Officially Recognized Platform Names

Long Form

Comments

BAT

BAT

Malware that requires a DOS or Windows command shell interpreter or close clone.

Boot

Boot

Requires MBR and/or system boot sector of IBM PCcompatible hard drive and/or floppy. (Rarely used in practice.)

DOS

DOS

Infects DOS COM and/or EXE (MZ) and/or SYS format files and requires some version of MS-DOS or a closely compatible OS. (Rarely used in practice.)

EPOC

EPOC

Requires the EPOC OS up to version 5.

SymbOS

SymbianOS

Requires Symbian OS (EPOC version 6 and later).

Java

Java

Requires a Java run-time environment (standalone or browser-embedded).

MacOS

MacOS

Requires a Macintosh OS prior to OS X.

MSIL

MSIL

Requires the Microsoft Intermediate Language runtime.

OS2

OS2

Requires OS/2.

W16

Win16

Requires one of the 16-bit Windows x86 OSes. (Note: Several products use the Win prefix.)

W95

Win95

Requires Windows 9x VxD services.

W32

Win32

Requires a 32-bit Windows (Windows 9x, Me, NT, 2000, XP on x86).

W64

Win64

Requires Windows 64.

WinCE

WinCE

Requires WinCE.

ActnS

ActionScript

Requires the Macromedia ActionScript interpreter found in some ShockWave Flash (and possibly other) animation players.

AplS

AppleScript

Requires AppleScript interpreter.

CSC

CorelScript

Malware that requires the CorelScript interpreter shipped in many Corel products.

INF

INFScript

Requires one of the Windows INF (installer) script interpreters.

JS

JScript, JavaScript

Requires a JScript and/or JavaScript interpreter. Hosting does not affect the platform designatorstandalone JS malware that requires MS JS under WSH, HTML-embedded JS malware, and JS malware embedded in Windows-compiled HTML help files (.CHM) all fall under this platform type.

MIRC

mIRCScript

Requires the mIRC script interpreter.

Perl

Perl

Requires a Perl interpreter. Hosting does not affect the platform designatorstandalone Perl infectors under UNIX(-like) shells, ones that require Perl under WSH and HTML-embedded Perl malware all fall under this platform type.

PHP

PHPScript

Requires a PHP script interpreter.

PS

PostScript

Requires a PostScript interpreter.

REG

Registry

Requires a Windows Registry file (.REG) interpreter. (We do not distinguish .REG versions or ASCII versus Unicode.)

SH

ShellScript

Requires a UNIX(-like) shell interpreter. Hosting does not affect the platform nameshell malware specific to Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, or other systems, or specific to csh, ksh, bash, or other interpreters currently all fall under this platform type.

VBS

VBScript, VisualBasicScript

Requires a VBS interpreter. Hosting does not affect the platform designatorstandalone VBS infectors that require VBS under WSH, HTML-embedded VBS malware, and malware embedded in Windows-compiled HTML help files (.CHM) all fall under this platform type.

UNIX

UNIX

This is a common name for binary viruses on UNIX platforms. (More specific platform names are available.)

BSD

BSD

Used for malware specific to BSD (-derived) platforms.

Linux

Linux

Used for malware specific to Linux platforms and others closely based on it.

Solaris

Solaris

Used for Solaris-specific malware.