Hi, I downloded a file and it I scanned it, avast sees it as a decompression bomb? I got rid of the file, and I got rid of it in my recycle bin, but avast still picks it up in the recycle bin? Is this dangerous? What can I do? I never opened the file, so I hope it didn’t infect my computer? My system is not flooded with information, I still have space, so I hope it didn’t decompress just becasue I scanned it.
Thank You appreciate all the help.
Nat ???
- Decompression Bomb, a file that is highly compressed, which could be very large when decompressed. This used to be a tactic long ago to swamp the system, also see http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=15389.msg131213#msg131213.
The name really is the most dangerous thing about this and I wish they would change it or simply not report it, a real PITA.
Placing the file in the recycle bin would only see it detected in there as it isn’t gone, you would have to empty the recycle bin.
As to is it dangerous, possibly not based on the above. However, with no information about what it was you downloaded, file name and what it was, no one can say for sure.
Hi, thanx for the reply. I emptied my recycle bin as soon as I recycled it, so I can’t see it anymore, but it seems it’s somewhere in there. I am not sure how to delete it if I can’t find it. The file was a whole bunch of recipes from a cookbook, I think they were supposed to be pdf files all in a rar file a fiend sent to me. It wasn’t a big file. I know she has used the recipes but I am not sure if she created the rar file. Anyways is it still dangerous even though I can’t find it anymore? I mean I won’t ever be able to open it since it seems to be gone from view anyways.
tx
Whilst at first sight it might not appear big, but rar files have to be unpacked to be scanned and it is this total unpacked size that can be an issue.
So it appears to be just a highly compressed file, which shouldn’t be dangerous.
tx, I will ask her just in case who created the rar and if she knows the decompressed size of this folder. I would rather be safe than sorry, and I was really sorry not too long ago, when all I did was open a travel website and a this thing just started installing itself everywhere, like a cascade. I had to have everything debugged. The guy that did the debugging said it was everywhere. Good thing I am have backups, but it was a disaster. Avast did not stop the page from opening or warn me.
tx again
No problem, glad I could help.
Welcome to the forums.
Got the same warning re Decompression Bomb 42110. In my case I know what the file contained, it was a ‘Windows Image Backup’. I put it in the Recycle Bin, emptied it but it seems it is still lurking somewhere on my computer.
Why put it in the Recycle Bin if you know what it is. As has been said in this topic and many about the Decompression bomb notices, it isn’t an indication it is infected, just a very large file if unpacked to be scanned.
In order to even get this alert I guess you are doing a custom scan or have elected to scan all archives ?
Archives are by their nature inert and don’t present an immediate risk.
If avast is still finding it, then it isn’t lurking somewhere as avast would tell you in the scan if it was still present and where ?
Can also be a false positive. When ever I run a full scan I get a decompression bomb found. But its my MozBackup file so I am not worried.