Given the Cyber-Attack Lifecycle diagram, identify the stage in which the attacker can run malicious code against a targeted machine.

Exploitation refers to the act of executing malicious code on a target system by leveraging a vulnerability, which is the immediate outcome of a successful attack against the target machine.

Installation typically follows exploitation and involves setting up persistent access (e.g., backdoors) on the compromised system, not the initial running of malicious code.

Reconnaissance is the initial phase of gathering information about the target, not executing code.

Act on Objective is the final stage where the attacker achieves their goal (e.g., data exfiltration, disruption) after gaining and maintaining access.