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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: hake on December 11, 2013, 03:06:31 PM

Title: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: hake on December 11, 2013, 03:06:31 PM
The random naming of emergency update .exe files is a nuisance for users of HIPS.  I imagine that names such as 897b17a5-c4d9-41ee-bf23-2ac8b2c0d432.exe are used to prevent clashes with existing files.  Isn't there another way to do this?  Are these digitally signed?  They could be anything so when I give the HIPS permission to allow the things to run, it's a guess that they are safe.

 :o

Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: Vapor on December 11, 2013, 04:05:20 PM
Quote
The random naming of emergency update .exe files is a nuisance for users of HIPS
I totally agree, outpost  keep on asking  for your input, and if you have  trained your firewall, it doesn't matter, days later new entry shows up anyways >:(
Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: DavidR on December 11, 2013, 05:19:23 PM
The random naming of emergency update .exe files is a nuisance for users of HIPS.  I imagine that names such as 897b17a5-c4d9-41ee-bf23-2ac8b2c0d432.exe are used to prevent clashes with existing files.  Isn't there another way to do this?  Are these digitally signed?  They could be anything so when I give the HIPS permission to allow the things to run, it's a guess that they are safe.

They are digitally signed by avast if you check the file properties.

Quote
The random naming of emergency update .exe files is a nuisance for users of HIPS
I totally agree, outpost  keep on asking  for your input, and if you have  trained your firewall, it doesn't matter, days later new entry shows up anyways >:(

I use Outpost Firewall Pro and I have not experienced the issue are stating. I don't know if that is related to your settings in Outpost Firewall Pro. I have my firewall settings set to Rules Wizard and Proactive Protection > Anti-Leak set to Advanced and no issues.
Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: Vapor on December 11, 2013, 06:01:16 PM
Quote
I use Outpost Firewall Pro and I have not experienced the issue are stating. I don't know if that is related to your settings in Outpost Firewall Pro. I have my firewall settings set to Rules Wizard and Proactive Protection > Anti-Leak set to Advanced and no issues.
Exactly same settings here, and this morning when i brought one of my PC's from sleep outpost pops the window and asking for input, went to my other machine that was sleeping as well, same thing.

Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: cooby on December 11, 2013, 06:04:57 PM
The random naming of emergency update .exe files is a nuisance for users of HIPS.  I imagine that names such as 897b17a5-c4d9-41ee-bf23-2ac8b2c0d432.exe are used to prevent clashes with existing files.  Isn't there another way to do this? ...
In addition to HIPS, any firewall with behavior watch sees them as unknown programs, asks, and requires an answer. A big annoyance.

@DavidR,
Outpost normally asks about unknown, new programs, which those emergency updates are because of varying filename, and in v7 it was varying path as well.
Just curious - what's your setting for 'allow digitally signed...' - checked? unchecked?
Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: DavidR on December 11, 2013, 06:38:37 PM
I haven't changed anything in Outpost relating to digital signatures; in fact on my current settings of Rules Wizard and Proactive Protection > Anti-Leak set to Advanced. I see no reference to digital signatures.
Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: schmidthouse on December 11, 2013, 06:46:20 PM
Well just to share,  I also ' have not' experienced any issue with OPFW Pro displaying any annoying popups. :)
Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: cooby on December 11, 2013, 07:01:27 PM
I haven't changed anything in Outpost relating to digital signatures; in fact on my current settings of Rules Wizard and Proactive Protection > Anti-Leak set to Advanced. I see no reference to digital signatures.
Correct, it's not "digital signatures"
What's in your Settings > General > ImproveNet - trusted vendors line.

I don't have avast where Outpost is, so couldn't remember, sorry.
In Antileak, if you set it to Maximum, will you get alerts about emergency update?

Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: schmidthouse on December 11, 2013, 07:09:23 PM
I haven't changed anything in Outpost relating to digital signatures; in fact on my current settings of Rules Wizard and Proactive Protection > Anti-Leak set to Advanced. I see no reference to digital signatures.
Correct, it's not "digital signatures"
What's in your Settings > General > ImproveNet - trusted vendors line.

I don't have avast where Outpost is, so couldn't remember, sorry.
In Antileak, if you set it to Maximum, will you get alerts about emergency update?

Well I personally have not found the need/use to set Anti Leak to Maximum. I'm sure that would impede some software performance.
Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: DavidR on December 11, 2013, 08:08:21 PM
I haven't changed anything in Outpost relating to digital signatures; in fact on my current settings of Rules Wizard and Proactive Protection > Anti-Leak set to Advanced. I see no reference to digital signatures.
Correct, it's not "digital signatures"
What's in your Settings > General > ImproveNet - trusted vendors line.

I don't have avast where Outpost is, so couldn't remember, sorry.
In Antileak, if you set it to Maximum, will you get alerts about emergency update?

Well ImproveNet really shouldn't be the classification (I have that disabled), but Rules auto-creation I have Auto create and update rules (which I believe to be a default setting) and also the 'Automatically create rules for applications signed by trusted vendors' checked, which is a default option.

I have absolutely no intention of setting Anti-Leak to maximum, I'm not that paranoid and you are going to get many more interventions from OFP for many applications not just avast.
Title: Re: Emergency update .exe files
Post by: hake on December 13, 2013, 01:52:32 PM
This problem makes Avast look poor.  It's cack-handed.  Surely it can do better than this?