Which type of hackers typically have no legal constraints but operate in a gray area regarding their actions?

Gray hat hackers operate in a unique area where their actions may not necessarily align with legal or ethical standards, yet they do not fit the traditional definition of malicious hackers like black hats. Unlike black hat hackers who engage in illegal activities with the intent to harm or exploit, gray hats may probe systems without permission but often do so to highlight vulnerabilities or expose weaknesses that need addressing. They may alert organizations to the flaws they find, sometimes without the explicit consent of the system owner, which places their actions in a morally ambiguous zone.

In contrast, black hats are distinctly defined by their illegal activities, script kiddies typically rely on pre-written scripts or tools without original coding skills, and blue hats are more aligned with security professionals who test systems for vulnerabilities, usually in a sanctioned manner. This distinction highlights why gray hats exist in a space that is neither fully ethical nor completely unethical, making them a unique type of hacker in the cybersecurity landscape.