The phrase "an attempt to exploit" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing an effort or action aimed at taking advantage of a situation or person.
Example: "The investigation revealed an attempt to exploit the vulnerabilities in the system for personal gain."
Alternatives: "an effort to take advantage" or "a bid to manipulate".
These sums were a joke and we felt they were just an attempt to exploit us".
"It is an attempt to exploit a banal piece of information.
The Foreign Office condemned what it interpreted as an attempt to "exploit the Games".
The worm box was an attempt to exploit a trickle of that Amazonian abundance.
Such a mention, in the delicate maneuverings of the awards race, might be seen as an attempt to exploit them.
Meanwhile, Romney's latest venture into foreign policy was an attempt to exploit a tragedy in Libya for cheap political gain.
Indeed, Republicans are already worrying that Karl Rove's "masterstroke" of holding the Republican convention in New York may yet be remembered as a crass attempt to exploit a national tragedy for partisan gain.But the biggest problem for Mr Bush's warrior strategy is the deteriorating situation in Iraq.
This week the Internet Storm Center (ISC) warned about a continuing attempt to exploit a vulnerability in 23 separate models of Linksys routers.
The Murdoch family's doomed attempt to snub the culture committee ("Mr Murdoch regrets, he is unable to appear today... ..) was at the same time shocking in its arrogance and an ingenious attempt to exploit the multiplicity of investigations.
Walsh said that his ex-wife's claims are a "misguided attempt" to exploit his position as a member of Congress, according to the Daily Herald.
However, one can view such attempts as a sincere struggle to find an optimal management contract rather than as a cynical attempt to exploit shareholders.
