If you believe your system is infected, run a full system scan with a reputable antivirus immediately.
You receive a message from a friend saying, "haha, look at this!" with the attached file. haha.rar
It may attempt to shut down task managers or antivirus software to hide its presence. If you believe your system is infected, run
Because you trust the sender, you download and open the RAR. Because you trust the sender, you download and open the RAR
It scans your contact list and sends a copy of "haha.rar" to everyone you know, making the infection look like it came from a trusted source.
The file is a compressed RAR archive. While the format itself is safe for data storage, "haha.rar" typically contains a malicious executable file (.exe). Once a user extracts and runs the file, the payload activates. Historically, this specific threat has been flagged by security tools like 360 Total Security as a generic malware variant. How the Infection Works