
16 Chapter 1 • Hacking Methodology
Virus Hacking
A computer virus is defined as a self-replicating computer program that
interferes with a computer’s hardware or operating system or application
software.Viruses are designed to replicate and to elude detection. Like any
other computer program, a virus must be executed to function (it must be
loaded into the computer’s memory) and then the computer must follow
the virus’s instructions.Those instructions are what is referred to as the
payload of the virus.The payload may disrupt or change data files, display
a message, or cause the operating system to malfunction.
Using that definition, let’s explore a little ...