# Behind the Code: Identifying Zero-Day Exploits in WordPress
## 5 Exploitation Phase Analysis and Assessment
```
1:Import necessary libraries:
2:Import web framework and file transmission capabilities
3:
4:Initialize web application:
5:Create an instance of the web application class
6:
7:Define routing and functionality for the app:
8:Create a route '/download-file' that listens to GET requests
9:Define a function download_file():
10: Specify the path to the malware file (e.g., 'path_to_malware/malware.exe')
11: Use a function to send the file to the client as an attachment
12:
13:Start the application if this script is the main program:
14:If the script is executed as the main program, run the application on a specified port (e.g., 8000)
```

**Algorithm 5** Malware distribution in a network of malware-server. Figure 8: Sample output showcasing sensitive user information captured by the keylogger. ## 6 Challenges and Future Work

The proposed method for identifying zero-day vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins through DAST faces several challenges and limitations that need to be addressed. These challenges are inherent to the nature of web security and the specifics of the DAST approach. First, scalability is a primary challenge. As the number of plugins and the complexity of web applications grow, the time and resources required to perform thorough security testing increase significantly. This can lead to longer testing cycles and potentially delayed identification of vulnerabilities. Managing this scalability requires optimizing DAST tools to handle large-scale applications efficiently. Implementing horizontal scaling techniques, such as those using Kubernetes for parallel processing, can significantly improve scanning speed and efficiency. Second, DAST tools generates false positives (incorrectly identifying benign behavior as malicious) and false negatives (failing to detect actual vulnerabilities). This can result in unnecessary remediation efforts or, worse, leaving vulnerabilities unaddressed. Fine-tuning the testing parameters and incorporating more sophisticated heuristics can help mitigate these issues but cannot eliminate them entirely. Utilizing AI-enabled verification mechanisms can help reduce false positives and improve the accuracy of the detection process. Another significant challenge is the dynamic nature of web applications. Web applications are highly dynamic, with frequent updates and changes in code and configurations. This dynamism can render previously identified vulnerabilities obsolete or introduce new vulnerabilities. Continuous monitoring and repeated testing are essential but also resource-intensive, demanding a robust infrastructure to maintain ongoing assessments. Integrating DAST tools with continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines can facilitate continuous security testing and ensure timely identification of vulnerabilities as part of the development process. Complex attack vectors present another challenge. Modern web applications, including WordPress plugins, often involve complex interactions between various components and third-party services. Identifying vulnerabilities in such interconnected environments requires comprehensive testing that considers all potential attack vectors. This complexity

Figure 2:0 Sample output displaying the system specifications of the user machine. can make it difficult to ensure complete coverage, necessitating advanced testing strategies. Utilizing tools that can dynamically generate unique data and track various headers and tokens can enhance the comprehensiveness of the security assessments. User and developer awareness is crucial for effective vulnerability management. Users must keep their plugins and applications updated, whereas developers need to follow best security practices during development. Ensuring this level of awareness and compliance is a significant challenge, as it involves ongoing education and vigilance. Providing user-friendly guidelines and tools for maintaining secure configurations can enhance overall security. Resource constraints are a major limitation, particularly for smaller organizations.