I often download FBX files from various sites. To build my projects. I heard that recently in Maya they discovered that inserting the file can contain viruses. Is it something similar in Blender? Is there any reason to worry?
Usually 3D formats only include data so this would be very hard to archieve… this said: the FBX format is proprietary and therefore it’s hard if tell if there is some code in there.
So for Maya this might be true because Adobe wants this to be abel to (?)
But in blender this may simple not happen because no developer knows this for sure (??)
Also: this is highly speculative.
( In the past some flows in some data formats could lead to some unwanted memory faults which in rare situations could lead to malicious code injections especially made for the most used OS… but this also can happen when reading this here with your favorite browser 
)
1 Like
Any file could potentially have virus. Even formats like JPG or PNG.
But due to how those formats work those sophisticated viruses target only specific programs that they are opened with due to their potential bugs in those programs themselfs.
In case of FBX. This format is closed and proprietary.
Official way that most programs use is by using FBX SDK. So its most likely that it will be targeted.
Blender does not use FBX SDK, it uses limited reverse engendered implementation in Python and newer one using ufbx library. So unless someone invest SERIOUSly into making it targeted at blender, so ufbx or older fbx importer for small potential benefit, then no. Fbx is quite safe format. But just be aware that there is very very low, but potential risk.
If there is option in downloading and You wanna just mesh with UV, then OBJ can be even safer option.
By the way .blend file is still safe, but it have higher risk since it can actually have packed scripts, but afaik by default Blender will ask You if You will run those scipts without option “Auto Run Python Scripts”. And there were cases with viruses in blend files, so dont check that option if You open files from internet.
2 Likes
FBX files can have viruses.
Microsoft decided turning off FBX support (due to vulnerabilities) in January 2024 for Office was the way forward.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/topic/support-for-fbx-files-has-been-turned-off-in-office-9f2387f1-84ec-496a-a288-2c6f774db219
Microsoft recommends for its office lineup the fileformats gltf and glb.
Others in this thread wrote more in regards to Blender.
Fileformats which have its system documented and data inside can be inspected and understood, helps in minimizing risks.
1 Like
Anything can potentially have a script that tries to run without your knowledge.
The single most important thing that you should do is: “don’t run as an Administrator!” Your everyday account(s) should not have the capability to gain elevated privileges. If you are ever prompted for such a username/password, don’t respond. When you actually need to do “administrative things,” log on as this user – which should not be named, “Administrator!” Do it, and then log off again. This one userid exists only for this purpose.
The second most important thing is to have a backup system that runs in the background all the time.
“Rogue software,” when it runs, has to run “as you.” Therefore, if you voluntarily limit what “you” can do, you greatly reduce the exposure. Formally, this is referred to as the Principle of Least Privilege.
Since in my small business I “wear different hats,” and serve different clients, I have a (non-privileged) login userid for each client or role, thereby neatly separating them and protecting them. (The “preferences” are segregated, the background desktop wallpaper is different, and so on. I won’t get them mixed up. And the files can’t be accidentally corrupted because they’re out-of-reach.)
1 Like