What’s the best way to deobfuscate potentially risky code?

Honestly, it's a huge red flag if your friend is sending you sketchy code. Just ask them to send the original, non-obfuscated version instead.

Before you even think about running it, look through the code for suspicious activity like network calls or file access. If you're really unsure, running it in a VM is your best bet for safety.

Why would a friend send you code that's hard to trust? Just don't run it at all and get a safer version!

If you're worried about malware, reconsider the friendship! But seriously, don't run that code on your main system. It's much safer to check it out in a virtual machine first. That way, if something goes wrong, you can just dispose of the VM without any repercussions.

You can use ChatGPT for code analysis—it's surprisingly good even with obfuscated stuff. I managed to analyze some JavaScript malware using it last year, so it could be worth a shot!