Detection Names :	Generic.malware.[variant], Generic.[variant], gen:win32.malware.[variant], Gen:variant.[variant]
Category:	Malware
Type:	Other
Platform:	W32

A Generic Detection for programs with features or behaviors indicative of known malicious threats, such as trojans, worms or viruses.

Allow F-Secure Anti-Virus to disinfect the relevant files.

For more general information on disinfection, please see Removal Instructions.

A detection name that uses the format "Generic.malware.[variant]", or similar, is a Generic Detection that is triggered if the suspect file appears to be suspicious, potentially undesirable, or has characteristics that resemble known malware. This may indicate the presence of a malware infection, or that the suspect file is malicious.

Once found, either the suspect file will be automatically disinfected or the user will be prompted to select a desired action.

About Generic Detections

Generic Detections are a type of sophisticated detection used by antivirus programs to identify files with malicious characteristics.

Unlike more traditional detections (also known as signatures or single-file detections) a Generic Detection does not identify a unique or individual malicious program. Instead, a Generic Detection looks for broadly applicable code or behavior characteristics that indicate a file as potentially malicious, so that a single Generic Detection can efficiently identify dozens, or even hundreds of malware.

Generic Detections can be used to identify particular types of malware, based on general physical or behavioral characteristics:

In this case, the Generic Detection does not generally specify which family the malware belongs to.

Alternatively, a Generic Detection can be targeted to identify particular malware families, based on familial similarities:

Note

If in doubt, or in cases where a legitimate file is suspected to contain malicious code, please send a sample to F-Secure Security Labs via the Sample Analysis System (SAS) for analysis. You may want to refer to the following Support articles for more details:

Or Contact Support for further assistance.