utility to extract from self extracting rar exe safely

Discussion in 'Windows - Software discussion' started by Bannerdog, Jan 27, 2011.

  1. Bannerdog

    Bannerdog Member

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    At times I obtain self-extracting RAR files (with an exe extension) that I do not "trust" sufficiently to execute.

    Typically, there is a single .exe file and a number of .rar files comprising the archive.

    Ostensibly, the .exe file contains a "stub" program to perform the extraction.

    However, it might contain a trojan.

    Therefore, I would like to open the archive without executing the .exe member of the archive.

    As far as I know, WinRar can't do it.

    Does anyone know of a suitable utility?

    I'd consider investigating the RAR format and writing one myself if medical considerations were not prohibitive.

    Thanks
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2011
  2. e45

    e45 Regular member

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    you could always right click the winrar file and extract it to a folder that way the exe file will not open until you click it
     
  3. Bannerdog

    Bannerdog Member

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    Maybe that would work if I had only a single executable file.

    However, in my situation I have something like:

    foo.part01.exe
    foo.part02.rar
    foo.part03.rar

    When I right click foo.part01.exe, and extract into a subfolder, I get only a small portion of the archive. Perhaps the integrated extraction proceaa cannot handle a multi file archive, and the .rar files are not utilized.

    Double clicking foo.part02.rar gives indication that the beginning of foo.big is missing (where foo.big is the "main" file in the archive).



     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2011
  4. scorpNZ

    scorpNZ Active member

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    sandboxie would be the easiest method of test running or tho i loath to say it returnil,unless you have a vpc "virtual pc" google if you don't know what a vpc is
     
  5. Bannerdog

    Bannerdog Member

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    Actually, when I used the universal extractor to extract foo.part01.exe to a sub folder (foo.part01), I found a "secondary" foo.part01.exe nested within that sub folder (slightly smaller than the original foo.part01.exe).

    I then renamed the original foo.part01.exe and put the "secondary" foo.part01.exe in its place.

    I also renamed the extraction sub folder(foo.part01).

    I then used the universal extractor on the "new" foo.part01.exe (delving one level of recursion) and it produced the desired contents!
     
  6. GryphB

    GryphB Regular member

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    You're not able to extract just the files or folders individually by themselves without the exe coming with it?
     
  7. Atasha01

    Atasha01 Guest

    Hi. Try using WinZip. It is a very powerful tool for zipping and unzipping files.
     

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