Potential dangers of emulators?

Hypotheticaly if instead of searching for my old Ps2/Xbox360 discs i downloaded a rom could the emulated games infect my computer once ran? (if this breakes the rules im sory)

11 points · 6 comments · view on lemmy.world

6 Comments

farcaster@lemmy.world · 34 pts · 2y
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Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Search for some emulating communities and see what sites they have recommended. The ROMs aren't dangerous, but there are dangerous sites that promise ROMs.

LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 2y

FMHY is always my starting point. They're really good about removing recommendations that have the slightest hint of anything malicious.

JoeKrogan@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 2y

Its easier to just infect a crack for a popular game and get a ton of windows "power" users to install it.

skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl · 11 pts · 2y (2 replies)
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echo64@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Practically, yes. There was a zsnes exploit that did exactly this back in the day.

skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl · 4 pts · 2y
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cloudless@feddit.uk · 11 pts · 2y

Anything you download from unknown sites can be risky. You don't even have to run the file in order to start the infection.

papalonian@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y

Like others have said, any file can be dangerous. You need to be diligent in picking where your ROMs come from, if it's a sketchy site don't use it.

That being said I've been doing similar activities since I was like 12 years old and have got a virus exactly once, and it was completely my fault for not listening to my gut (disregarded some red flags because I really wanted something to work.)