An exploit is the practical abuse of a vulnerabilityA weakness in an app, device, or configuration that can be abused for an attack. More. The vulnerabilityA weakness in an app, device, or configuration that can be abused for an attack. More is the weakness; the exploit is the way to use it. Once a public or easy-to-use exploit exists, risk for unpatched systems rises sharply.
Why it matters: It helps distinguish “there is a flaw” from “someone already knows how to attack with it.”
