After fileless malware infects a target, attackers use the system to move laterally and infect other connected systems. What is this technique called?

After fileless malware infects a target, attackers use the system to move laterally and infect other connected systems. What is this technique called?

• A. Malicious websites
• B. Infection through lateral movement
• C. Memory code injection
• D. File-based malware

Answer: (B)

Lateral movement is about expanding access by hopping from a compromised host to other connected systems within the network. After gaining a foothold, attackers use legitimate tools and network protocols to propagate to additional machines, often without leaving obvious traces, especially with fileless malware that runs in memory. This scenario—infecting one target and then using that system to reach and infect others—fits the idea of moving laterally to extend access. The other terms don’t capture this propagation behavior. Malicious websites describe how the initial infection starts, not how the attacker spreads. Memory code injection refers to running code in memory, not the act of moving between hosts. File-based malware implies on-disk persistence, which isn’t the described fileless, memory-resident approach.

Lateral movement is about expanding access by hopping from a compromised host to other connected systems within the network. After gaining a foothold, attackers use legitimate tools and network protocols to propagate to additional machines, often without leaving obvious traces, especially with fileless malware that runs in memory. This scenario—infecting one target and then using that system to reach and infect others—fits the idea of moving laterally to extend access.

The other terms don’t capture this propagation behavior. Malicious websites describe how the initial infection starts, not how the attacker spreads. Memory code injection refers to running code in memory, not the act of moving between hosts. File-based malware implies on-disk persistence, which isn’t the described fileless, memory-resident approach.