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GCIH · Question #209

Which of the following rootkits adds additional code or replaces portions of an operating system, including both the kernel and associated device drivers?

The correct answer is C. Kernel level rootkit. Kernel level rootkits compromise the OS at its deepest layer by modifying or replacing the kernel and associated device drivers to hide malicious activity.

Malware Analysis & Advanced Persistent Threats

Question

Which of the following rootkits adds additional code or replaces portions of an operating system, including both the kernel and associated device drivers?

Options

  • AHypervisor rootkit
  • BBoot loader rootkit
  • CKernel level rootkit
  • DLibrary rootkit

How the community answered

(31 responses)
  • A
    3% (1)
  • B
    3% (1)
  • C
    94% (29)

Why each option

Kernel level rootkits compromise the OS at its deepest layer by modifying or replacing the kernel and associated device drivers to hide malicious activity.

AHypervisor rootkit

A hypervisor rootkit installs itself below the operating system as a malicious hypervisor, virtualizing the existing OS rather than modifying kernel code or device drivers.

BBoot loader rootkit

A boot loader rootkit infects the master boot record or volume boot record to load before the OS, not by replacing kernel or driver code after the OS is running.

CKernel level rootkitCorrect

A kernel level rootkit adds malicious code directly into the operating system kernel or replaces portions of it and its device drivers, operating at ring 0 with the highest privilege level. This allows it to intercept and manipulate system calls, making it extremely difficult to detect because it subverts the very mechanisms the OS uses to report system state.

DLibrary rootkit

A library rootkit targets user-space shared libraries such as DLLs or .so files to intercept API calls, operating above the kernel layer rather than modifying it.

Concept tested: Kernel level rootkit classification and OS layer targeting

Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/rootkit

Topics

#kernel rootkit#rootkit types#OS modification#device drivers

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