Exploitation
Using a discovered weakness to gain access or execute code on a target.
This is the moment a theoretical finding becomes demonstrated impact, and it is what separates a penetration test from a scan. It might be a software exploit, a valid credential, or a misconfiguration that grants more than intended.
Reputable testers weigh disruption carefully here, and some exploits are demonstrated in a controlled way rather than run fully against production.
Where this comes up
Exploitation sits inside our penetration testing work. If you are trying to work out what this means for your own environment rather than in the abstract, that is the page worth reading next, and a short call will get you a straight answer faster than either.
Related terms
Post-exploitation What a tester or attacker does after gaining initial access: gathering credentials, escalating, and moving toward the objective. Proof of concept A demonstration that a vulnerability is genuinely exploitable, rather than theoretically present. Exploit Code or a technique that takes advantage of a vulnerability to make a system do something unintended. Enumeration Systematically listing what exists on a target: services, users, shares, and configurations.