If a problem is left unattended in the coding of the database, it can lead to an overall inefficient structure or design of the database. A fault in the coding and structure of the database might result in possible database corruption. 5. Virus Attack. This can be considered as one of the prominent external causes of database corruption. Often databases can get corrupted when they become a target of a malware or malicious user, who deliberately intends to harm the organization by causing corruption in the databases.