I've just read this http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/30/500m_winrar_users_open_to_remote_code_execution_zero_day/

I'd suggest extracting RAR files in a virtual machine, that should still be safe.

 

is this only applies if one is downloading&extracting questionable compressed files from web?

I mostly deal with my own compressed files and official stuff of various products, should l worry about this too, really don't understand this tech talk in article at all

 

"The issue is located in the text and icon function of the 'text to display in SFX' window module. ... means only exe/sfx on windows affected? shouldnt be that much ... on my side not a single file - and 99,68 % compressed using rar here

 

Did the prat who discovered this notify WinRAR so they could provide a patch for the vulnerability before shouting it from the rooftops?

 

If I understand the stated issue correctly, any site, and there are a shitload of them, that offer warez, etc. as an .exe file whether just compiled .exe or compressed rar > sfx >exe, is a possible threat. I just move on & find it elsewhere, goes back to downloading from trusted site, don't ever remember seeing .exe's here....and if I did I wouldn't DL'd it from here either.

 

Just to mention:
You can extraxt a rar'd .exe (SFX) with WinRAR - without executing malicious code!