What differentiates Vulnerability Rules from Exploit Rules in Intrusion Prevention?

Vulnerability Rules are specifically designed to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities in systems by applying a virtual patch or protective measure. This means that even if an underlying vulnerability exists, these rules can provide a mechanism to block attempts to exploit it, effectively reducing the risk of successful attacks until a proper patch can be applied by the system administrators.

In contrast, Exploit Rules focus on stopping an active exploitation attempt rather than addressing the vulnerability itself. These rules look for specific patterns or behaviors associated with known exploit techniques targeting those vulnerabilities.

Therefore, while both types of rules contribute to an overall security strategy, Vulnerability Rules have the unique capability of providing protection through virtual patches, which are essential for maintaining security in environments where immediate patching cannot occur. This proactive approach makes Vulnerability Rules critical in the context of Intrusion Prevention systems, especially in scenarios where immediate remediation is not feasible.