email scanned message

[whkrems]

I've been searching this forum for the answer, Why no Avast Virus scanner message in my incoming or outgoing messages?
WinXP sp2, Outlook Express 6.
Tried avast4.ini stuff and Outlook Express settings.

[DavidR]

First, are you using the Internet Mail provider and is it running?
Are your emails being scanned, check the email headers and the detailed view in the Internet Mail provider (On-Access screen).

X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS 0548-2, 03/12/2005), Inbound message
X-Antivirus-Status: Clean

Have you ticked the option to have it inserted, see image?

You have to also put it in the SMTP tab if you want it in outbound email. Personally I don't put a message in inbound emails, you will know if it is infected when all he** breaks out with the avast alert.

[whkrems]

Yes  Internet Mail provider running AshMaiSv.exe.
Had ticked the option to have message inserted.
What's it mean; (put it in the SMTP tab)?
Oh! yes ticked it in both tabs.
Here's message source of email sent with Outlook Express:
Reply-To: "" <@gmail.com>
From: "" <@gmail.com>
To: <@yahoo.com>
Subject: Avast test
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 11:15:18 -0600
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
   boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0005_01C6061F.D38B9190"
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180

[DavidR]

Gmail because it uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption isn't directly scanned by avast, so won't have the ability to open an encrypted email to insert the note or scan it (that would kind of defeat the point of SSL).

You need a third party piece of software to act as an intermediary with Gmail.
GMAIL SSL AVAST and STUNNEL
Gmail and Avast Providers
Solution: Using GMail with Avast and a SPAM filter
Redirecting multiple SSL accounts
Stunnel now comes as an installer which installs Open SSL and Stunnel so now you just have to download the installer version from here http://www.stunnel.org/download/binaries.html

[szc]

Your gmail e-mails will be automatically scanned with gmail's antivirus, so no need to play with stunnel if you are not comfortable.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/02/gmail_anti-virus_scanner/

[whkrems]

Thanks, I feel secure with Avast it's just that the Avast message added to email such as when using Outlook Express gives one a feeling of security, for sender and receiver.
Also would be good advertising for Avast.
One other thing, in On-Access_protection control it shows 0 scanned in internet mail after having sent several emails.
Does that mean email scanning not working?
I am getting no indication that email scanning is working.
The Avast message in emails would be an indicater.
Thanks

[szc]

Which account you are using to send those mails ? Is it also Gmail ? As they already mentioned before in this thread, avast! doesn't scan gmail since gmail uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) connections. You need some third party application like stunnel  to "force" avast! scanns those e-mails.

Naturally, since avast! doesn't scan your gmail e-mails, count will stay at 0... as soon as you try to send one e-mail from some "regular" mail account which doesn't use SSL, scan counter will start to work.

[whkrems]

I send emails with outlook Expess.

[szc]

Yes, but which e-mail account... Outlook Express is not an account, it's e-mail client...

Do you use Gmail as your e-mail provider ?

[DavidR]

For the same reason your gmail inbound can't be scanned if you are sending using gmail and SSL secure encryption, avast can't scan it so won't log any scan details.

If any of your email accounts has the Use secure connection ticked avast doesn't scan it nor record scan details. Obviously yours may have different ports for POP3 and or SMTP depending o the email server set-up details for that account.

[whkrems]

What email doesn't use SSL?
If Avast email protection only works on non SSL isn't that like almost none that it works on?
Excuse my ignorance but it seems to me that an email is just a another file why couldn't it be scanned?

[Lisandro]

What email doesn't use SSL?
If Avast email protection only works on non SSL isn't that like almost none that it works on?

For sure not...
A lot of servers do not use SSL. Even when using, if you install Stunnel you can manage them, both inbound and outbound email scanned.
One of my accounts is GMail and it's being scanning while receiving and sending... No trouble.

Excuse my ignorance but it seems to me that an email is just a another file why couldn't it be scanned?

Gmail uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) connections. Avast mail scanner doesn't support SSL (Secure Socket Layer) connections.
But take a look here: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=10428.0 to see how to set up secure email with avast!.

Since SSL/TLS e-mail is encrypted and decrypted in the client, external virus scanners (including avast!) can't read or scan it.
The solution is to pass e-mail in and out un-encrypted from your client (Outlook Express, Thunderbird, ...) to a proxy program (Stunnel) that does the actual ssl or tls encryption/decryption of the pop3/smtp e-mail and communicates directly with the ISP server on the appropriate ports. Another drivers (OpenSSL) are need as a library of encryption/decryption routines. Stunnel now comes as an installer which installs Open SSL and Stunnel so now you just have to download the installer version from here http://www.stunnel.org/download/binaries.html

[whkrems]

Thanks everyone for your patience with a newbie.
I setup an new account in Outlook Express and set it to use my ISP Earthlink which doesn't require SSl and sure enough Avast scanner went to work.
Thanks again,
Bill Krems

[DavidR]

No problem, welcome to te forums.

[whkrems]

I finally got Avast to work with SSL\gmail using outlook Express. Posted my configuration in hope of helping someone
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=10428.msg155184#msg155184