File binders are
utility software
Utility software is software designed to help analyze, configure, optimize or maintain a computer. It is used to support the computer infrastructure - in contrast to application software, which is aimed at directly performing tasks that benefit ord ...
that allow a user to "bind" multiple files together resulting in a single executable. They are commonly used by
hackers
A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...
to insert other programs such as
Trojan horses
The Trojan Horse was a wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war. The Trojan Horse is not mentioned in Homer's ''Iliad'', with the poem ending before the war is concluded, ...
into otherwise harmless files, making them more difficult to detect.
Malware
Malware (a portmanteau for ''malicious software'') is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, depri ...
builders (such as keyloggers or stealers) often include a binder by default.
A polymorphic packer is a file binder with a
polymorphic engine
A polymorphic engine (sometimes called mutation engine or mutating engine) is a software component that uses polymorphic code to alter the payload while preserving the same functionality.
Polymorphic engines are used almost exclusively in ma ...
. It thus has the ability to make its
payload
Payload is the object or the entity which is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of ...
mutate over time, so it is more difficult to detect and remove.
See also
*
Dendroid (malware)
Dendroid is malware that affects Android OS and targets the mobile platform.
It was first discovered in early of 2014 by Symantec and appeared in the underground for sale for $300.
Certain features were noted as being used in Dendroid, such as the ...
*
MiniPanzer and MegaPanzer
MiniPanzer and MegaPanzer are two variants of ''Bundestrojaner'' (German for federal Trojan horse) written for ERA IT Solutions (a Swiss federal government contractor) by software engineer Ruben Unteregger, and later used by Switzerland's Feder ...
– Trojan horses that used file binders for distribution
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Potentially unwanted program
A potentially unwanted program (PUP) or potentially unwanted application (PUA) is software that a user may perceive as unwanted or unnecessary. It is used as a subjective tagging criterion by security and parental control products. Such software ma ...
– sometimes have used file binders for distribution
References
External links
MiniPanzer Source Code on SourceForge
Hacking (computer security)
Types of malware
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