Modern antivirus software and archiving tools (like 7-Zip) often limit the number of nested levels they will scan or extract to avoid this type of attack.

The most infamous example, 42.zip , is a 42-kilobyte file that, when fully extracted, expands to 4.5 petabytes (

It relies on recursive compression —layers upon layers of nested ZIP files. A single file might contain 100 zip files, each containing 100 more, and so on. 2. How it Works (The Mechanics)

Here is a deep report on its mechanics, purpose, and mitigation: 1. What is it?