What processes in a computer are vulnerable when opening a harmful file from the internet?
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If you run the program from non-admin user account – it can read and modify all your documents, change your desktop settings, spy on all programs run by the same user. But it cannot touch programs and files of other users. Deleting a user and creating a new one should wipe the program.
Admin accounts on Windows behave like a normal user – until the program asks for admin rights. That’s when User Account Control appears. If you click “Yes” – the program will gain access to your system: can modify almost any file, spy on any process, change any setting. Only few system files and processes are protected.
If the program asks to install a driver, and you agree – it gains unlimited access to your computer. It can even modify the BIOS (unless it is prevented by the motherboard), so even wiping all disks and reinstalling the system might not help to get rid of it.
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