What is the characteristic of a polymorphic virus?

A polymorphic virus is designed to evade detection by changing its code structure every time it is executed. This characteristic allows it to alter its appearance while maintaining the same underlying functionality, making it more challenging for antivirus programs to detect based on signature analysis. The objective of this technique is to frustrate traditional methods of virus detection, which often rely on identifying specific patterns or signatures associated with known malware.

The ability to change its code continuously means that even if the virus is initially detected and its signature catalogued, future iterations of the virus will appear different, thus allowing it to spread and infect systems without being caught. This characteristic exemplifies the sophisticated nature of modern malware and highlights the importance of utilizing heuristic and behavior-based detection methods in cybersecurity.