Yes and no. If the VM has network access you can still royally fuck yourself. Also, it’s possibe your virtualisation software has a vulnerability—that way it may still infect your host machine.
More often than not VMs may protect you, but it’s no guarantee.
Well you’re not wrong about the risk, but…
use virtual machines
Use backups.
Problem solved.
Yes and no. If the VM has network access you can still royally fuck yourself. Also, it’s possibe your virtualisation software has a vulnerability—that way it may still infect your host machine.
More often than not VMs may protect you, but it’s no guarantee.
If you’re that paranoid I don’t know why you’re running an executable whose source code you haven’t checked in the first place.
Or even connecting to the Internet in the first place.
Or even turning a computer on in the first place
Or even accepting electricity from outside your home in the first place.
Or waking up in the first place.
Come to think of it, allowing yourself to be born is hella risky…