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drive-by download

[ drahyv-bahy doun-lohd ]
/ ˈdraɪvˌbaɪ ˌdaʊn loʊd /
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noun Digital Technology.
the installation of a virus or malware onto a computer or mobile device without the owner’s knowledge, occurring when a compromised website or email is merely viewed, without having to click on a link therein.
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Origin of drive-by download

First recorded in 2000–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for drive-by download

drive-by download

noun
an incidence of an unwanted program being automatically downloaded to a computer, often without the user's knowledge
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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