Acceptable Use Policy

Last Updated: March 3, 2025

1. Introduction

This Acceptable Use Policy ("Policy") outlines the permitted and prohibited uses of M4lware.org's services and sample repository.

M4lware.org provides access to Android application samples, including malware, for legitimate security research, education, and development purposes. Due to the nature of these samples, strict adherence to this Policy is mandatory for all users.

2. Permitted Uses

Users are permitted to use our samples and services for the following legitimate purposes:

2.1 Security Research

  • Analysis of malware behavior and techniques
  • Identification of vulnerabilities and attack vectors
  • Development of detection signatures and methods
  • Testing security tools and defenses
  • Comparative analysis of detection methods

2.2 Educational Activities

  • Teaching cybersecurity concepts and practices
  • Student projects under appropriate supervision
  • Academic research and publication
  • Development of educational materials
  • Training security professionals

2.3 Defensive Development

  • Creating or improving detection technologies
  • Testing defensive measures
  • Developing security applications
  • Validating security solutions
  • Benchmarking security products

2.4 Vulnerability Research

  • Identifying vulnerable code patterns
  • Responsible disclosure of discovered vulnerabilities
  • Developing patches or mitigations
  • Creating proof-of-concept demonstrations for legitimate purposes

3. Prohibited Activities

The following activities are strictly prohibited and constitute a violation of this Policy:

3.1 Malicious Uses

  • Deploying or executing malware in production environments
  • Using samples to compromise systems without authorization
  • Modifying samples to create new malware
  • Using samples to steal data or credentials
  • Conducting denial of service attacks
  • Any activity that causes harm to individuals or organizations

3.2 Distribution Violations

  • Redistributing samples without authorization
  • Sharing access credentials with unauthorized users
  • Removing protective measures from samples
  • Publishing complete malware samples online
  • Selling or commercializing samples without permission

3.3 Illegal Activities

  • Using samples in violation of any applicable law
  • Industrial espionage or competitive intelligence gathering
  • Violating intellectual property rights
  • Circumventing licensing or copy protection mechanisms
  • Unauthorized penetration testing of third-party systems

3.4 Unethical Conduct

  • Failing to practice responsible disclosure for discovered vulnerabilities
  • Creating misleading or inaccurate security reports
  • Using samples to generate false positive detections
  • Misrepresenting research findings for commercial gain
  • Deliberately causing harm to security tools or researchers

4. Sample Handling Requirements

All users must adhere to the following requirements when handling samples:

4.1 Secure Environment

  • Samples must be analyzed in isolated environments only
  • Recommended environments include:
    • Dedicated virtual machines
    • Sandboxes
    • Isolated networks
    • Air-gapped systems when appropriate
  • Environments must be regularly reset to a clean state

4.2 Storage Requirements

  • Samples must be stored in encrypted containers
  • Access to sample storage must be restricted
  • Inventory of samples must be maintained
  • Samples must be deleted when no longer needed
  • Backups containing samples must be secured

4.3 Access Controls

  • Implement strong authentication for sample access
  • Limit access to authorized personnel only
  • Maintain logs of all sample access and usage
  • Never share samples with unauthorized individuals
  • Implement need-to-know access restrictions

4.4 Network Controls

  • Prevent samples from accessing production networks
  • Block internet access from analysis environments
  • Log all network communications from sample testing
  • Use dedicated analysis networks when possible
  • Implement egress filtering on analysis networks

5. Reporting Obligations

5.1 Vulnerability Disclosure

Users who discover previously unknown vulnerabilities through sample analysis must:

  • Follow responsible disclosure practices
  • Report vulnerabilities to affected vendors
  • Allow reasonable time for patches before public disclosure
  • Avoid disclosing exploit details before patches are available
  • Provide sufficient information for remediation

5.2 Incident Reporting

Users must promptly report to M4lware.org:

  • Any accidental release of samples
  • Unauthorized access to samples
  • Discovery of sample distribution outside authorized channels
  • Misuse of the platform or samples
  • Security issues with the M4lware.org platform itself

5.3 Research Contributions

Users are encouraged to:

  • Share anonymized findings about analyzed samples
  • Contribute to detection signatures when appropriate
  • Report inaccuracies in sample classification or metadata
  • Suggest improvements to sample handling procedures

6. Special Requirements for Educational Use

Educational institutions and instructors must:

  • Ensure proper supervision of students accessing samples
  • Provide clear guidelines on ethical and secure handling
  • Ensure all educational environments are properly isolated
  • Verify all samples are removed after educational activities
  • Maintain records of which students accessed which samples

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Acceptable Use Policy periodically. We will notify users of any significant changes via email and by posting a notice on our website. Continued use of our services after such modifications constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

8. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Policy or need to report violations:

9. Acknowledgment

By using M4lware.org, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to comply with this Acceptable Use Policy in its entirety.

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