Advanced Penetration Testing for Highly-Secured Environments - Second Edition

Chapter 8. Exploitation Concepts

Client-side attacks characteristically require user interaction. A careless visit to a website can result in devastation. Generally speaking, a client-side attack will be focused on the "client" machine used by individuals at home or in the office. In a properly secured environment, these hosts will be protected using a combination of security mechanisms and practices, such as white listing, network segmentation, host-based firewalls, file integrity monitors, system configuration hardening, and antivirus.

With proper training, users are well aware that clicking on unknown links, opening e-mail attachments, or even plugging in an untrusted device, may have the potential to be harmful. Unfortunately, convenience often ...