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ORC (.orc)

.orc file signature | application/octet-stream

ORC (Optimized Row Columnar) is a columnar data storage format developed and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It is commonly used in big data systems for efficient analytics, particularly with Apache Hive, Spark, and related tools. ORC files are generally safe to process, though, like other data files, they should be obtained from trusted sources and handled with software that is kept up to date.

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0
4F 52 43

Sources: Wikipedia

Extension

.orc

MIME Type

application/octet-stream

Byte Offset

0

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .orc files in Python

Python 
def is_orc(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid ORC by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x4F, 0x52, 0x43])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(3) == signature

How to validate .orc files in Node.js

Node.js 
function isORC(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x4F, 0x52, 0x43]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 3).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .orc files in Go

Go 
func IsORC(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x4F, 0x52, 0x43}
    if len(data) < 3 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:3], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/orc
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/orc

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .orc file?

A .orc file is identified by the magic bytes 4F 52 43 at byte offset 0. ORC (Optimized Row Columnar) is a columnar data storage format developed and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It is commonly used in big data systems for efficient analytics, particularly with Apache Hive, Spark, and related tools. ORC files are generally safe to process, though, like other data files, they should be obtained from trusted sources and handled with software that is kept up to date.

What are the magic bytes for .orc files?

The magic bytes for ORC files are 4F 52 43 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .orc file?

To validate a .orc file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (4F 52 43) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .orc files?

There is no officially registered MIME type for .orc files. Systems typically use application/octet-stream as a generic fallback when handling this format.

Is it safe to open .orc files?

ORC (.orc) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.