I'm most probably just being paranoid but I was talking to someone on discord and they sent me an audio clip. it didn't work so they sent me this file and without thinking twice I downloaded it BUT I did not open the file. I immediately put in the trash. Do you think it was a malicious file of some sort?
I think it was a .txt file.
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.1
If you didn't double-click or open the file you should be fine, but you should empty the Trash so the file is gone.
You should never download files from an unknown source as there is always a possibility the file may contain something malicious even if it appears at first glance to be a text file. There are ways to misrepresent the file type. Even if the file is a text file it could still contain something that can trigger a vulnerabilities in an app even if you manually open the file in an app using "File ---> Open ....". It isn't always about double-clicking on a file.
If you didn't double-click or open the file you should be fine, but you should empty the Trash so the file is gone.
You should never download files from an unknown source as there is always a possibility the file may contain something malicious even if it appears at first glance to be a text file. There are ways to misrepresent the file type. Even if the file is a text file it could still contain something that can trigger a vulnerabilities in an app even if you manually open the file in an app using "File ---> Open ....". It isn't always about double-clicking on a file.
It is unlikely you have anything to worry about, but if it makes you feel better you can run MalwareBytes to scan your Mac for malware. This is the only anti-virus type app you should use on a Mac since all the other apps tend to cause problems. You should make sure to uncheck the option for the real-time scanner so it doesn't run all the time slowing down your Mac or better yet just uninstall it afterwards. There is an option on one of MalwareByte's menus to uninstall the app.
I don’t understand WHAT made me download it, I feel really stupid now. I most definitely did not double click it neither did I open it in the app. I did press the space bar for a preview although I doubt if that counts as “opening” the file. Regardless, is there anything I can do to make sure my laptop hasn’t been affected in any way?
I downloaded a file from discord and im afraid it might have been spyware or something
