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Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: rdsu on September 02, 2004, 03:18:46 AM

Title: About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 02, 2004, 03:18:46 AM
Hi,

Why avast! have to change the server and user in the E-mail Client to scan the mail? What is the advantage of this method, when the others AV's doesn't use it...

Today I installed the avast! Home Edition to a friend, and the Mail Wizard didn't work with Thunderbird. I had to change it manualy...

One suggestion: It's possible in an email subject, when it have a virus, have the subject changed like this: [virus %VirusName%]
It will be nice to see the name of the virus in the subject...

Regards
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: Lisandro on September 02, 2004, 04:12:31 AM
Hi,

Why avast! have to change the server and user in the E-mail Client to scan the mail? What is the advantage of this method, when the others AV's doesn't use it...

Today I installed the avast! Home Edition to a friend, and the Mail Wizard didn't work with Thunderbird. I had to change it manualy...

Thunderbind does not word with MPW... at least is what could I read in these forums. Hope I'm wrong...

The changed servers are necessary to scan the email through the local computer (127.0.0.1). I heard that, in the future, another method of detection the download of emails (probably monitoring the smtp/pop3 ports of your computer) could (or will) be used  ;)

One suggestion: It's possible in an email subject, when it have a virus, have the subject changed like this: [virus %VirusName%]
It will be nice to see the name of the virus in the subject... Regards

In fact, you will have the line avast [Infected] into the subject line.
Maybe they can (or want) to tweak to the one you suggested  ;)

P.S.: are you 'translating' Brazilian version to Portugal one?
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: techie101 on September 02, 2004, 05:17:09 AM
V...C,

Technical is correct.  Although the MPW works with Thunderbird sometimes, it is better to configure it manually as I do with Pegasus and a few others.

The MPW was designed to work with the more common mail clients such as MS Exchange, Eudora, and Outlook Express.

Directing email to the local computer (127.0.0.1) is the easiest to do and many other mail programs use this method for redirects such as MailDirect which becomes the "local computer" bypassing your ISP server and sending the email directly to the recipient.

However, your comments are good ones.  Maybe we will see them in Avast 4.5.

Nice of you to join the forum.

Techie101
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: Vlk on September 02, 2004, 10:23:15 AM
There's a nonzero chance that the Mail Protection Wizard will become obsolete in one of the upcoming builds (that is, no mail client reconfiguration will be necessary to scan mail). At least under Windows 2000 and higher.


Cheers
Vlk
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 02, 2004, 01:31:40 PM
Hi,

Why avast! have to change the server and user in the E-mail Client to scan the mail? What is the advantage of this method, when the others AV's doesn't use it...

Today I installed the avast! Home Edition to a friend, and the Mail Wizard didn't work with Thunderbird. I had to change it manualy...

Thunderbind does not word with MPW... at least is what could I read in these forums. Hope I'm wrong...

When I tried the avast! for the first time, it works with Thunderbird, but like Techie101 said, maybe work sometimes...

The changed servers are necessary to scan the email through the local computer (127.0.0.1). I heard that, in the future, another method of detection the download of emails (probably monitoring the smtp/pop3 ports of your computer) could (or will) be used  ;)

I hope so... It's very annoying to have this method when the majors users only want to install the AV without any extra config...

One suggestion: It's possible in an email subject, when it have a virus, have the subject changed like this: [virus %VirusName%]
It will be nice to see the name of the virus in the subject... Regards

In fact, you will have the line avast [Infected] into the subject line.
Maybe they can (or want) to tweak to the one you suggested  ;)

Will be very nice! Or if we have an option to choose what we want to show...

P.S.: are you 'translating' Brazilian version to Portugal one?

Nope, I'm not translating the avast!... Maybe in the future ;)
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 02, 2004, 01:33:42 PM
V...C,

Nice of you to join the forum.

Techie101

Thanks ;)
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 02, 2004, 01:34:32 PM
There's a nonzero chance that the Mail Protection Wizard will become obsolete in one of the upcoming builds (that is, no mail client reconfiguration will be necessary to scan mail). At least under Windows 2000 and higher.


Cheers
Vlk

I hope so...  ;D

And about the suggestion, what you think?
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 14, 2004, 09:15:04 PM
The extensions that the "Internet Mail" will scan will be the same of the "Standard Shied"?

Vlk: What you think about the suggestion that I make in the first post of this thread?
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 15, 2004, 10:20:13 PM
 ???
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 17, 2004, 11:51:50 AM
The extensions that the "Internet Mail" will scan will be the same of the "Standard Shied"?

Can someone clarify this?
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 17, 2004, 03:18:57 PM
Another question:

I set the avast! to only watch my incoming email, and he still watching the ports of SMTP and IMAP, why?

(http://student.dei.uc.pt/~umbelino/lixo/avast3.png)
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: vojtech on September 17, 2004, 04:08:43 PM
If you disable scanning SMTP in 'Internet Mail provider' but your outgoing mail is redirected to 127.0.0.1 in your mail accounts, it would stop working if avast stopped listening on port 25.

If you want to disable listening, you have to edit file avast4.ini. Insert these lines under [MailScanner]:
StartSmtp=0
StartImap=0
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on September 17, 2004, 04:30:08 PM
If you disable scanning SMTP in 'Internet Mail provider' but your outgoing mail is redirected to 127.0.0.1 in your mail accounts, it would stop working if avast stopped listening on port 25.

If you want to disable listening, you have to edit file avast4.ini. Insert these lines under [MailScanner]:
StartSmtp=0
StartImap=0


My outgoing mail doesn't be redirected to 127.0.0.1

If we disable the SMTP and IMAP in the options, this should be automatically disabled, without edit the avast4.ini... :(
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on November 17, 2004, 03:26:47 PM
If you disable scanning SMTP in 'Internet Mail provider' but your outgoing mail is redirected to 127.0.0.1 in your mail accounts, it would stop working if avast stopped listening on port 25.

If you want to disable listening, you have to edit file avast4.ini. Insert these lines under [MailScanner]:
StartSmtp=0
StartImap=0


My outgoing mail doesn't be redirected to 127.0.0.1

If we disable the SMTP and IMAP in the options, this should be automatically disabled, without edit the avast4.ini... :(

Can this be changed automatically in the next version?

Thanks
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: Lisandro on November 17, 2004, 03:32:30 PM
If you want to disable listening, you have to edit file avast4.ini. Insert these lines under [MailScanner]:
StartSmtp=0
StartImap=0

Even doing this some users - including me - are experiencing trouble while sending mail  :'( In my case, only when smtp authentication is needed  :-\
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on November 29, 2004, 11:13:28 PM
I have a doubt about the Internet Mail component.

If I only have the POP incoming email to be scanned, the outgoing features in 'Heuristics' and 'Advanced Heuristics' works?

I always had this enable, but only now remember to ask...

Thanks
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on November 29, 2004, 11:22:24 PM
Do you use the latest build of Avast (4.5.542) If not, upgrade and check if the problem is solved.

I don't have any problem ;)

I just want to know if the outgoing features in 'Heuristics' and 'Advanced Heuristics' works if I have the Outgoing mail (SMTP) scanner disabled...
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on November 30, 2004, 03:00:02 PM
I just want to know if the outgoing features in 'Heuristics' and 'Advanced Heuristics' works if I have the Outgoing mail (SMTP) scanner disabled...

So, can someone say something about this? ;)

Thanks
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: lukor on November 30, 2004, 07:07:03 PM
as far as I know, when outgoing (SMTP) scan is disabled in "internet mail provider", the scan is not performed, which includes heuristics, either advanced or not.
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on November 30, 2004, 08:36:34 PM
as far as I know, when outgoing (SMTP) scan is disabled in "internet mail provider", the scan is not performed, which includes heuristics, either advanced or not.
This have logic, but why if we disable the Outgoing mail scanner, we still have these options enable to be changed?

Isn't better if these options only be available when the Outgoing mail scanner is enable?
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on December 03, 2004, 11:59:08 PM
Some developer can confirm this, please?

Thanks
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: lukor on December 04, 2004, 10:34:52 PM
I positively confirm.
Title: Re:About SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner
Post by: rdsu on December 05, 2004, 12:38:26 PM
I positively confirm.

Thanks lukor ;)

I hope that in a future, the options that depends on others are automatically disabled if the others are disabled.