Editing Polymorphic engine

{{Short description|Type of computer program}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}

A '''polymorphic engine''' (sometimes called '''mutation engine''' or '''mutating engine''') is a [[software component]] that uses [[polymorphic code]] to alter the [[Payload (computing)|payload]] while preserving the same functionality.
 
Polymorphic [[software engine|engines]] are used almost exclusively in [[malware]], with the purpose of being harder for [[antivirus software]] to detect. They do so either by [[encryption|encrypting]] or [[Obfuscation (software)|obfuscating]] the malware payload.
 
One common deployment is a [[file binder]] that weaves malware into normal [[computer file|files]], such as office documents. Since this type of malware is usually polymorphic, it is also known as a ''[[polymorphic packer]]''.

The engine of the [[Virut]] [[botnet]] is an example of a polymorphic engine.<ref name="kasperskyVirut">{{cite web|url=https://www.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2010_the-most-polymorphic-virus-around-today|publisher=Kasperky|title=The most polymorphic virus around today|date=26 May 2021 |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref>

==References==
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{{Information security}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polymorphic Engine}}
[[Category:Types of malware]]