Decompression Bomb - EEEEEK!

[Slash1975]

Hi guys

I was doing my monthly scan and it stated that a file could not be scanned as it was a decompression bomb.

I havw tried to look it up on the net and some people say it's really naaaaasty and others say don't worry about it......

I ran it thru Virus Online and got nothing BUT it could be malware or legitimate.

I am by no means a techie kinda guy and really could do with a bit of advice here

Thanks

Slash 1975

[DavidR]

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.

Advice do nothing.

Files that can't be scanned are just that, not an indication they are suspicious/infected, just unable to be scanned.

[Slash1975]

Thanks for the reply DavidR.

I will ignore it as per your advice.

If my PC explodes I know who to blame!  Only kidding - I can;t wait till I get my nice new pc - i5 chip, 8GB RAM, 1TB hard drive ,etc.  Much better than my hugely powerful(!) 900Mhz Duron and 512MB RAM from 2001!

I say again - Thanks!

Slash1975

[DavidR]

No problem, glad I could help.

Yes, ignore, the name is more dangerous than the alert in this case.

I'm sure you will be over the moon at your new systems performance.

Welcome to the forums.

[gameboyz]

Thanks for the reply DavidR.

I will ignore it as per your advice.

If my PC explodes I know who to blame!  Only kidding - I can;t wait till I get my nice new pc - i5 chip, 8GB RAM, 1TB hard drive ,etc.  Much better than my hugely powerful(!) 900Mhz Duron and 512MB RAM from 2001!

I say again - Thanks!

Slash1975

I get a lot of those, but I've never really bothered to check which files are they because I trust Avast. If Avast thinks that they can be skipped, I'm fine with that. Avast has never let me down

Oh and I'm so jealous. I'm on E8400, 4GB RAM, 640GB and 750GB  But my system is already perfect to me

[greyshade]

Decompression Bomb.....

..... 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.

Couldn't agree more with you on this, DavidR.

A little more care (and certainly even more, common sense) could go a long way in avoiding unnecessary sensationalizing for the uninitiated masses, when it comes to naming computer programs and processes.

Take the other instance...

HijackThis!... an otherwise fantastic troubleshooting tool and guardian angel (though, after the fact) for those unwittingly smitten by stealthy malware.

Must admit, was taken aback when i first encountered this worthy not too long ago, in pursuit of some deliverance following a recent brush with the devil, which co-incidentally went by the name 'Hijack.WindowsUpdate'.

The use of the word 'Hijack' in the latter case somehow seems more appropriate to the vocabulary of the 'bad guys', as also, i would presume, the use of the word 'Bomb' in the case reported.

As it turns out, HijackThis! seems to be an invaluable tool, having helped so many in this forum. This, if  one was able to resolve that the name did not after all, suggest what it was going to do with what you were still left with, after a debilitating attack. 

A clear case of the need for 'suspension of disbelief'.