# Polymorphic engine

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Polymorphic_engine
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Polymorphic_engine.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymorphic_engine
> Source revision: 1244468514
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{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](/source/software_component) that uses [polymorphic code](/source/polymorphic_code) to alter the [payload](/source/Payload_(computing)) while preserving the same functionality.
 
Polymorphic [engines](/source/software_engine) are used almost exclusively in [malware](/source/malware), with the purpose of being harder for [antivirus software](/source/antivirus_software) to detect. They do so either by [encrypting](/source/encryption) or [obfuscating](/source/Obfuscation_(software)) the malware payload.
 
One common deployment is a [file binder](/source/file_binder) that weaves malware into normal [files](/source/computer_file), such as office documents. Since this type of malware is usually polymorphic, it is also known as a ''[polymorphic packer](/source/polymorphic_packer)''.

The engine of the [Virut](/source/Virut) [botnet](/source/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==
{{Reflist}}

{{Information security}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polymorphic Engine}}
Category:Types of malware

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Polymorphic engine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymorphic_engine) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymorphic_engine?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.