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Attack Path

Attack Path: A sequence of vulnerabilitiesVulnerabilityA technical or organizational weakness that can be exploited by a threat., permissions, and system relationships that an attack can exploit. Defense requires robust preventionPreventionMeasures intended to stop security incidents or attacks before they occur., meaningful loggingLoggingThe recording of security-relevant events so activity can be monitored, investigated, and audited., timely detectionDetectionThe capability to identify suspicious activity, attacks, or policy violations in time., and clearly defined response measures.

How it works and where it fits

Technically, Attack Path describes an attack path or a concrete method rather than a single suspicious event. A sound assessment separates prerequisites, entry point, objective, intermediate steps, and expected effect. The same technique can produce very different outcomes depending on system architecture, available privileges, exposure, and existing safeguards.

Practical security relevance

In practice, both preventive measures and observable traces matter. Secure configuration, restricted privileges, robust input and identity checks, and telemetry at affected trust boundaries all contribute. A single indicator rarely proves an attack; reliable detection, containment, and remediation require the combined context of timing, source, target, and observed impact.

  • Attack SurfaceAttack SurfaceThe totality of all potentially vulnerable entry points of a system.: The totality of all potentially vulnerable entry points of a system.
  • Lateral MovementLateral MovementAn attacker's movement from a compromised system to other systems.: An attacker’s movement from a compromised system to other systems.
  • Privilege EscalationPrivilege EscalationObtaining higher privileges than originally intended.: Obtaining higher privileges than originally intended.
  • Penetration TestPenetration TestAn authorized attack test conducted to practically assess vulnerabilities.: An authorized attack test conducted to practically assess vulnerabilities.

Related terms