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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Vlk on December 10, 2005, 10:45:11 AM

Title: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Vlk on December 10, 2005, 10:45:11 AM
Hi all, the latest virus database update (0550-0) is bigger than usual (almost 300K). This is because it has an improved bits of malware detection engine in it that will enable us to detect more viruses in the near future. It should also bring increased scanning speed (although that depends on many other factors).

I'd be glad if you could comment any scanning speed changes you notice with the new VPS (if any).


Thanks
Vlk
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: YLAP on December 10, 2005, 10:50:00 AM
Thanks for explanation, as I've noticed it was unusual big. And maybe it's the reason of interesting version number. As far as I remember version ****-0 was on Mondays all the time (I mean at the start of a new week).  ;)
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: RejZoR on December 10, 2005, 11:21:51 AM
Thats good to hear. I mean improvements on detection. GUI and other interface stuff along with features and tweaks are already in ADVANCED+ level. Just keep on working on detection. Thats the most important thing! I'm just heading to test avast! for some anti-termination thing and i'll also test this :)
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: rdsu on December 10, 2005, 12:29:07 PM
That is a great news :D

Hope you continue to improve the detection of this great AV...

Thanks ;)
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: XMAS on December 10, 2005, 02:46:51 PM
Great news ;D
Thanks for the info!
Now scanning to see the results :)
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: XMAS on December 10, 2005, 03:10:11 PM
OK, I think that I found a problem  :-\

While I was doing the scan(Normal scan with enabled scanning archives files) avast! found a virus(Win32:Trojan-Gen. {VC}) in file called Uninstal.exe( BTW this is a false positive), and pressed the Repair button and the scanning proceed.In the end the report said that the file was successful repaired. After that I made a manual scan only on that file with ashQuick and avast! found that virus again, I pressed the repair button again and avast! said that the file was repaired again, but actually the file wasn't repaired, because thats a false positive.  :-\

EDIT: I forgot to say that this file was detected as false positive and before, but it was fixed, and now again...
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: DavidR on December 10, 2005, 04:00:40 PM
Generally Trojans can't be repaired as it isn't an infected file and I wouldn't have thought that the Repair button would be live (allow the option).
So it would appear that the FP on an existing exe file that may possibly have been scanned by the VRDB (?) may allow the repair option to be attempted. That would explain why it would appear the repair completed with success as it hadn't changed (been infected).

Being an FP detection could also explain why it would be detected again even after repair.

I guess you will have to send it to virus @ avast.com again.
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: XMAS on December 10, 2005, 04:11:24 PM
Generally Trojans can't be repaired as it isn't an infected file and I wouldn't have thought that the Repair button would be live (allow the option).
So it would appear that the FP on an existing exe file that may possibly have been scanned by the VRDB (?) may allow the repair option to be attempted. That would explain why it would appear the repair completed with success as it hadn't changed (been infected).

Being an FP detection could also explain why it would be detected again even after repair.

I guess you will have to send it to virus @ avast.com again.

I've already send the file to virus[at]avast[dot]com :)

BTW the full system scan took faster that usual  ;D
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Lisandro on December 10, 2005, 09:54:12 PM
Generally Trojans can't be repaired as it isn't an infected file and I wouldn't have thought that the Repair button would be live (allow the option).
I think the Repair buttom is always live (not greyed), but it works only when it's possible to use the VRDB

So it would appear that the FP on an existing exe file that may possibly have been scanned by the VRDB (?) may allow the repair option to be attempted.
A false positive, a real virus or any other unrepairable virus. I think Repair will be always there. Works only when it's possible.

That would explain why it would appear the repair completed with success as it hadn't changed (been infected).
This is the strange part... I mean, the repair being completed...

Being an FP detection could also explain why it would be detected again even after repair.
Again, my opinion is that this is not related with a false positive or real infection. Being detected again is due to the virus behavior (mutating, changing, appearing in other files, reinfecting, etc.) and the avast! detection but not with being a false positive.
A false positive could be detected just once... repaired, deleted, etc. and does not appear anymore.
The strange, again, is a sucesfull repair...
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: DavidR on December 10, 2005, 11:58:09 PM
I thought that avast were making changes to only offers options that are relevant to the infected file. Even if it may not be one that the VRDB would usually assist in the repair.

I did a test with eicar.com and ashQuick.exe and tried a repair (note the mention of the VRDB) which failed.

So I don't understand how it could complete with success yet still detect an infection on the repaired file.
To me that indicates if the repair was a success then detected again the detection (initial or second) may be suspect. Especially when you consider that this file was previously classed as an FP and resolved only to come back.
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Lisandro on December 11, 2005, 12:52:10 AM
I thought that avast were making changes to only offers options that are relevant to the infected file. Even if it may not be one that the VRDB would usually assist in the repair.
Maybe you're right and I'm wrong... I'm not sure this was changed is last versions  ::) ???
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: DavidR on December 11, 2005, 01:04:26 AM
No, that was my assumption that this was to change but obviously it hasn't, otherwise I shouldn't have been able to select repair.

By being able to run a repair on eicar.com which isn't in a system or program files folder I wouldn't have thought that it would be in the VRDB, so it would appear that Repair is live and hasn't changed from before.
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Lisandro on December 11, 2005, 01:07:58 AM
No, that was my assumption that this was to change but obviously it hasn't, otherwise I shouldn't have been able to select repair.

By being able to run a repair on eicar.com which isn't in a system or program files folder I wouldn't have thought that it would be in the VRDB, so it would appear that Repair is live and hasn't changed from before.
Oh I see...
So, something still strange in the 'repair' behavior... or it is just a replicant virus coming, being cleaned, coming back again?
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Dwarden on December 11, 2005, 02:24:44 AM
hmm still no detection of anything i sent to avast at Thursday  ... well let's hope it will be soon ...
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: DavidR on December 11, 2005, 03:16:10 AM
@ Vlk
No difference in scan speed for me on a Standard Scan without archives, time: 7:37 minutes for total of 5.3GB of scanned files, exactly the same as my last scan to the second.
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: TAP on December 11, 2005, 04:21:25 AM
Does this improvement enable faster speed in real-time scanner (standard shield)?

It's quite strange that I've noticed AVG's on-demand scanning speed usually slower than avast! but AVG is a bit faster than avast! in real-time scanner, at least on my machine.
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: AvastForever on December 11, 2005, 08:16:27 AM
Didnt really notice any speed change. Dont know really.

Did a Through scan without archives:

Number of scannned files and folders: 158711/13616
Run-Time: 01:22:57
Total size of scanned files: 29.3GB
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Vlk on December 11, 2005, 09:56:54 AM
I know, most Trojans now have the "can-be-repaired" flag set (incorrectly). This will be fixed soon but shouldn't really be a problem...
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Lisandro on December 11, 2005, 01:01:08 PM
This will be fixed soon but shouldn't really be a problem...
I think it's a problem when the repair buttom is AVAILABLE, you click it and the system answer it has been processed CORRECTLY.
After that you realise NOTHING was done or repaired. This is a problem: the user is not corrected informed and don't know he/she could be infected yet  :P
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Lisandro on December 11, 2005, 01:05:54 PM
Didnt really notice any speed change.

No difference in scan speed for me on a Standard Scan without archives

Strange, for me, speed is much better now  ::)
(http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=18004.0)
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Spiritsongs on December 11, 2005, 04:32:40 PM
 :) I finally responded to the green "alert" to install the
     v 739 on Dec 9, but did NOT get an auto update of
     550-0 and had to manually get it; I am on Dialup and
     wondered if my Win XP is experiencing the "unable to
     auto update" syndrome that many have been
     experiencing !? My usual protocol is to remove, including
     uninstalling an "old" version, then download & install
     the new version, but because 550-0 was unusually
     large, will this not be necessary !?
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: DavidR on December 11, 2005, 05:30:28 PM
I'm on dial-up and no problem of being notified of the 0550-0 VPS update. If you were experiencing any auto update problems then you would have seen it soon after Dec 9 when you updated to 4.6.739.

You shouldn't need to uninstall "old version" (what ever that means VPS or Program) after an auto update, that would kind of make the auto update meaningless.
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Lisandro on December 11, 2005, 10:51:34 PM
My usual protocol is to remove, including uninstalling an "old" version, then download & install the new version, but because 550-0 was unusually large, will this not be necessary !?
Well, I think not. The update was ok and I haven't troubles with auto updates since then. I mean, no errors.
We need to wait a 'real' update as we stay at 0550-0 yet.
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: justin1278 on December 13, 2005, 03:12:25 AM
same speeds here.
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Hannu on December 20, 2005, 08:18:49 PM
Well, just updated both Avast! (now 4.6.744) and VPS file (0551-2) and made full system scan.

Number of files and folders: 115167/3044
Run-time: 01:22:33
Total size of scanned files: 15,2 GB

I didn't notice any speed change...
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: XMAS on December 20, 2005, 08:40:29 PM
Avast! (now 4.6.744)

Hei, I didn't noticed that there is new version of the program (now updating)  ::)
Great  ;D

Thanks for the info ;D
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Lisandro on December 20, 2005, 09:43:35 PM
Avast! (now 4.6.744)
Does anybody know what changed since last one 4.6.731?
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Vlk on December 20, 2005, 09:47:01 PM
Tech, it's on the website (as always). Click the date "20.12.2005" next to avast Home/Pro on the homepage...
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Lisandro on December 21, 2005, 01:35:55 AM
As always
For me, as always means: at the Announcements forum, at Beta forum  ;)
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: Hannu on December 21, 2005, 09:34:37 AM
Quote
For me, as always means: at the Announcements forum, at Beta forumĀ  ;)

Me too, I always check the forums firstĀ  ::)
Title: Re: Last VPS Update (0550-0)
Post by: igor on December 21, 2005, 10:23:46 AM
OK, this was just a tiny fix ;)