downloaded a .pif file but changed the extension

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Level 1

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downloaded a .pif file but changed the extension

Hi!

So I stupidly (being the naive person I am) downloaded this zip file which turned into a file with the extension(s) .pdf.pif after unzipping it. I changed the extension to .pdf only and double clicked on it, trying to open it which thankfully did not work — I just wanted to ask whether I'm still going to be affected by that file since I found out, unfortunately only afterwards, that it's a virus.

I'm letting avira go through my files right now but I still wanted to ask here.

Thanks in advance!

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Mar 1, 2016 10:35 PM

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Answer 1

chroot

Level 4

1,102 points

Mar 2, 2016 2:00 AM in response to linhey

Renaming file types like this use to be popular such as a picture being named picture.jpg.exe or a movie named movie.mpg.exe. By default Windows would hide the file extension so all the person would see is picture.jpg. Then the person thinks they are opening a picture, they instead open an executable binary. The *.PIF is also a unique file to for Windows initially introduced on DOS. If this file, was in fact, a virus then it was for Windows and OS X wouldn't know what to do with it.

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