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E-mail Attachments You Should Never Open Regardless of Where They Came From

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Feb. 12, 2013 2013-02-12T10:50:01-05:00
Oct. 12, 2019 2019-10-12T09:33:34-05:00

Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

E-mail Attachments You Should Never Open Regardless of Where They Came From

Below is a list of file extensions belonging to e-mail attachments that you should never open, regardless of where they came from, or who sent them. A malicious e-mail attachment is one of the most effective and easiest methods of infecting a computer. Always check the file extension of an e-mail attachment, because cyber-criminals can disguise an attachment as a Microsoft Word document, PDF document, or other legitimate documents. Attachments ending with ".zip", ".rar", ".7z", "r01", ".iso", and ".tar" are compressed files that should not be open if the sender is unknown to you, or you were not expecting the email message.

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Here are the e-mail attachments and their extensions that you should never open regardless of where they came from:

File Extension and Description

.JAR - Java archive
.ACE - Zip archive
.7Z - Zip archive
.R01 to .R25 - Zip archive
.TAR - Zip archive
.ISO - Image file
.BIN - Image file
.SCR - Windows Screen Saver
.BAT - Batch File Windows
.CMD - Command Script Windows
.COM - Command File Windows
.COMMAND - Terminal Command Mac OS
.CSH - C Shell Script Mac OS, Linux
.EXE - Executable Windows
.JSE - JScript Encoded File Windows
.KSH - Unix Korn Shell Script Linux
.LNK - File Shortcut Windows
.MSC - Microsoft Common Console Document Windows
.MSI - Windows Installer Package Windows
.MSP - Windows Installer Patch Windows
.MST - Windows Installer Setup Transform File Windows
.OSX - Executable Mac OS
.OUT - Executable Linux
.PIF - Program Information File Windows
.PS1 - Windows PowerShell Cmdlet Windows
.REG - Registry Data File Windows
.RGS - Registry Script Windows
.RUN - Executable Linux
.SHB - Windows Document Shortcut Windows
.SHS - Shell Scrap Object Windows
.VB - VBScript File Windows
.VBE - VBScript Encoded Script Windows
.VBS - VBScript File Windows
.VBSCRIPT - Visual Basic Script Windows
.WS - Windows Script Windows
.WSF - Windows Script Windows

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Comments, Answers, Reviews or Questions

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic.

Comments (5)

September 26, 2021 at 12:06 PM by an anonymous user from: As Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

HI, can you help me please? I don't know that I open any fake link how I know my mobile was hacked because I can't open a voice pic or video please help me.

December 8, 2016 at 2:05 PM by an anonymous user from: Lagos, Nigeria

Thanks. But are these two websites genuine or scam: www.iraisers.org and www.ecooperative.online.

October 27, 2014 at 2:12 PM by an anonymous user from: Fresno, California, United States

Yah, just got a notice to appear. I am glad I researched the internet, no wonder the library computer would not let me open the attachment.

Library computers don't allow one to open an e-mail attachment with an exe. extension, though there are a few legit files with EXE extensions, such as a game emulator for arcade games, now if they would only design a game emulator program with a different extension!

June 10, 2014 at 6:28 AM by an anonymous user from: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

I have a question...I have received several "failure to appear hearing notices" - I have read the first part by clicking on it but when I clicked on the attachment my phone would not let me open the zip file - so am I safe or am I at risk since I did Try to open it?

June 10, 2014 at 7:53 AM by info

The attachment is a malicious Microsoft Windows operating system file, and will only infect computers running this operating system.

So, your phone will not be affected. But, never attempt to open these attachments, even on your mobile device.

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