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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: calicobox on August 13, 2006, 09:57:25 PM

Title: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: calicobox on August 13, 2006, 09:57:25 PM

Hi

I was just checking my mail and have a avast! suspicious message warning.

Do I select delete or continue.

Is delete going to delete the message or delete the warning?

Is continue going to continue loading the emails or continue as in getting rid of the possible problem?

Block it is grayed out.

Thanks

Hi again.  Also, can someone post a link to the manual/instructions for avast!?

I've looked around the site and can't find it.   It's probably right in plain site but I don't see it.

OK, I found the data sheets.  But when I click on one to download I just get a white page.  I am using firefox and winxp. 

Title: Re: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: calicobox on August 13, 2006, 10:31:00 PM

Me again.  I found a link on the web site map that says tutorials but it's also a whilte page.

I thought maybe it's my browser so I opened IE and it's the same thing.  :(

Title: Re: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: Lisandro on August 13, 2006, 10:45:52 PM

Suspicious message warnings come from Heuristic tab of settings (Internet Mail provider).
Open the provider and check your Heuristic settings.
Which is the reason given in the message?

Title: Re: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: calicobox on August 13, 2006, 10:49:11 PM

suspicious message white space sequence

then it gives the info on the sender and the email subject etc.

Title: Re: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: calicobox on August 13, 2006, 10:56:38 PM

I had to go google what Heuristic settings means.

So it may not be a problem?

Title: Re: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: Lisandro on August 13, 2006, 11:05:41 PM

Quote from: calicobox on August 13, 2006, 10:56:38 PM

I had to go google what Heuristic settings means.

No... LEFT click the avast blue icon on system tray.
Click on buttom DETAILS.
At left check the Internet Mail provider and at right click on CUSTOMIZE buttom.
Then you'll see the settings.
Go to the Heuristic tab of settings and configure them.
More info about the options on help files.
If you don't know how to manage, disabe Heuristics...

Title: Re: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: DavidR on August 13, 2006, 11:16:42 PM

White spaces are often used in either subject or attachments to try and disguise the true content. There really shouldn't be a legitimate reason to do it so it is flagged as suspicious, the one thing about it is at least it wasn't detected as a virus.

If you don't recognise who it came form and can't confirm who it came from (contact them by another means) then the easiest and safest thing to do is delete it.

Open the Internet Mail on-access interface and click the Customize button, Heuristics to see what is checked. See the avast! help file, Resident Protection, Internet Mail, Heuristic Page.

Quote from: extract avast! help file

Check whitespaces sequence. Some viruses use a trick: behind one extension of the infected file name a large number of spaces (or other nondisplayable, "white" characters) is appended, followed by a second, real extension that is dangerous. The user does not see the second extension (it is several lines below or does not fit into the window where names are displayed). Heuristic analysis can uncover this trick and warn the user. Default permitted sequence length is five. Thus, if there are more than five white characters, a warning message will be displayed.

Title: Re: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: calicobox on August 13, 2006, 11:32:22 PM

Thanks for the info.  I did find it and the options available were low, medium, high, custom and a place to tick silent mode....no disable.

I set it to low.   

Title: Re: Suspicious Message warning
Post by: Spiritsongs on August 14, 2006, 12:33:25 AM

 :)  Hi Calico :

     Around Apr of this yr "RejZor" posted a "Proactive
     Protection Guide", which included a "Internet Mail Proactive
     protection" section near the end. You can view this at :

     http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=20412.0 .