Does the following signify a virus?

Question

Does the following signify a virus?

DaffyDuckKangaroo 120

Hello,

Yesterday, I opened an email that I mistakenly thought was from AOL with the following address: (moderator note: PII removed)

I don't remember clicking on any attachments or links, and, strangely, the email had what appeared to be a banner over it stating that the linked were deactivated for protection. The email content itself was strange, stating that AOL would be changing its protocols but nothing needed to be done now.

I called AOL and the agent said it was indeed a fake email.

Later, I saw that there was a download in my download folder on File Explorer from yesterday -- the same day I opened the fake email -- and I was quite confused. I pressed on the download and it opened in Microsoft Edge but nothing was on the screen. I ran a full scan from Microsoft Defender and it said no viruses and then I cleaned out all the cookies, but I'm still worried. Below is more information, with the name on the download in File Explorer first and then the URL that appeared in Microsoft Edge when I pressed on download.

Download

Virus

Should I run another scan? I still don't understand how I got a download when I don't remember pressing either a link or attachment. If anyone had advice, explanation, or info, please reply.

Thanks,

(moderator note: PII removed)

Moved from: Microsoft Security | Microsoft Defender | Other

Answer accepted by question author and recommended by moderator

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Answer 1

Thomas4-N 4,320 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello DaffyDuck, thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum. I understand you are worried.

To address your concern: No, you do not have a virus, and there is nothing to worry about. Let me try to explain what actually happened.

The fake AOL email contained hidden code that forced Microsoft Edge to automatically download the phishing page itself as that small file (5V7gcicH.htm) without you having to click any link or attachment.
The scammers’ goal is to get someone to open the file and land on a fake login page where they might enter their password or other details.
In your case, the file is completely empty (0 KB). When you opened it, Edge showed a blank page because there is literally nothing inside it. An HTML file – when you double-click and run it – can only open a webpage in the browser. It cannot install virusses or malwares by itself (and any file type that could do that would still need actual code inside, which means it can’t be 0 KB).
For anything harmful to happen, the file would have to open a real phishing page, and you would have to fill in and submit personal information there.
None of that happened. The file was empty, nothing loaded, and you never entered any information.

Microsoft Defender has already scanned everything and found nothing, so you are completely fine. Just delete the file and you’re good to go.

You did the right thing by checking. Stay safe online, and feel free to ask again if anything else looks odd.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Thomas4-N 4,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-29T13:22:23.25+00:00

Thanks for the follow-up, DaffyDuckKangaroo. These are valid questions.

My first answer was a bit oversimplified. It is true that in principle, an HTML file by itself cannot install programs or viruses, but there is a real technique called HTML smuggling where attackers embed scripts inside an HTML file to download malware or redirect to phishing pages.

But in your specific case the file you found is showing as 0 KB. A file that is truly 0 KB cannot contain any malicious code because there is literally no data inside. Any attack is impossible if the file is empty.

To confirm this, you can right-click the file, choose Properties, and check if the size is 0 bytes. Also, open the file in Notepad to see if there's any text.

If you find anything different, please reply with screenshots.

The Google quote you shared is accurate in describing the technique but pay attention to the phrase “appear to be 0 KB”. To my understanding, it seems to refer to files so small that Windows rounds down and shows “0 KB” in the list view, but they actually contain hidden code. In any case, the file's Properties window will always reveal the actual size. Attackers sometimes use misleading metadata, but that is not the same as a truly empty file.

I’m not exactly a cybersecurity expert, just another experienced user here, but the technical facts seem very clear to me.

Warm regards,
DaffyDuckKangaroo 120 Reputation points

2025-11-29T20:14:21.42+00:00

Hello Thomas4-N,

Thanks for your expanded review. I ended up deleting the email/download from my laptop, but then I got another email from the same fake AOL address today, which I promptly deleted without opening at all. If I get another one, I would do what you advise -- that is right-click on the file and choose properties, but then I would have to had opened the email, which I don't want to do; at least I assume opening it would be necessary.

Yes, I should've read the AI more carefully to have seen "appear to be 0 KB." Below is a screenshot of body of the email, and I assume what the scammers wanted was for me to have clicked on one of the links, such as "Privacy Policy" and "Terms of Service"; however, they were quite savvy, as they "assured" me that nothing has to be done now, while most scammers demand immediate action.

Edited with a question: if there was really "0 KB," how did the email force Edge to download -- wouldn't some data have been there for the download to happen?

Best,

Here's the original email:
Thomas4-N 4,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-30T09:56:50.3866667+00:00

Hello,

The auto-download trigger comes from the email content, not the file itself. When Edge renders the email, it sees a download instruction and creates the file first.

Only after that, then it tries (and in your case fails) to fill it with the real harmful code. Maybe a server issue, rendering glitch, network interruption… can’t know for sure, but you can imagine a printer that starts but has no ink.

To avoid these emails in the future, consider blocking the sender address and domain. Like you've noticed, it might be their trick, and when the fake deadline approaches, they are likely to send more of these.
DaffyDuckKangaroo 120 Reputation points

2025-11-30T19:59:09.0333333+00:00

Hello Thomas,

Yes, I sent the email address to spam and blocked the sender, though that may not work because I thought -- could be wrong -- that I did that before the second email. Regardless, I found the original download in my trash and did what you advised -- right clicked on properties -- and below is a screenshot of what I found. I would open the file in Notepad, as you suggested, but I'm afraid of reopening it, and I assume there won't be any text if it's truly "0 KB."

I'm really green what it comes to computer terms, so I assume the "file" is the download and, therefore, separate for the email's content. The file, if I understand you, is what triggered the download though it's an empty file. It's all so strange, since I've always been told that a download could happen only if I manually pressed a button, but I suppose scammers are working around that.

Thanks,
Thomas4-N 4,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-02T11:08:38.5433333+00:00
Hello Daffy,

Actually, the email is what trigger the auto-download, not the file. The simple logic here is that these are two separate steps:

Auto-download the file > Edge creates the empty “container.”

Actually write content into the file.

The first step succeeded, and the second step failed.

About the mechanism, the download is triggered by a few bytes of HTML code inside the email (or its link), not by the file that appears on your PC. Something like

<a href="data:text/html," download="5V7gcicH.html" style="display:none"></a>

Modern browsers allow this for convenience—for example, to render email in a browser-like view.

Think of it like a vending machine. You press the button and an empty cup drops. Then, the syrup is supposed to pour in, but nothing comes out, so you just get an empty cup. The file on your disk is the result, not the cause. Anyway, thanks for confirming it's truly 0 KB!
DaffyDuckKangaroo 120 Reputation points

2025-12-03T02:33:59.3033333+00:00

Thank you for all your detailed and understandable help!
Thomas4-N 4,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-03T09:06:31.1233333+00:00

I'm happy to assist. If you find my answer helpful, don't forget to mark it as the Accepted Answer. This helps others with the same problem find the answer more easily. Warm thanks!
DaffyDuckKangaroo 120 Reputation points

2025-12-03T15:14:16.1833333+00:00

Hello,

I had thought I did, but now I checked a second box. Please let me know if it doesn't show up as answer.

Best,
Thomas4-N 4,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-04T06:38:15.06+00:00

Hi, thanks for checking. There should be an “Accept answer” button underneath the answer. If for some reason it doesn't appear, or if you’ve already clicked it, that’s completely fine—I appreciate your kind note.

Have a nice day,

Thomas
DaffyDuckKangaroo 120 Reputation points

2025-12-04T09:43:37.3533333+00:00

Hi,

I did accept your answer as the answer, and you should see that, but I'm so confused by this new forum, and I hope I didn't make a mistake. I also checked "help" on each of your additional answers. I can only see the entire narrative on my AOL browser, at least at first. I don't know, but I may be doing something wrong. Regardless, if you don't see your answer as marked the answer, please let me know, if only so I can learn until it's done. I marked answer for one of your posts.
Thomas4-N 4,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-04T10:16:16.9466667+00:00

Yes, my answer is accepted now. Thank you very much!

Answer 2

Hello Thomas4-N,

I appreciate your detailed reply and will mark it as answer, but I'm still confused because I read online that "0 KB," which means no data, can still carry a virus.

Here is a Google quote:

"Malicious HTML Attachments/HTML Smuggling:

An HTML file, even one appearing to be "0 KB," can contain malicious JavaScript code. When opened in a browser, this code could be designed to:

Download and execute malware: The script could trigger the download of a larger, actual malware file from a remote server, which then executes on the user's system.
Phishing attacks: The HTML could create a convincing fake login page to steal credentials.
Redirect to malicious sites: The page could automatically redirect the user to a website hosting malware or exploit kits.
"0 KB" is not a guarantee of safety or danger: A legitimate file can be 0 KB if it's empty, and a dangerous file can also appear to be 0 KB if it's acting as a loader or a placeholder for a larger attack.

I still don't understand why, as you wrote, the fake email was able to force Edge to download the page, especially if there was zero data. The whole thing is very confusing, but I did notice that there were links in the email and am thankful that I never pressed them.

Regarding your answer: it showed up in an email sent to my account, but I still can't see it on my own page in this new Micorosoft Q&A, or maybe I'm have to go to Q&A and am not there. This new AI forum is much more difficult to navigate than the previous version of Microsoft Forum.

Thank you,

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Does the following signify a virus?

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