When it comes to cybersecurity, the term “exploit” is used to describe a piece of code that hackers and cybercriminals can use to gain access to your computer system or network.

In this blog post, we’re going to be looking at some of the most common exploits you could be facing online, starting with tabnapping.

Tabnapping is one type of exploit where hackers create fake websites that impersonate other webpages. A lot of the time, these websites are very convincing, and make it difficult for users to tell the difference between the fake and the real thing. Using this fake webpage, hackers then trick users into entering their login information, which then provides the hacker with access to their password and other personal information.

The main thing that makes tabnapping stand out from other types of exploit and phishing attacks is that it happens within a tab that has already been opened by the user.

For example, a user might open up a particular website on their computer, but then get distracted and navigate away to other tabs. They might return to the original tab again a while later. In the event of a tabnapping attack, the actual website will have been replaced by the fake website, so that when the user goes to enter their details, they actually do so into the fake website. 

Tabnapping isn’t the only exploit you need to be worried about online. Other exploits include: 

• Browser hijacking (where cyberattackers alter your browser’s appearance, behaviour, and settings to gain access to your personal information)
• SQL, LDAP, or HTTP header injections (where cyberattackers alter the code of an application to access, alter, delete, or corrupt data)
• Cross-site scripting (where cyberattackers inject code into the user-facing side of an otherwise trustworthy application, which then attacks the user’s computer or browser when they visit the affected webpage or application)
• Cross-site request forgery (where malicious code causes a user’s browser to execute unwanted actions or commands on a vulnerable web application)
• Broken authentication and session management (where cyberattacks are able to hijack active user sessions)
• Insecure direct object references (where internal implementation object references are unintentionally exposed to cyberattackers through poor design or coding, enabling them to then use code to bypass authorisation and access protected files)

·       Security misconfiguration (where cyberattackers are able to gain unauthorised access to sensitive data due to improperly configured or outdated security systems)

Having a good cybersecurity strategy in place is one of the best ways to protect yourself from tabnapping and other web exploits. This might include internet security and antivirus protection, browser extensions, filters, password managers, or other security measures to protect you from potential attacks.

Being educated is another one of the biggest keys to avoiding web exploits and the pitfalls of the online world. When it comes to cybersecurity, lack of knowledge is always the biggest vulnerability. That’s why it’s so important that you are able to recognise the signs of a hack, and are ready to act quickly in the event of an attack.

Need help protecting your website against web exploits and attacks? We can help. At Tomedia, we’re experienced in all facets of cybersecurity and cyber protection. Find out more about the services we offer here.