How do polimorphic viruses make detection challenging?

Polymorphic viruses make detection challenging primarily because they alter their code for each infection. This characteristic means that every time a polymorphic virus replicates itself, it changes significant parts of its code or the way it behaves, while still maintaining the same fundamental functionality. This continuous alteration helps it evade signature-based detection mechanisms employed by many antivirus solutions, which typically rely on recognizing known patterns or signatures of malware.

As the code evolves, it becomes increasingly difficult for security software to identify these viruses, as each iteration may appear unique due to the changes. The ability to mutate allows polymorphic viruses to persist within systems, as traditional antivirus signatures may not recognize the new variations. This adaptability poses a substantial challenge to maintaining effective cybersecurity measures.

The other options touch on aspects that are related to malware behavior but do not directly address the specific challenge presented by polymorphic viruses. For example, remaining dormant indefinitely does not contribute to a virus's evasiveness, while being installed without user consent falls more into the realm of breach of user trust rather than detection evasion. Lastly, infecting only specific file types limits the scope of the infection rather than addressing the core issue of detection difficulty.