Here’s an interesting phenomena — hackers that use automated tools to engineer an exploit just after a patch for the vulnerability is released. Since many don’t know about vulnerabilities until a patch comes out, and many people don’t apply patches immediately, the new information gives hackers an extra in, into the systems.

Hackers exploit this period of time - the so-called patch window - to launch attacks against unpatched machines. Typically, exploits are developed by skilled hackers versed in the arcane intricacies of reverse engineering.

However, hackers have now begun using off-the-shelf tools to at least partially automate this process, a development that might lead to exploits coming out hours instead of days after the publication of patches.

Darknet has a good discussion of the original article, check them out.