In 2025, browser-based exploitation has made a serious comeback, and it’s far more advanced than its predecessors.

With browser APIs becoming increasingly complex and deeply integrated with native system components, attackers are finding new cracks to slip through—especially in real-time communication features like WebRTC, WebAssembly, and even new browser extensions with lax permissions. Malicious payloads now run in-browser, with full obfuscation, evading traditional endpoint defenses and even some EDRs.

It’s no longer just about exploiting JavaScript or outdated plugins; we’re seeing full exploit chains targeting the browser as a gateway into enterprise networks. Sophisticated watering hole attacks, malicious iframe injections, and chained zero-days are hitting users simply browsing compromised but trusted sites.

Cyber Protection Academy stresses the need for aggressive browser isolation policies, hardened browser configurations, and user sandboxing strategies.

Red teams and defenders alike should be analyzing browser logs and behavior patterns, not just malware files. This isn't your old-school drive-by download era—this is browser exploitation reloaded, and it's smarter, stealthier, and devastatingly effective.