{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7163870548","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570","title":"MalTree: Tracing Malware Evolution from Embeddings at Scale","display_name":"MalTree: Tracing Malware Evolution from Embeddings at Scale","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-06-04","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7163870548","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5028396130","display_name":"Akash Amalan","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Amalan, Akash","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5005247877","display_name":"Georgios Smaragdakis","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4127-3617"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Smaragdakis, Georgios","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5138179018","display_name":"Tom J. Viering","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Viering, Tom J.","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11241","display_name":"Advanced Malware Detection Techniques","score":0.96670001745224,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1711","display_name":"Signal Processing"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11241","display_name":"Advanced Malware Detection Techniques","score":0.96670001745224,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1711","display_name":"Signal Processing"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10400","display_name":"Network Security and Intrusion Detection","score":0.007199999876320362,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12391","display_name":"Artificial Immune Systems Applications","score":0.0020000000949949026,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2204","display_name":"Biomedical Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/malware","display_name":"Malware","score":0.7960000038146973},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/phylogenetic-tree","display_name":"Phylogenetic tree","score":0.6326000094413757},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scale","display_name":"Scale (ratio)","score":0.5238999724388123},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/timestamp","display_name":"Timestamp","score":0.48669999837875366},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/evolutionary-algorithm","display_name":"Evolutionary algorithm","score":0.4300999939441681},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/tracing","display_name":"Tracing","score":0.4187000095844269},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/tree","display_name":"Tree (set theory)","score":0.4027999937534332}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C541664917","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14001","display_name":"Malware","level":2,"score":0.7960000038146973},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6687999963760376},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C193252679","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q242125","display_name":"Phylogenetic tree","level":3,"score":0.6326000094413757},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778755073","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10858537","display_name":"Scale (ratio)","level":2,"score":0.5238999724388123},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C113954288","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186885","display_name":"Timestamp","level":2,"score":0.48669999837875366},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.4844000041484833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.4731000065803528},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159149176","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14489129","display_name":"Evolutionary algorithm","level":2,"score":0.4300999939441681},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138673069","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q322229","display_name":"Tracing","level":2,"score":0.4187000095844269},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C113174947","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2859736","display_name":"Tree (set theory)","level":2,"score":0.4027999937534332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776817793","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6553369","display_name":"Lineage (genetic)","level":3,"score":0.35199999809265137},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779395397","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15731404","display_name":"Malware analysis","level":3,"score":0.35040000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124101348","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q172491","display_name":"Data mining","level":1,"score":0.3142000138759613},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778579508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q722192","display_name":"System call","level":2,"score":0.302700012922287},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2522767166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2374463","display_name":"Data science","level":1,"score":0.2985000014305115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.29409998655319214},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105902424","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1197129","display_name":"Evolutionary computation","level":2,"score":0.2883000075817108},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90132467","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171184","display_name":"Phylogenetics","level":3,"score":0.2849999964237213},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C171578705","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5418700","display_name":"Evolutionary dynamics","level":3,"score":0.27059999108314514}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2606.06570","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Malware":[0],"detection":[1,114],"remains":[2],"largely":[3],"reactive:":[4],"machine":[5],"learning":[6],"models":[7],"trained":[8],"on":[9],"known":[10],"samples":[11],"degrade":[12],"as":[13],"threats":[14],"evolve.":[15],"Understanding":[16],"evolutionary":[17,81,91,121,156],"relationships":[18,92,132],"among":[19],"malware":[20,58,149],"families":[21,104],"can":[22,30],"inform":[23],"proactive":[24],"defense,":[25],"but":[26],"traditional":[27],"reverse":[28],"engineering":[29],"take":[31],"months":[32],"to":[33,35,56,74,119],"years":[34],"uncover":[36],"such":[37],"lineage":[38],"relationships.":[39],"We":[40,67],"propose":[41],"MalTree,":[42],"a":[43,145],"framework":[44,143],"that":[45,89,102,113,130],"applies":[46],"bioinformatics":[47],"inspired":[48],"phylogenetic":[49,135],"techniques":[50],"(UPGMA":[51],"and":[52,64],"Neighbor-Joining)":[53],"at":[54],"scale":[55],"model":[57],"evolution":[59],"automatically":[60],"using":[61,71],"structural,":[62],"behavioral,":[63],"image-based":[65],"features.":[66],"introduce":[68],"temporal":[69,86],"validation":[70],"VirusTotal":[72],"timestamps":[73],"assess":[75],"whether":[76],"inferred":[77,90,131],"trees":[78],"reflect":[79],"actual":[80],"order.":[82],"MalTree":[83],"achieves":[84],"87%":[85],"consistency,":[87],"indicating":[88],"closely":[93],"align":[94,137],"with":[95,138],"real-world":[96],"emergence":[97],"timelines.":[98],"Our":[99,142],"analysis":[100,150],"shows":[101],"some":[103],"mutate":[105],"over":[106],"10":[107],"times":[108],"faster":[109],"than":[110],"others,":[111],"suggesting":[112],"strategies":[115],"should":[116],"be":[117],"tailored":[118],"family-specific":[120],"tempos.":[122],"Case":[123],"studies,":[124],"including":[125],"the":[126],"Mirai":[127],"botnet,":[128],"confirm":[129],"from":[133,151],"our":[134],"tree":[136],"documented":[139],"threat":[140],"intelligence.":[141],"provides":[144],"foundation":[146],"for":[147],"shifting":[148],"sample-by-sample":[152],"classification":[153],"toward":[154],"lineage-aware":[155],"modeling.":[157]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00"}
