What type of malicious code requires the host's interpreter to process its instructions?

Malicious scripts are a form of code designed to execute automatically, often when a user accesses a web page or interacts with a certain application. This type of code relies on the host's interpreter, such as a web browser or a scripting engine, to process its instructions and perform the potentially harmful actions coded within it. Since they cannot operate independently and depend heavily on the environment in which they run, malicious scripts can easily exploit vulnerabilities related to the interpreter used by the host.

In contrast, worms can spread independently over networks without the need for a host's interpreter to function. Logic bombs are designed to execute a malicious payload when certain conditions are met, but they are still executed directly by a host system without requiring an interpreter for instruction processing. Trojan horses, while appearing benign and tricking users into executing them, don't specifically rely on an interpreter to function in the way that malicious scripts do. Thus, the accurate understanding of the definition and functioning of malicious scripts reinforces why this option is the correct answer.