If you get the crack from a reputable source, you can trust it will be safe. A low seed torrent from a shady place (like The Pirate Bay) is probably a virus. High seed torrent from another source like 1337x or something with more active moderation is generally safe.
If you want to be extra sure, spin up a VM and install the crack there and check it out before doing it on your real machine.
In the case of Denuvo, it is proven to drastically decrease performance for the sake of “security.”
Examples:
Hogwarts Legacy Denuvo vs Crack
Resident Evil 8 Village Denuvo vs Crack