A Trojan horse is
2014
A Trojan horse is
- A.
A program that performs a legitimate function that is known to an operating system or its user and also has a hidden component that can be used for nefarious purposes like attacks on message security or impersonation.
- B.
A piece of code that can attach itself to other programs in the system and spread to other systems when programs are copied or transferred.
- C.
A program that spreads to other computer systems by exploiting security holes like weaknesses in facilities for creation of remote processes
- D.
All of the above
Attempted by 133 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Answer: A Trojan horse is a program that performs a legitimate or expected function while secretly containing a hidden malicious component that can be used for attacks such as stealing data, opening backdoors, or impersonation.
Key distinctions:
Appears legitimate: Trojan horses trick users into installing or running them and do not typically self-replicate.
Virus (different): A virus attaches itself to other programs or files and spreads when those infected items are copied or executed.
Worm (different): A worm spreads across networks by exploiting vulnerabilities and can self-replicate without attaching to other programs.
Summary: The correct description is the program that appears legitimate but hides malicious behavior; the other descriptions correspond to a virus and a worm, respectively.