Has it been mathematically proven that antivirus can't detect all viruses?
What analysis was Bruce Schneier referencing when he wrote:
Viruses have no “cure.” It’s been mathematically proven that it is always possible to write a virus that any existing antivirus program can’t stop." [0]
[0] Secrets & Lies. Bruce Schneier. Page 154
malware virus antivirus detection
edited 23 mins ago
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What analysis was Bruce Schneier referencing when he wrote:
Viruses have no “cure.” It’s been mathematically proven that it is always possible to write a virus that any existing antivirus program can’t stop." [0]
[0] Secrets & Lies. Bruce Schneier. Page 154
malware virus antivirus detection
edited 23 mins ago
forest
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asked 6 hours ago
CateCate
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What analysis was Bruce Schneier referencing when he wrote:
Viruses have no “cure.” It’s been mathematically proven that it is always possible to write a virus that any existing antivirus program can’t stop." [0]
[0] Secrets & Lies. Bruce Schneier. Page 154
malware virus antivirus detection
edited 23 mins ago
forest
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asked 6 hours ago
CateCate
311
New contributor
Cate is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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What analysis was Bruce Schneier referencing when he wrote:
Viruses have no “cure.” It’s been mathematically proven that it is always possible to write a virus that any existing antivirus program can’t stop." [0]
[0] Secrets & Lies. Bruce Schneier. Page 154
malware virus antivirus detection
malware virus antivirus detection
edited 23 mins ago
forest
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asked 6 hours ago
CateCate
311
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Cate is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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edited 23 mins ago
forest
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asked 6 hours ago
CateCate
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edited 23 mins ago
forest
34.4k16113118
edited 23 mins ago
forest
34.4k16113118
edited 23 mins ago
forest
34.4k16113118
34.4k16113118
asked 6 hours ago
CateCate
311
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Cate is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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asked 6 hours ago
CateCate
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asked 6 hours ago
CateCate
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311
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Cate is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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2 Answers
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Under one possible interpretation of that, it's a result of Rice's theorem. A program is malicious if it performs some malicious action, which makes it a semantic property. Some programs are malicious and some aren't, which makes it a non-trivial property. Thus, by Rice's theorem, it's undecidable in the general case whether a program is malicious.
answered 4 hours ago
Joseph SibleJoseph Sible
1,310315
Ah I think this is indeed what Schneier was referencing. This answer is better than mine.
– forest
4 hours ago
3
I'm not a mathematician, but I might guess that Godel's incompleteness theorems might also apply.
– Steve Sether
3 hours ago
add a comment |
According to Wikipedia:
In 1987, Fred Cohen published a demonstration that there is no algorithm that can perfectly detect all possible viruses.
It also references this paper. That might be the analysis Mr. Schneier was referring to.
answered 1 hour ago
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston
357110
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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Under one possible interpretation of that, it's a result of Rice's theorem. A program is malicious if it performs some malicious action, which makes it a semantic property. Some programs are malicious and some aren't, which makes it a non-trivial property. Thus, by Rice's theorem, it's undecidable in the general case whether a program is malicious.
answered 4 hours ago
Joseph SibleJoseph Sible
1,310315
Ah I think this is indeed what Schneier was referencing. This answer is better than mine.
– forest
4 hours ago
3
I'm not a mathematician, but I might guess that Godel's incompleteness theorems might also apply.
– Steve Sether
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Under one possible interpretation of that, it's a result of Rice's theorem. A program is malicious if it performs some malicious action, which makes it a semantic property. Some programs are malicious and some aren't, which makes it a non-trivial property. Thus, by Rice's theorem, it's undecidable in the general case whether a program is malicious.
answered 4 hours ago
Joseph SibleJoseph Sible
1,310315
Ah I think this is indeed what Schneier was referencing. This answer is better than mine.
– forest
4 hours ago
3
I'm not a mathematician, but I might guess that Godel's incompleteness theorems might also apply.
– Steve Sether
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Under one possible interpretation of that, it's a result of Rice's theorem. A program is malicious if it performs some malicious action, which makes it a semantic property. Some programs are malicious and some aren't, which makes it a non-trivial property. Thus, by Rice's theorem, it's undecidable in the general case whether a program is malicious.
answered 4 hours ago
Joseph SibleJoseph Sible
1,310315
Under one possible interpretation of that, it's a result of Rice's theorem. A program is malicious if it performs some malicious action, which makes it a semantic property. Some programs are malicious and some aren't, which makes it a non-trivial property. Thus, by Rice's theorem, it's undecidable in the general case whether a program is malicious.
answered 4 hours ago
Joseph SibleJoseph Sible
1,310315
answered 4 hours ago
Joseph SibleJoseph Sible
1,310315
answered 4 hours ago
Joseph SibleJoseph Sible
1,310315
answered 4 hours ago
Joseph SibleJoseph Sible
1,310315
1,310315
Ah I think this is indeed what Schneier was referencing. This answer is better than mine.
– forest
4 hours ago
3
I'm not a mathematician, but I might guess that Godel's incompleteness theorems might also apply.
– Steve Sether
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Ah I think this is indeed what Schneier was referencing. This answer is better than mine.
– forest
4 hours ago
3
I'm not a mathematician, but I might guess that Godel's incompleteness theorems might also apply.
– Steve Sether
3 hours ago
Ah I think this is indeed what Schneier was referencing. This answer is better than mine.
– forest
4 hours ago
Ah I think this is indeed what Schneier was referencing. This answer is better than mine.
– forest
4 hours ago
3
3
I'm not a mathematician, but I might guess that Godel's incompleteness theorems might also apply.
– Steve Sether
3 hours ago
I'm not a mathematician, but I might guess that Godel's incompleteness theorems might also apply.
– Steve Sether
3 hours ago
add a comment |
According to Wikipedia:
In 1987, Fred Cohen published a demonstration that there is no algorithm that can perfectly detect all possible viruses.
It also references this paper. That might be the analysis Mr. Schneier was referring to.
answered 1 hour ago
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston
357110
add a comment |
According to Wikipedia:
In 1987, Fred Cohen published a demonstration that there is no algorithm that can perfectly detect all possible viruses.
It also references this paper. That might be the analysis Mr. Schneier was referring to.
answered 1 hour ago
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston
357110
add a comment |
According to Wikipedia:
In 1987, Fred Cohen published a demonstration that there is no algorithm that can perfectly detect all possible viruses.
It also references this paper. That might be the analysis Mr. Schneier was referring to.
answered 1 hour ago
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston
357110
According to Wikipedia:
In 1987, Fred Cohen published a demonstration that there is no algorithm that can perfectly detect all possible viruses.
It also references this paper. That might be the analysis Mr. Schneier was referring to.
answered 1 hour ago
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston
357110
answered 1 hour ago
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston
357110
answered 1 hour ago
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston
357110
answered 1 hour ago
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston
357110
357110
add a comment |
add a comment |
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