Avoid downloading .rar or .zip files from unfamiliar websites or suspicious emails, especially those related to "cracks," "cheats," or "HWID spoofers".
Malware like RedLine Stealer can be delivered to harvest browser passwords, credit card data, and crypto-wallet keys.
To stay safe from extension spoofing and malicious archives:
Always use a reputable antivirus or tools like VirusTotal to scan downloaded archives before extracting them.
In Windows File Explorer, go to the "View" tab and check "File name extensions" so you can see the true nature of every file.
A critical flaw in WinRAR (versions prior to 6.23) allowed attackers to execute code when a user merely double-clicked a seemingly benign file inside an archive. If an archive contained a file named image.jpg and a folder also named image.jpg , opening the file would trigger a script hidden inside the folder.
A simple but effective method where a file is named photo.jpg.exe . Since many operating systems hide known file extensions by default, the user only sees photo.jpg . Risks and Impacts