I'm considering downloading a vintage game called "Vintage Story" that requires the .NET 7 Runtime for MacOS. While the game seems safe and is behind a paywall, I'm concerned about any potential risks of running an outdated version of .NET 7 on my computer. Is it a safe move to download and use this runtime just for this game? I'm also curious about what makes outdated software risky. How does one actually become vulnerable—just by downloading it, or does running it also play a role? I get that there's always some risk with outdated software, but I'd like to know how safe it would be in this specific case. Thanks for any advice, and please be gentle with me—I'm not very tech-savvy!
3 Answers
You'll probably be fine! Also, Vintage Story is a fantastic game! I recommend playing it with friends for an even better experience. 😛
As an IT guy, I’d say go for it! Just make sure you've got backups in case something goes wrong. A lot depends on how trustworthy the source of the download seems. But hey, I’m comfortable fixing any mess I might encounter.
Unpatched runtimes can definitely be exploited, but attackers need you to download and run something malicious for that to happen. You're safe if you just stick to using it for the game and avoid sketchy downloads.
Is it possible for someone to attack me just through the Runtime?