.bat · text/plain
What is a .bat file?
Batch Script
About the format
A .bat file is a batch script — plain-text commands executed line by line by cmd.exe, the command interpreter whose lineage runs back to DOS. Double-clicking one runs it immediately, a console window flashing past. Batch is still everywhere because it's frictionless: no runtimes, no policies blocking it, and it can do real work — copy files, set registry values via reg.exe, chain installers, schedule tasks. That same frictionlessness makes .bat a perennial malware delivery wrapper, usually as a downloader that pulls the real payload with PowerShell or certutil. The safety rule is the same as for .reg files and shortcuts: it's text, so READ it first (right-click → Edit). Lines that download and execute things, obfuscated gibberish with %random% variable expansions, or calls to powershell -enc (base64-encoded commands) are the tells. A .cmd file is essentially the same thing with minor interpreter differences.
How to open a .bat file
Windows
- cmd.exe (double-click runs it)
- Notepad (right-click → Edit to READ it first)
macOS
- any text editor (won't run natively)
Linux
- any text editor (won't run natively)
Is a .bat file dangerous?
Yes — it's an executable script with your full permissions. Read any batch file you didn't write before running it.
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