What are logic bombs in programming and what threat do they pose?

A logic bomb is a piece of malicious code that is intentionally embedded into a legitimate program, script, or operating system, but only activates when a certain pre-defined condition is met. Unlike ordinary viruses, a logic bomb does not seek to infect other files or spread across the network; its main goal is to perform a destructive action at a strictly designated moment.

Conditions for a logic bomb to trigger can include a specific calendar date or time, the deletion of a specific user account from a database, the failure to enter a secret key by an administrator for several days, or even the dismissal of the employee who wrote the code. Until the condition is met, the program works completely normally and raises no suspicion among system administrators.

To prevent such threats in enterprises and development, strict security regulations are applied: