Security Operations · Advanced

Metamorphic Malware

Malware that rewrites its own code on each propagation so no two copies share the same instructions.

Definition

Metamorphic malware uses techniques such as instruction substitution, register swapping, code transposition and junk code insertion to produce functionally equivalent but structurally different variants. Unlike polymorphic malware, it has no constant decryptor to signature. Behavioral detection is required.

Related terms