the generic term for a mode of malware infection is
Malware Malware, short for malicious software, is an umbrella term used to refer to a variety of forms of harmful or intrusive software,[1] including computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, scareware, and other malicious programs. It can take the form of executable code, scripts, active content, and other software.[2] Malware is defined by its malicious intent, acting against the requirements of the computer user â€” and so does not include software that causes unintentional harm due to some deficiency.