12 Questions
What is the primary intention of inserting malware into a system?
To compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the system
What type of malware appears to have a useful function but has a hidden malicious function?
Trojan horse
What is the primary goal of an advanced persistent threat?
To target specific business and political targets
What is the term for malware that replicates itself into other executable machine or script code?
Virus
What is the primary purpose of adware?
To display unwanted advertisements
What is an exploit?
A mechanism that bypasses normal security checks
What is a type of malware that can run independently and propagate a complete working version of itself onto other hosts on a network?
Worm
What is the main purpose of a backdoor?
To download and install other malware packages
What is the term for a malicious hacker tool used to break into new machines remotely?
Auto-rooter
What is the term for code that lies dormant until a predefined condition is met, and then triggers an unauthorized act?
Logic bomb
What is the term for software that collects information from a computer and transmits it to another system?
Spyware
What is the term for a type of malware that uses macro or scripting code, typically embedded in a document, to run and replicate itself into other documents?
Macro Virus
Study Notes
Malware Definitions
- Malware is a program inserted into a system, usually covertly, to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data, applications, or operating systems.
- Exploits are mechanisms that bypass normal security checks, allowing unauthorized access to functionality or systems.
Types of Malware
- Trojan horse: a program that appears useful but has a hidden, malicious function that evades security mechanisms.
- Advanced persistent threat (APT): cybercrime targeting businesses and political organizations using various intrusion technologies and malware.
- Virus: malware that replicates itself into other executable machine or script code, infecting the code and executing when run.
- Adware: advertising integrated into software, resulting in pop-up ads or browser redirection.
- Worm: a self-replicating computer program that infects other hosts on a network, often exploiting software vulnerabilities.
Malware Concepts
- Attack kit: a set of tools for generating new malware using various propagation and payload mechanisms.
- Auto-rooter: malicious hacker tools for breaking into remote machines.
- Zombie/Bot: a program activated on an infected machine to launch attacks on other machines.
- Backdoor/Trapdoor: code that installs additional malware on a compromised system, often included in the initial malware package.
- Drive-by download: an attack using code on a compromised website that exploits browser vulnerabilities to attack client systems.
Other Malware Concepts
- Flooders/DoS client: tools used to generate large volumes of data for denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
- Keyloggers: capture keystrokes on compromised systems.
- Logic bomb: code inserted into malware that lies dormant until a predefined condition is met, then triggers unauthorized actions.
- Macro virus: a type of virus using macro or scripting code, typically embedded in documents, to replicate itself.
- Mobile code: software that can be shipped to heterogeneous platforms and execute with identical semantics.
- Rootkit: a set of hacker tools used after gaining root-level access to a computer system.
- Spammer: programs used to send large volumes of unwanted email.
- Spyware: software that collects and transmits information from a compromised computer.
- Classified malware: categorized by propagation methods and payloads, or by their need for a host program (parasitic code) or independence (worms, trojans, and bots).
Learn about different types of malware, including Trojan horses, and other mechanisms that compromise system security.
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