Zeroday Vulnerabilities and Solutions
Zero-Day Vulnerabilities - Zeroday
Zeroday (zero-day vulnerabilities) are software or hardware flaws that contain vulnerabilities previously unknown or undetected but can lead to severe attacks. Zeroday vulnerabilities are often weaknesses that are difficult to detect until an attack occurs.
A Zeroday attack occurs when an attacker exploits the vulnerability before developers have a chance to release a patch or fix, allowing the attacker to spread malicious software. Therefore, this vulnerability is named a zero-day vulnerability because it is exploited on the "zeroth" day, before any protection is in place.
Factors contributing to Zeroday attacks:
Developers deploying an application without realizing it has vulnerabilities
Attackers discovering and exploiting the vulnerability before developers can address it
The vulnerability being actively exploitable, allowing attackers to write and deploy exploit code
Once a patch is developed and deployed, the vulnerability is no longer considered a zeroday. The process of identifying Zeroday vulnerabilities can take months or even years.
Solutions for Detecting Zeroday Vulnerabilities
Sandbox
A Sandbox, often referred to as a "sandboxing" environment, is a controlled and restricted environment designed with tight controls and permission mechanisms. It allows programs to run on a system without causing any harm or introducing malware.
When a program runs within a Sandbox, it performs its functions as if it were running on a regular system. However, any changes or modifications the application wants to make are discarded when the program stops running – nothing is retained. Sandbox systems are also used for analyzing and learning about specific malware threats. Some Sandbox products designed to control and prevent Zeroday attacks operate at the processor level, ending attack vectors before they even begin processing. Others, operating at the operating system level, analyze file behaviors and links to detect suspicious activities.
Methods for Detecting Zeroday Vulnerabilities
As computer systems find application in almost every platform, information technology is becoming more complex, increasing the likelihood of cyber attacks. Many organizations attempt to monitor known threats using signature-based security tools such as IDS/IPS, vulnerability scanning tools, anti-malware, and antivirus solutions. However, the danger posed by vulnerabilities in applications inadvertently developed by programmers, like Zeroday, often goes undetected by these traditional methods. Many organizations lack the necessary hardware to detect and respond to this kind of emerging threat. In the process of detecting and preventing Zeroday vulnerabilities, analyzing not only event logs but also the behavior of the system is crucial. Experts emphasize that behavior-based analysis tools are the most practical for detecting Zeroday vulnerabilities, identifying anomalous behaviors and enabling administrators to respond swiftly. Hidden Markov Models and client-side honeypot systems are employed in behavior-based analysis tools.
Some products create rules to detect unauthorized internet traffic originating from non-whitelisted ports as a way to identify Zeroday vulnerabilities. Another method involves triggering an alarm for interactions, such as communication with a source with an unknown recipient IP address.
