Exploiting Windows services and applications

There are many applications that run on the Windows platform. Some of these applications come as part of the default installation, such as the print spooler service, whereas others must be installed afterward, such as Java and Adobe Acrobat. In addition to this, applications and services can be categorized as server-side and client-side.

Server-side exploits

Servers function and operate fundamentally differently from how client systems do. As the name suggests, they are there to serve and offer services. With this in mind, server-side exploits primarily cover services listening on the network. These services could be anything from a simple file server to a database or application service, such as video streaming. A service passively waits for client machines to initiate connections to make use of what it is serving.

To exploit a service, generally, an attacker uses an exploit payload that targets that specific service.

While...