dendroid

Dendroid is a term derived from the Greek dendron, meaning "tree," and the suffix -oid, meaning "resembling." In biology and related fields, dendroid describes tree-like, branched morphologies. It is used as an adjective to characterize growth forms in plants, fungi, corals, and other organisms where the branching pattern resembles a tree. The term is descriptive and not tied to a specific taxon; it can apply at different levels of organization, from cellular structures to whole organisms.

In computing, dendroid refers to a form of Android malware. Security researchers describe dendroid as a modular Android remote access Trojan (RAT) used by cybercriminals to control infected devices. It can provide remote command execution, data collection, and surveillance capabilities, among other functions. Dendroid is typically distributed via malicious applications obtained from unofficial app stores or third-party sources and employs obfuscation and a plugin-based architecture to extend functionality and evade detection. Antivirus and security firms have studied its behavior and advised users to remove compromised apps and restore devices from trusted sources.

These uses illustrate the term's different meanings in biology and information security, connected mainly by the imagery of tree-like structures. Dendroid, in each context, serves as a descriptive label rather than a formal classification, highlighting the concept of branching form in biology and the modular, tree-like architecture of a malware platform in cybersecurity.