Google 2024 Zero-Day Exploitation Analysis: What It Means for Your Data Security
The newly released Google 2024 Zero-Day Exploitation Analysis reveals a concerning shift in how attackers are targeting enterprise infrastructure. In 2024, threat actors increasingly focused on the systems that handle your most sensitive and regulated data. According to the report, 44% of all zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in the wild targeted enterprise technologies, exposing major gaps in traditional security models. This represents a significant increase from previous years and signals an urgent need for organizations to reevaluate their security strategies, especially those governed by data privacy regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and CMMC 2.0.
What Is the Google 2024 Zero-Day Exploitation Analysis?
A zero-day vulnerability refers to a software security flaw that attackers exploit before developers have the opportunity to create and release a patch. The Google 2024 Zero-Day Exploitation Analysis is an annual report published by Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) that tracks these vulnerabilities and analyzes patterns in how they’re exploited in real-world attacks. The comprehensive analysis combines GTIG’s original research with breach investigation findings and reporting from reliable open sources, making it one of the most authoritative views of the current threat landscape.
In 2024, GTIG tracked 75 zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in the wild—a decrease from 98 in 2023, but still higher than the 63 recorded in 2022. While these numbers fluctuate year by year, the overall trendline indicates that zero-day exploitation continues to grow at a slow but steady pace. The most notable finding is the shift from attacks on end-user technologies like browsers and mobile devices toward enterprise-facing systems. While vendors have improved security on common platforms, attackers have redirected their efforts to exploit security software, file transfer tools, network appliances, and collaboration infrastructure—systems that often have high levels of access and low levels of visibility.
Enterprise Data Exchange Systems: The New Prime Target
One of the report’s most urgent takeaways is the changing attack surface. In 2024, enterprise data exchange systems became prime targets, with 44% of all zero-day vulnerabilities targeting enterprise technologies—up from 37% in 2023. These include managed file transfer (MFT) platforms, email and webmail servers, collaboration suites like Microsoft 365, web forms used in public-facing applications, and SFTP and network transfer appliances.
These systems make ideal targets for several reasons. They routinely handle sensitive content that often includes personally identifiable information, financial data, and other regulated information. They frequently operate outside the reach of endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools, creating blind spots in security monitoring. Additionally, they typically have elevated access across enterprise networks, allowing attackers to move laterally once they’ve gained initial access.
Most concerning is the rise of single-vulnerability exploits that achieve remote code execution, completely bypassing traditional perimeter defenses. Unlike more complex exploit chains that require multiple vulnerabilities to achieve their objectives, these single-point exploits can immediately compromise critical systems with minimal effort, making them particularly dangerous and attractive to attackers.
Key Vulnerabilities Impacting Data Compliance
The report connects multiple zero-day exploits directly to regulatory compliance failures and potential breach notification scenarios. One significant example involves CVE-2024-55956, a zero-day vulnerability in Cleo’s MFT platform, which was exploited by the FIN11 group for data theft and extortion. This marks the third time in four years that an MFT solution has been targeted by this group, demonstrating a persistent pattern of attacks against file transfer infrastructure.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities were another common attack vector, particularly targeting enterprise email and mail servers. These exploits allow unauthorized access and script execution, potentially leading to credential theft and data exfiltration. The implications for organizations subject to compliance requirements are serious, as these attacks can lead to unauthorized access to protected data.
Cookie hijacking attacks represent another sophisticated threat highlighted in the report. These were used to steal session data for login.microsoftonline.com, effectively bypassing multi-factor authentication and compromising accounts across Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams. Once attackers gain this level of access, they can often operate undetected within an organization’s digital environment for extended periods.
The report also details how attackers compromised the popular WordPress Contact Form 7 plugin to inject JavaScript that steals browser cookies. This type of attack represents a direct privacy and PCI DSS compliance risk, particularly for organizations that collect sensitive information through web forms. Each of these attack types potentially violates regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and CMMC 2.0—especially where data exfiltration, unauthorized access, or failure to implement secure coding practices can be demonstrated.
The Enterprise Blind Spot: Where Security Monitoring Breaks Down
Despite the criticality of systems like MFT, VPNs, and SFTP appliances, the report makes clear that many of them remain outside the scope of traditional EDR and SIEM monitoring. This creates dangerous blind spots in organizational security postures. These systems are often not designed for fine-grained logging or behavioral anomaly detection, instead being treated as “set-and-forget” infrastructure managed separately from broader security operations.
The danger lies in the fact that these same systems typically possess administrator-level privileges, connect disparate environments, and process files containing confidential or regulated information. Without proper monitoring and security controls, these blind spots allow attackers to dwell undetected, achieve lateral movement throughout the network, or exfiltrate sensitive data with minimal resistance—creating a major liability for organizations in regulated industries.
Real-World Exploits Highlighting Broken Trust in File and Content Exchange
To understand the impact of these vulnerabilities, it’s worth examining specific examples from the report. The case of FIN11 targeting Cleo’s MFT platform (CVE-2024-55956) stands out as particularly concerning. This attack was used for targeted extortion campaigns and represents the third MFT platform targeted by FIN11 in just four years. This pattern demonstrates a systemic weakness in vendor patch pipelines and suggests that attackers are deliberately focusing on file transfer infrastructure as a high-value target.
Another noteworthy example involves WebKit exploits used to steal Microsoft login cookies. These sophisticated attacks bypass MFA protections, grant attackers access to critical applications like email, OneDrive, and Teams, and fundamentally undermine trust in cloud authentication flows. The implications are far-reaching, as organizations increasingly rely on cloud-based collaboration tools to conduct their business.
The WordPress form exploit via Contact Form 7 represents yet another attack vector. Attackers injected JavaScript code to steal cookies, specifically targeting government websites. What makes this attack particularly concerning is that it could be replicated on any unpatched web form, potentially affecting countless organizations that use similar technologies. These cases demonstrate that data transfer, email, and form-processing workflows are no longer passive infrastructure—they are active attack surfaces requiring robust security measures.
How Enterprises Should Respond: Zero Trust and Unified Control
The most effective defense against these evolving threats is implementing a zero-trust security model applied directly to data exchange workflows. This approach assumes that threats exist both inside and outside traditional network boundaries and therefore requires verification from anyone trying to access resources, regardless of their location.
Organizations should apply zero trust principles to content movement by enforcing least-privilege policies for all file sharing, transfers, and form submissions. This means granting users only the access they need to perform their specific job functions and nothing more, limiting the potential damage if credentials are compromised.
Security teams should extend monitoring capabilities to include MFT and SFTP systems by integrating them into existing EDR and SIEM workflows. This closes critical visibility gaps and ensures that these important systems receive the same level of security attention as other parts of the infrastructure.
Using hardened, unified platforms such as Kiteworks Private Content Network that combine email, file transfer, web form, and API security under one architecture can also reduce risk. These integrated solutions typically offer better visibility and control compared to managing multiple point solutions from different vendors.
Organizations must also prioritize secure coding practices, especially for third-party plugins, legacy appliances, and vendor-supplied components. Many of the vulnerabilities exploited in 2024 stemmed from basic coding errors that could have been prevented through better development practices and regular code reviews.
Regular patch audits are essential, particularly for MFT and VPN solutions which should be evaluated for zero-day patch readiness and vendor responsiveness. Having a clear understanding of how quickly vendors respond to vulnerability reports and release patches can help organizations make better decisions about which technologies to deploy.
Understanding the Implications for Your Organization
For most enterprises, the key takeaway from the Google 2024 Zero-Day Exploitation Analysis is that the security landscape has fundamentally changed. The systems you rely on to send, share, and receive sensitive data are now top targets for cyberattacks. Email servers, file transfer platforms, collaboration tools, and web forms must be secured as rigorously as endpoints and cloud infrastructure.
Organizations need to modernize their data protection strategies by applying zero-trust principles, implementing comprehensive monitoring, and establishing unified content governance across all communication channels. The report makes clear that traditional perimeter-based security approaches are no longer sufficient in an environment where attackers specifically target the infrastructure that handles your most sensitive data.
For IT security leaders, compliance officers, and data protection teams, this means reevaluating current security strategies with a particular focus on the systems that handle regulated data. It means breaking down silos between security operations and the teams that manage communication infrastructure. And it means treating all data exchange mechanisms as part of the critical security perimeter rather than as separate operational concerns.
Failure to adapt to this new reality risks privacy violations, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage in an era where the attack surface is no longer just about endpoints—it’s about how data moves throughout your organization and beyond.
FAQs
A zero-day vulnerability is a flaw in software that is actively exploited by attackers before a fix or patch is available. These are among the most dangerous types of threats because no defenses exist when the attack begins. The name comes from the fact that developers have “zero days” to fix the problem before it’s exploited, as the vulnerability is already being used in attacks when it’s discovered.
MFT systems handle highly sensitive data exchanges and are often under-secured relative to their importance. These systems typically process large volumes of confidential information, making them attractive targets for data theft. In addition, exploiting them gives attackers access to confidential files and allows them to bypass more visible parts of the network, potentially establishing persistence without triggering security alerts.
Cookie hijacking attacks compromise data privacy by allowing attackers to steal authentication tokens that websites use to keep users logged in. By stealing these tokens, attackers can impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to email, documents, and internal systems—all without triggering multi-factor authentication. This can lead to extensive data breaches as attackers operate within systems with the same privileges as legitimate users, often remaining undetected for extended periods.
When web forms are exploited, several key regulations may be violated. GDPR compliance is at risk because these attacks can lead to unauthorized access to personal data of European citizens. PCI DSS requirements may be violated if payment information is collected through compromised forms. HIPAA violations can occur if protected health information is submitted through these forms in healthcare contexts. Additionally, sector-specific regulations like CMMC 2.0 for defense contractors may be implicated if sensitive information is compromised through exploited web forms.
Organizations can secure file transfers and collaboration tools by implementing several layers of protection. A unified platform with zero-trust access controls provides a solid foundation, requiring continuous verification rather than assuming trust based on network location. Automated encryption for data both in transit and at rest protects information even if perimeter defenses are breached. Content-level controls that restrict access based on data classification help ensure that sensitive information is only available to authorized users. Real-time transfer monitoring detects suspicious activities as they occur, and strong authentication mechanisms, preferably using multiple factors, reduce the risk of credential theft and misuse.
Additional Resources
- Blog Post Zero Trust Architecture: Never Trust, Always Verify
- Video How Kiteworks Helps Advance the NSA’s Zero Trust at the Data Layer Model
- Blog Post What It Means to Extend Zero Trust to the Content Layer
- Blog Post Building Trust in Generative AI with a Zero Trust Approach
- Video Kiteworks + Forcepoint: Demonstrating Compliance and Zero Trust at the Content Layer