What is a rootkit?

The correct answer is B. A type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software. Option B is correct because a rootkit is malware designed to gain privileged ("root") access to a system while actively hiding its presence - often by disguising itself as or embedding within legitimate software, making detection extremely difficult. A is wrong because viruses…

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Question

What is a rootkit?

Options

AA type of virus
BA type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software
CA type of denial-of-service attack
DA type of phishing scam

How the community answered

(54 responses)

A
2% (1)
B
89% (48)
C
6% (3)
D
4% (2)

Explanation

Option B is correct because a rootkit is malware designed to gain privileged ("root") access to a system while actively hiding its presence - often by disguising itself as or embedding within legitimate software, making detection extremely difficult.

A is wrong because viruses self-replicate by attaching to files; a rootkit may contain a virus but is defined by its stealth and privilege-escalation behavior, not replication.
C is wrong because DoS attacks overwhelm a target to deny service; rootkits are about covert persistence and control, not disruption.
D is wrong because phishing is a social engineering technique that tricks users into revealing credentials; rootkits target the system itself.

Memory tip: Think of "root" (admin/superuser access) + "kit" (a toolkit). A rootkit gives an attacker a hidden toolkit with root-level control - it's all about covert access, not spreading, crashing, or deceiving users directly.

Topics

#rootkit#malware#privilege escalation#persistence

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