Many computer users out there have no idea what a file ending in .rar is or what they are suppose to do with it. Virus writers are using this information to infect PC’s with yet another round of viruses. Most geeks reading this will know that a file extension of .rar is a compressed file, similar to .zip formatted files, but according to an eWeek article, many PC users are falling for the hoax.
The emergence of .rar-packed viruses highlights the lengths to which virus writers are willing to go to evade anti-virus systems, as well as the limitations of those traditional signature-based defenses.
Experts say .rar files carrying viruses have been sailing past commercial anti-virus products and finding their way into the mailboxes of users, who are often unfamiliar with the file format. Administrators who have seen .rar-packed malware say that none of the messages have been stopped by their anti-virus defenses.