Mobile Code

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What Does Mobile Code Mean?

Mobile code is any program, application, or content capable of movement while embedded in an email, document or website. Mobile code uses network or storage media, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive, to execute local code execution from another computer system. The term is often used in a malicious context, mobile code creates varying degrees of computer and system damage. Mobile code is usually downloaded via the body of an HTML email or email attachment.

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Mobile code is also known as executable content, remote code and active capsules.

Techopedia Explains Mobile Code

Malicious mobile code infects hard drives, resulting in rapid code replication. Malicious mobile code often attaches to Web software requiring a plug-in for download (such as ActiveX, Flash or JavaScript) or is embedded in an infected website. For example, a user visits a website to download seemingly harmless content, like a song. If the song is infected and then executed, the infection spreads to the user’s computer.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.