Glossary: Modern Vulnerabilities, Malware and Physical Attacks

Fileless malware

Also written: fileless

Malware that runs in memory using tools already on the computer, such as PowerShell or WMI, instead of saving its own program file. Antivirus file scans often find nothing, as with the invoice that opened a shell from Excel.

Where the book teaches it

Chapter 4: Malware, part 2: viruses, rootkits, keyloggers, logic bombs and fileless malware

Related terms

PowerShell WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation)Living off the land PowerShell -EncodedCommand Registry (Windows registry)