Haha.rar < Authentic >

You receive a message from a friend saying, "haha, look at this!" with the attached file.

Because you trust the sender, you download and open the RAR. haha.rar

The malware often performs the following actions: You receive a message from a friend saying,

The golden rule of digital hygiene is to never open unexpected attachments, even from friends. If you have already downloaded a suspicious RAR file, do not extract it. Instead, experts from the Purism community and other security forums recommend uploading the file to a multi-engine scanner like VirusTotal to check for hidden threats before touching it. If you have already downloaded a suspicious RAR

In the early 2010s, a seemingly innocent file named "haha.rar" began circulating through instant messaging platforms like MSN Messenger and early social media. While it might look like a funny collection of memes, it is actually a well-known trojan or worm designed to hijack your computer and spread itself to your contacts. What is "haha.rar"?

It scans your contact list and sends a copy of "haha.rar" to everyone you know, making the infection look like it came from a trusted source.

It may attempt to shut down task managers or antivirus software to hide its presence.