A program has been discovered that infects a critical Windows system executable and stays dormant in memory. When a Windows mobile phone is connected to the host, the program infects the phone's…

The correct answer is C. Virus. A virus is defined by its ability to attach itself to or infect legitimate files or programs, replicate, and spread to other hosts. This program fits that definition precisely: it infects a legitimate Windows executable, resides in memory, and self-propagates to new devices…

Threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations

Question

A program has been discovered that infects a critical Windows system executable and stays dormant in memory. When a Windows mobile phone is connected to the host, the program infects the phone's boot loader and continues to target additional Windows PCs or phones. Which of the following malware categories BEST describes this program?

Options

AZero-day
BTrojan
CVirus
DRootkit

How the community answered

(63 responses)

A
2% (1)
B
5% (3)
C
90% (57)
D
3% (2)

Explanation

A virus is defined by its ability to attach itself to or infect legitimate files or programs, replicate, and spread to other hosts. This program fits that definition precisely: it infects a legitimate Windows executable, resides in memory, and self-propagates to new devices (the phone's boot loader) when they connect. A rootkit focuses on hiding itself and maintaining privileged access, not spreading. A Trojan disguises itself as legitimate software to trick users into running it but does not self-replicate. Zero-day refers to an unpatched vulnerability, not a malware category.

Topics

#virus#malware classification#boot sector#malware propagation

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