What type of malware is specifically designed to replicate itself?

The type of malware that is specifically designed to replicate itself is a virus. A virus attaches itself to legitimate files or programs and can replicate by inserting copies of itself into other programs or files when those infected files are executed. This self-replication allows the virus to spread across systems, making it a significant threat to data integrity and system performance.

In contrast, while worms also replicate themselves, they do so independently across networks without needing to attach to a host file or program, distinguishing them from viruses. Trojans, on the other hand, do not replicate; they disguise themselves to appear legitimate in order to trick users into executing them. Adware, while sometimes intrusive and potentially harmful, typically does not replicate itself in the way that viruses and worms do. Thus, the defining characteristic of a virus is its ability to self-replicate by infecting other files, making it the correct answer.