Which statement correctly describes the difference between the service-side exploits and client-side exploits?

• A. Attack a client application that fetches content from a server.
• B. Target a service that listens on the network.
• C. Exploit an unpatched operating system kernel directly.
• D. Exploit social engineering to gain credentials.

Answer: (B)

Service-side exploits target software that runs as a service on a server and listens for network connections, such as web servers, databases, or other network-facing daemons. Attacking these services aims to compromise the server itself or the network-accessible functionality it provides. This is different from client-side exploits, which target software on the user’s machine or in the user’s control, often delivered through content the user runs (like a browser or PDF viewer). The statement describing targeting a service that listens on the network captures exactly this server-side, network-facing focus. The other options describe scenarios that involve the client, kernel-level issues, or social engineering, none of which align with the server-side, service-focused distinction.