What Is Self Extracting Archive?
Self Extracting Archive Definition
Short definition: An executable type of archive which is programmed to extract compressed files automatically, like an installer.
Extended Definition:
SFX or Self-Extracting archives are executable kinds of files that serve as archives that compress data in them and serve as a Microsoft Windows executable program, that is designed to unpack the files and extract them automatically, thus the term “self-extracting. The main objective of this is to make it easy for users to extract files, especially if they do not have programs for opening archives installed, like WinRAR or 7zip, for example
In cyber-security, SFX files have a specific role, because most of them can be used to extract malware on the computers of victims and this is why they are often regarded as potentially risky, especially if you do not know more about the origin of the files. This is the main reason why anti-malware programs are equipped with the means to detect files within an SFX archive and see if they are malicious or not due to detecting a malicious script that may reside within them.
For more definitions, check our Cyber Dictionary.