Zero-day vulnerability: How to protect yourself from a zero-day attack

Google Chrome announces the availability of a new version of its browser and recommends updating it as soon as possible. The most used browser in the world Discovered a new security vulnerability called “Zero Day”.after Security flaw Exploited by cyber attackers. It is not the only company suffering from this type of attack. in September, Apple has issued an emergency update To patch three Zero-day vulnerabilities affecting iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, and iPad users.

These types of attacks are on the rise, and the use of these vulnerabilities has led to a 143% increase in total ransomware victims between the first quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, according to Investigation From cloud security provider Akamai.

What is a “zero day” attack?

In computer security, the term zero day or “zero day” refers to a A security vulnerability in the software was recently discovered and has not yet been patched or patched. It is called a “zero day” because developers did not have a chance to address or fix the problem before potential attackers exploited it.

When a software vulnerability is discovered, developers create and distribute a patch or update that fixes that vulnerability. However, during the period between identifying the vulnerability and applying the patch, the software is vulnerable to attacks, he said INCIBE explains. This period is known as “day zero”.

Risks associated with “Day Zero”: global impact

the Zero-day attacks are particularly dangerous Because users and businesses have no protection against them until the solution is implemented. Despite the name, INCIBE warns that these types of vulnerabilities are not always resolved in a day or immediately: sometimes it can take days, weeks, or years for a vulnerability patch to be deployed. Meanwhile, cybercriminals will have time to compromise system security, install “malware,” steal data, or change applications and services.

Moreover, this Vulnerabilities can have global repercussions. If an attacker discovers a vulnerability that affects widely used software, such as a popular operating system or a widely used application, the scope of the impact could be enormous.

if WannaCry 2017The exploit, known as EternalBlue, took advantage of a vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows SMB (Server Letter Block) protocol, which is used to share files and printers on local networks. SoftwareLab explains that the success of the cyberattack was due to Combining “exploitation” and “ransomware” attack. Called WannaCry, it encrypted files on compromised systems and demanded a ransom in bitcoin for their release. As a result, hundreds of thousands of systems in more than 150 countries were affected, and SoftwareLab estimates losses at $4 billion, making it one of the most devastating cyberattacks to date.

The most famous example is the attack on the video conferencing platform, Zoom inat the beginning of the pandemic in 2020: a zero-sum vulnerability was discovered that allowed attackers to remotely access users' computers.