You can get Trojans from unopened Zip files now?

[SkittyOnWailord]

So apparantly I got a Trojan from a Zip file I downloaded and never opened. Since when was it possible to get a Trojan from an file that's still zipped? What's the point of even scanning a Zip file if it can be bad before you can even do that?

 

[K-B-K]

Thats quite strange. I have had trojans before but that was of course after i unzipped them.

 

[SkittyOnWailord]

Thats quite strange. I have had trojans before but that was of course after i unzipped them.

I know, that's what was so strange about it. And I know that nothing else caused it because I didn't do anything else on my computer that day.

 

[7eeveelutions]

Maybe it was put on your computer while you were downloading the zipped file. It could have been attached to the file somehow. Thats the only reason I can come up with, unless the Trojan moved itself out of the zipped file. And I don't think thats possible.

 

[dragonskull]

So apparantly I got a Trojan from a Zip file I downloaded and never opened. Since when was it possible to get a Trojan from an file that's still zipped? What's the point of even scanning a Zip file if it can be bad before you can even do that?

The file you assume that was giving you a trojan wasn't the actual file, when you download certanin files from sites which aren't really thrustable the .PART files which make up your final document may contain a trojan horse. As of my current knowledge with external attacks this is becoming more and more a fact that not only the actual files you are downloading can contain virusses but also the temporary files which make up your final file.

I hope that helped, and well remember that you always have an antivirus running with a infinite shield like AVAST or AVG (mentioning the free ones)

 

[chuboy]

Who told you you had got the trojan from the zip you didn't open?

Computers, thankfully, will never be able to think for themselves. They will NEVER ever run a program unless you have already asked it to. A trojan horse only works when the user executes it, otherwise it can sit there forever and not harm a thing.

To get around this hackers design viruses that try and run when people open emails, etc, this is why Internet Explorer tells you about ActiveX controls and the like.

But if you didn't touch the zip file, your trojan either didn't come from there or it hasn't infected your computer yet.

 

[SkittyOnWailord]

Who told you you had got the trojan from the zip you didn't open?

Computers, thankfully, will never be able to think for themselves. They will NEVER ever run a program unless you have already asked it to. A trojan horse only works when the user executes it, otherwise it can sit there forever and not harm a thing.

To get around this hackers design viruses that try and run when people open emails, etc, this is why Internet Explorer tells you about ActiveX controls and the like.

But if you didn't touch the zip file, your trojan either didn't come from there or it hasn't infected your computer yet.

Well Norton found and removed it the next time I turned on my laptop. And the only things I did the day before was go to GameFAQs, Youtube, here and the place that I downloaded the file. And Norton didn't find anything while I was on any of those sites. I also hadn't been going to anyware differant for weeks. And I didn't even use any other programs on my computer for about a week. So are you saying that the Trojan was just sitting on my computer for a few weeks and just decided to "pop up" all of a suden without me doing anything differant? I'm not sure, that's why I'm asking.

 

[Noctourniquet]

Well Norton found and removed it the next time I turned on my laptop. And the only things I did the day before was go to GameFAQs, Youtube, here and the place that I downloaded the file. And Norton didn't find anything while I was on any of those sites. I also hadn't been going to anyware differant for weeks. And I didn't even use any other programs on my computer for about a week. So are you saying that the Trojan was just sitting on my computer for a few weeks and just decided to "pop up" all of a suden without me doing anything differant? I'm not sure, that's why I'm asking.

It can happen. And, some sites will give you these things called stealth downloads (i think thats what they're called). Sometimes, even adverts can do it. You may have got one there, although i highly doubt it.
Are you sure that the Trojan actually got out of the Zip? Norton may have found it while it was still inside, i believe it can do that. Also, some programs that may be perfectly clean can contain code deemed to be *malicious* by antivirus, especially on illegal programs (im not implying that you downloaded an illegal program, its just an example).

 

[SkittyOnWailord]

It can happen. And, some sites will give you these things called stealth downloads (i think thats what they're called). Sometimes, even adverts can do it. You may have got one there, although i highly doubt it.
Are you sure that the Trojan actually got out of the Zip? Norton may have found it while it was still inside, i believe it can do that. Also, some programs that may be perfectly clean can contain code deemed to be *malicious* by antivirus, especially on illegal programs (im not implying that you downloaded an illegal program, its just an example).

Well I just did a virus scan a few days before and it didn't find anything. I'm not 100% sure that it was in the Zip file, that's just the only thing differant that happened.