Metamorphic code

Metamorphic code is like a shape-shifting robot, but for computer programs. It is a type of program code that constantly changes its own shape and appearance to make it difficult for bad guys to figure out what it actually does.

Let's say you have a secret message that you want to keep hidden. You can put it in an envelope, but if someone finds the envelope and reads it, your secret message is not a secret anymore. So, you could use a special machine to change the envelope's appearance and make it look like a completely different envelope every time someone looks at it.

Similarly, metamorphic code changes its appearance every time someone tries to look at it or analyze its behavior. By doing this, the code becomes very complex and hard to understand, and it also becomes resistant to anti-virus software that is designed to identify malicious code.

To make the code metamorphic, developers use special techniques to create code that can modify itself during runtime, transforming its own structure, organization and behavior. It is like Lego bricks that can be taken apart and rebuilt in different ways when someone wants to change its shape.

The end result is that the code looks like different things to different people, depending on when and how they access it. This makes it very difficult for hackers or authorities to determine the true purpose of the code or identify the people who created it.

In short, metamorphic code is a tool used by programmers to hide their code from others and keep it safe from bad guys.