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Glite Dictionary
trojan

trojan

8.2
A harmful computer program that looks safe but damages your files
  • noun
  • /ˈtroʊdʒən/
  • Texting
translation icon : troyano
  • Experts warn that many email attachments can contain a trojan, which may compromise your personal data if opened.

Examples

  • You can anticipate one hundred percent detection of 'In-the-Wild' viruses (viruses already spreading between users) and even outstanding detection of trojan horses.

    Blog text (2)

  • The antivirus software successfully identified and removed the trojan that had infiltrated the computer system.

  • Shaving is the trojan horse he's going to use to sneak in and corrupt Ubuntu.

    A Good Man Is Hard to Find (2008)

  • Directly use that information as a targeted attack on a website that you visit, attach an SQL injection to insert a trojan on your computer to give me backdoor access.

    Blog text (23)

  • Code injection techniques are mainly used to achieve stealth in memory execution, create trojan horses, process migration in post-exploitation (as seen in Metasploit), and for dynamic binary instrumentation and profiling.

    Blog text (7)

  • Last week, a new trojan was discovered that pretended to be a popular game, tricking users into downloading it.

Synonyms

virus
vstrojan
  • Specialized
137 3.3

A harmful computer program that copies itself and can damage files

focuses on hidden usefulness rather than copying itself to spread harm
malware
vstrojan
  • Specialized
43 4.3

Programs that harm computers or let someone access them without permission

is a specific type that pretends to be legitimate while hiding harm
computer virus
vstrojan
  • Specialized
16 3.5

A program that copies itself and damages files on a computer

is about pretending to be harmless rather than self-replicating and spreading
rootkit
vstrojan
  • Specialized
3 9.8

A hidden bad program that lets someone control a computer without permission

is presented as useful and gains access rather than hiding continuously
trojan horse
vstrojan
  • Texting
6.1

A computer program that looks useful but hides harmful code

is the same meaning but expressed in a shorter more general label
infector
vstrojan
  • Specialized
8.3

A program that attaches to files and spreads to other computers

relies on disguise and tricking users rather than attaching to files

Compounds

Trojan horse
1 7.4

A person or thing that seems harmless but secretly causes harm

Trojan Horse
  • Specialized
1 4.7

Harmful software that pretends to be useful to make users install it so attackers can access and steal their data

Trojan Horse
  • Literature
4.7

A large hollow wooden horse that hides soldiers to let them enter the city of Troy secretly

trojan horse
  • Texting
6.1

A computer program that looks useful but hides harmful code

How Harmful

ransomware
  • Specialized
8 7.9
worm
  • Specialized
26 7.4
trojan
  • Texting
8.2
spyware
  • Specialized
21 4.8
adware
  • Specialized
2 4.4

Surface Forms

trojan singular
trojans plural

Morphology

trojan = Trojan (opaque) = Troy + an

The malware sense is an allusive extension from 'Trojan horse', so most learners cannot derive it from the word parts alone.

Etymology

Trojan comes from the story of the Trojan Horse, when the Greeks left a large wooden horse outside the city of Troy and hid soldiers inside as a 'gift' so they could enter and attack. That's why a computer trojan looks like a normal program but secretly 'hides' dangerous code.