Malicious software

A malicious software ( malware in English) is a Logiciel developed with an aim of harming a system Informatique. The virus and the towards are the two examples of the most known malicious software.

Etymology

Malicious software is a translation of English malware who is him even a Mot-valise, contraction of malicious (which can result in " malicieux" in the direction of " malveillant" , and not that of " carried with the plaisanterie") and software (software).

In France, the use of the term malicious software is recommended by the general Commission of terminology and neology (see the official bulletin). Some (especially with the Quebec) recommend the term maliciel , but its use is rather rare in French.

Many French-speaking people choose the use of malware , thus avoiding confusion between amusing and malevolent which can be caused by the word maliciel (confusion which concerns only the layman, maliciel having only one direction in data processing), and the relative heaviness of malicious software .

The abusive use of the term “virus”

Because the viruses were historically the first to be appeared, the term “virus” is often employed wrongly, especially by the mediae, to indicate all kinds of malicious software. The modern Anti-virus software reinforces this abusive use since that their x-ray limited forever to the viruses.

A malicious software should not be confused with a defective software, i.e. a software which is planned for a legitimate goal but which has bugs or errors of behavior, caused by errors of Programmation or software design.

Classification

The malicious software can be classified according to the three following mechanisms:

the mechanism of propagation (for example, a worm is propagated on a data-processing network by exploiting a applicative or human fault);
the trip (for example, the logical Bombe - as the called logical bomb Friday the 13th - starts when an event occurs);
the Payload (for example, the virus Tchernobyl tries to remove important parts of BIOS, which blocks the starting of the infected computer).

Classification is not perfect, and the difference between the classes is not always obvious. However, it is today the standard classification most usually adopted in the international mediums of the Computer security.

Various classes of malicious software

The viruses and the worms are two big classes of malicious software. Their common characteristic is that they are all the two able ones to retort themselves. They can generate copies of themselves, sometimes modified. However, all the programs which are retorted are not forcing of the viruses or the worms. For example, a software can be copied with other media as a protection measure of the system. To be classified like virus or worm, it is necessary that at least some of these copies can retort themselves too. The difference between a virus and a worm is that a worm functions more or less independently, while a virus depends on the other hosts of the network to be propagated.

the virus

the towards ( WORM ). They are spread in the email while benefitting from the faults of the various messaging software (in particular Microsoft Outlook). As soon as they infected a computer, they are sent themselves at addresses contained in all the address book, with the result that one receives this virus of known people. Some of them knew a fulgurating expansion (as the worm I Coils You). The experts are not able to agree on the membership or not worms at the class of the computer viruses.

the Wabbit S . It is another reproducing type of malicious software very quickly. Contrary to the viruses, they do not infect the programs nor the documents. Contrary to the worms, they are not propagated by the networks. They intervene in the source code Windows Explorer, in particular the automatic semi seizure, by incorporating judicious terms to bring the Net surfer on paying sites. It is the generic name gathering several hijackers (see (in) hijacking): hacking of the page of starting Internet, for a redirection towards a selected site. A hijacker modifies the adjustments of the navigator by using a Web page containing a ActiveX control or Javascript.

the Trojan horses ( Trojan horses ). This name comes from the famous trick imagined by Ulysses. These programs claim to be legitimate (often of little games or utilities), but comprise harmful routines carried out without the authorization of the user. One often confuses the Trojan horses with the Backdoor S. The latter are indeed a category of Trojan horses, but not only. The backdoors take the control of the computer and allow somebody outside to control it by the means of Internet. The Trojan horses are not viruses because they miss the function of reproduction, essential so that a program can be regarded as a virus.

the hidden doors ( backdoor )

the software spy ( spyware ). They can accompany some Graticiel S (but not free software), Partagiciel S and pilots of peripherals, being installed discreetly on the computer, without warning the user, and collecting and sending personal informations at third organizations.

the exploits

the rogues

the rootkits

the automatic dialling units ( dialers )

the Publiciel S ( adwares )

The hoaxes ( hoax in English), which one classify regularly wrongly virus or of malicious software, are emails whose contents are often an alarm on a false-virus and who have as an indirect effect only to saturate the waiters with useless emails of messages. In this false alarm, the message can also invite you to remove an important system file; this message then uses the naivety of the recipient as vector of ill will.

The technique of Hameçonnage ( phishing in English), which one classifies also regularly wrongly malicious software, is an application of Social engineering carried out by email.

See too

data-processing Criminality
Anti-virus software
Computer security
Vulnerability (data-processing)

External bonds

''Rlwpx'': list rogues;
''Arstechnica'': to know and avoid the maliciels;
''Antisource'': maliciels analyzes;
''Spywarewarrior'': free resources and assistance to fight against the maliciels;
''Malwares Complaints'': site of fight against the authors of malicious software.

Zh-min-nan: Pháiⁿ-tea

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