Which component generates mutation variants by altering the decryption process to evade detection?

Which component generates mutation variants by altering the decryption process to evade detection?

• A. Decryptor routine
• B. Cluster viruses
• C. Mutation engine
• D. Polymorphic viruses

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that malware evades detection by creating different decryptor variants, while the payload remains the same. This variant generation is done by the mutation engine, a tool inside the code that rewrites the decryptor instructions to produce new, unique decryptors each time the malware spreads. The decryptor routine itself is simply the mechanism that restores the payload for execution; it doesn’t generate new variants on its own. Polymorphic viruses describe the broader approach of mutating code to dodge detection, but the specific component that produces those mutations is the mutation engine.

The key idea is that malware evades detection by creating different decryptor variants, while the payload remains the same. This variant generation is done by the mutation engine, a tool inside the code that rewrites the decryptor instructions to produce new, unique decryptors each time the malware spreads. The decryptor routine itself is simply the mechanism that restores the payload for execution; it doesn’t generate new variants on its own. Polymorphic viruses describe the broader approach of mutating code to dodge detection, but the specific component that produces those mutations is the mutation engine.