.

How To Protect Yourself From Exploit Kits

Exploit kit attacks can happen without you even knowing. You can be browsing the internet and accidentally land on a compromised or spoofed website that automatically installs malware on your device. However, there are ways to avoid these types of attacks. Here are some ways you can protect yourself from exploit kits and ensure the security of your device.

Keep software up to date

Exploit kits rely on exploiting security vulnerabilities to infiltrate your devices and install malware. You need to keep all of your software up to date to patch any security flaws that cybercriminals can use to their advantage. Software updates can better protect your devices and prevent exploit kits from delivering malware.

Avoid suspicious links or pop-ups

Exploit kits can automatically install malware on your device whenever you click on a compromised website or a malvertisement – a malicious ad. You should browse the internet carefully and avoid any suspicious links or pop-up ads to prevent exploit kits from installing malware. If you are concerned that a website has been compromised, you can use a URL checker to verify the safety of the link before you click it.

Reduce your attack surface

An attack surface is all the possible points of entry in which a threat actor can gain access to a system. Because exploit kits find and target the security flaws of software or hardware,  including browsers and plugins, you should minimize the number of plugins and applications on your devices by deleting those that you no longer use. This will lower the possible entry points exploit kits can use to infiltrate your devices.

Use antivirus software

Antivirus software is a program that helps monitor, detect and remove known viruses and malware from your devices. You should install antivirus software to detect if a website has been compromised. It will block any known viruses from installing on your devices and inform you of any exploit kit attack attempts.

Stay Educated About Exploit Kits and Cybersecurity

Exploit kits are dangerous tools since they happen in the background while you browse the internet. Exploit kits are always adapting to security patches and finding new vulnerabilities to take advantage of. You should educate yourself about the latest cybersecurity news and threats that could put you at risk. You should also learn and implement cybersecurity best practices to protect yourself and avoid cyber attacks in the future.