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Glossary of Virus Terms
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ActiveX Controls
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ActiveX controls are components that add dynamic and interactive features to Web
pages. With ActiveX tools, multimedia effects, animation, and functional applications
can be added to Web sites. HouseCall, Trend Micro's online virus scanner is an example
of the application of ActiveX.
ActiveX controls are typically installed with user permission. However, security
measures can be circumvented. In some instances, ActiveX components in Web pages
are able to run automatically when the Web pages are opened. Visiting users are
also sometimes tricked into accepting unwanted ActiveX controls. The unauthorized
installation and execution of ActiveX controls can open opportunities for malicious
code to install components or to make modifications on visiting systems.
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Address Bar Spoofing |
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Alteration of a browser’s address bar to display a legitimate address. This
is done by running a script that removes the browser’s address bar and replaces
it with a fake one, which is made up of text or images.
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Adware |
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Adware is software that displays advertising banners on Web browsers such as Internet
Explorer and Mozilla. While not categorized as malware, many users consider adware
invasive.
Adware programs often create unwanted effects on a system, such as annoying popup
ads and, in some instances, the degradation in either network connection or system
performance.
Adware programs are typically installed as separate programs that are bundled with
certain free software. Many users inadvertently agree to installing adware by accepting
the End User License Agreement (EULA) on the free software.
Adware are also often installed in tandem with spyware programs. Both programs feed
off of each other's functionalities - spyware programs profile users' Internet behaviour,
while adware programs display targeted ads that correspond to the gathered user
profiles.
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Affected File Type |
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Malware and grayware may arrive as files of a certain type. The term “affect”
here could mean the file format (eg. PE or Win32) that the malware or grayware comes
as, or the formats that it attaches to in the case of file infectors.
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Affected Software |
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Affected software, Platform and Systems Affected indicate the area(s) affected by
a particular threat, whether it is malware, grayware, or vulnerabilities. This list
contains the operating systems or applications that need to be installed in the
user’s system before the threat performs its malicious routines. It is known
that a threat may behave differently across different platforms.
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Aliases |
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Different vendors often have their own approaches towards detection, whether it
involves malware, grayware, or vulnerabilities, which can result in different naming
conventions. The aliases field in the Virus Encyclopaedia, Spyware/Grayware and
Vulnerabilities pages indicate other names used to refer to the same threat.
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