Can you get infected just by downloading a file?

[AntonyKoutsos]

So i was searching about how sites use the log in system of steam and i came across this post(https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/458605613411279313/), that seems fine. But then i clicked the link that one of the comments was giving for further information. But instead of opening a site it downloaded a file, not exe or anything). I deleted the file and run a Malwarebytes scan and windows defender scan and both found nothing.

I know that it sounds stupid but i get a bit paranoid over things like this, mainly because of my lack of knowledge. Anyway its propably nothing since the link is a steamcommunity link with the openid extension i just need a second opinion.

 

[Chicano]

Well, I don't see any link besides the "steamcommunity openid" link... but I doubt you downloaded anything, and if you did, and it was a bug, the antivirus may have caught it... so check if the antivirus has anything in quaranteene with this date just in case, and delete the temp files contents: Start > Run or Search and type %temp% and delete everything... also if you can recall the downloaded file name, install Everything search program and search for the file... if you can't recall the full name, type the approximate name letter by letter slowly and it may come-up if it did download. If it finds the file, it probably wasn't a virus but delete it anyway just to be safe as it could be a trojan, adware, etc. that are not always found by security software; many Trojans aren't all caught by antivirus, and some adware are not caught by Malwarebytes... AdwCleaner does a better job with adware.

 

[AntonyKoutsos]

Well, I don't see any link besides the "steamcommunity openid" link... but I doubt you downloaded anything, and if you did, and it was a bug, the antivirus may have caught it... so check if the antivirus has anything in quaranteene with this date just in case, and delete the temp files contents: Start > Run or Search and type %temp% and delete everything... also if you can recall the downloaded file name, install Everything search program and search for the file... if you can't recall the full name, type the approximate name letter by letter slowly and it may come-up if it did download. If it finds the file, it probably wasn't a virus but delete it anyway just to be safe as it could be a trojan, adware, etc. that are not always found by security software; many Trojans aren't all caught by antivirus, and some adware are not caught by Malwarebytes... AdwCleaner does a better job with adware.

Thats why i found it weird, the reason i opened it was because it was a steamcommunity link but it just downloaded a file without any extension. The file was in the downloads folder so i deleted it and searching the HDD and SSD for it after i deleted it found nothing. No Quaranteene files in both malwarebytes and windows defender. Also i deleted the temp files( complete forgot about those, its being a while since i deleted them). Anyway i set it so that it asks me the location for each download(for some reason i had it disabled) in case anything similar happens again. I just found weird because the link does seem like an official one.

 

[k1114]

When you click that steamcommunity openid link, it does download a file. Looks like a syntax issue but it downloads a blank file.

 

[AntonyKoutsos]

When you click that steamcommunity openid link, it does download a file. Looks like a syntax issue but it downloads a blank file.

Yea a small file(some kb) with not extention. I tried writing the url myself(withthe /openid at the end) and it downloaded a file again, different name similar size and format.

 

[AntonyKoutsos]

By the way deleting the %temp% folders on windows 10 wont create any problems right? If i remember correctly most of the files there are remnants left by programs.

 

[k1114]

You are still afraid that you downloaded something off steam? You most likely already have adware in temps files located in multiple locations just from regular internet browsing. But use the windows disk cleanup to delete temp files, there's more than just that folder.

 

[Chicano]

There are more Temp folder than just one: there is the Windows > Temp folder, Internet Temp files, and may be others: One is sometimes under C: (where you find; Program Files, Users, Windows), and programs like CCleaner or the Windows disk may find more locations. But to find the specific file if it managed to download, Everything should quickly locate it.


I copied & Pasted the steamcommunity openid link on this security check website and it says: "Unable to properly scan the site. Content not found" but it shows the website IP number which if pasted on ipfingerprintscom, says it belongs to AkamaiTechnologies which is located at Cambridge Massachusetts
https://sitecheck.sucuri.net/results/steamcommunity.com/openid/
Get the IP number from the sitecheck.sucuri.net results and paste it here:
http://www.ipfingerprints.com/


You can also paste the IP number here and see the IP location, it's apparently on the building where Akamai Technologies is located so the file seems from a safe origin
http://www.infosniper.net/index.php?ip_address=23.209.82.193&map_source=1&overview_map=1&lang=1&map_type=1&zoom_level=7


On the other hand, there does seem to be a Akamai virus.... some results offer a tool for the specific virus removal, I'd suggest running it if deemed necessary.
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=akamai%20technologies%20virus&oq=akamai%20technologies&rlz=1C1AVNE_enMX703MX703&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l5.13527j0j7

 

[AntonyKoutsos]

I used the disck cleanup to delete any remaining temp files. I also copied the link and pasted on virustotal incase it adds anything and it found nothing too. And since all the facts indicate that its nothing serious i am just gonna pretend it was nothing. I dont know exactly how things like this work but i find weird that its that is to get a virus. Click on a link it downloads something (that you dont run or run by its self) and suddenly you have a virus/malware that the av or malwarebytes cant detect.

EDIT: I also runned hitman pro just incase and it found nothing too(exceot some tracking cookies).

 

[Chicano]

Whatever it was, if you found it and deleted it from your HDD, it probably wasn't anything to worry about... cause you may be able to delete malware but manually deleting a virus with higher risk, is not so likely.

 

[AntonyKoutsos]

Whatever it was, if you found it and deleted it from your HDD, it probably wasn't anything to worry about... cause you may be able to delete malware but manually deleting a virus with higher risk, is not so likely.

Yea, its just that some times i get a bit paranoid over stuff like this for basicly no reason.. Lost some hours of sleep because of it. Anyway thanks for the help / info it helped.