Author Topic: CyberCapture have unfavorable defaults and no notifications of research result  (Read 2168 times)

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Offline Zitrus

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At the beginning I want to emphasize something. I know that Avast forum is a very good forum with helpful and often very experienced users. Criticisms of Avast-features doesn't mean forum members but only serve to illustrate the facts.

I installed the program "Interlink Mail & News" from http://binaryoutcast.com/projects/interlink/ and wanted to start it - doesn't start. At first I thought it was a problem with the program and wanted to uninstall it, but I couldn't either.
Then after that I ran into other serious problems when I restarted my PC. My PC no longer connected to the internet and my firewall no longer started. Had to do a system restore.

I tried to repeat the entire process: Result: the whole mess was repeated.

I hadn't associated the whole thing with Avast since there was no popup or notification from Avast.
Then I remembered that Avast had given me similar troubles on several occasions and I looked into Avast's settings: Under Enabled CyberCapture it was set to "Automatically send files to Threat Labs"!

Then it was clear to me. Obviously CyberCapture had blocked the file "interlink.exe" (sha256 = cb5e7bd5b669784f01ef7a8414bb92aa26c0c98329b406fa7fb7695118a3235f) and sent it to Threat Labs without informing me via a popup or a notification.

I never set it the way to "Automatically send...". Apparently that's the default. Sorry to Avast - I find this very patronizing because I don't get any popup or notification from Avast AntiVirus. And destructive because before I got the idea that Avast could be the troublemaker, I had already done two system restores. The default should be "Ask me to send files to Threat Labs"!

In the meantime i have set the option to "Ask me ..."

Today, after 24 hours I was able to run interlink.exe. It appears that CyberCapture has unblocked the file "interlink.exe. But then came the Avast message that the file "helper.exe" (part of Interlink program and sha256 = 292eea4cdea66e40f8d7d32f709a15f493fcff5d25006a3625e4490aff7809cb) was blocked and Avast asked if I would like to send it to Threat Labs - the file would be checked in a few hours. I agreed. But so far I have no notification or popup about this. This is the opposite of a helpful feature - it is uncertain whether I can use Interlink, whether I can uninstall it (helper.exe is used for this) or whether I can update it.

The message about the unblocking of a file should definitely be sent via notification and not via popup, which only pops up briefly and which can be overlooked.

If someone of the co-users of this forum knows whether such notifications can be set in the Avast options, I would be grateful for help.

If such notifications about unblocking are not part of Avast Antivirus, it would be desirable if people from the Avast team would support a change in subsequent updates.

In the meantime I will have no choice but to temporarily deactivate CyberCapture!

Thanks for any help coming.


I have my contributions translated online into English
For misunderstandings please blame the translator ;-)

Offline Asyn

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- Which Avast..? (Free/Premium)
- Which version/build of Avast..?
- OS..? (32/64 Bit..? - which SP/Build..?)
- Other security related software installed..?
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline Zitrus

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Avast Free AntiVirus
Version 20.8.2432 (build 20.8.5684.561)
Windows 8.1 Pro / 32-bit / complete with all updates
Comodo free firewall (only the Comodo firewall, nothing else activated)

No other AntiVirus software active!
« Last Edit: October 08, 2020, 02:04:52 PM by Zitrus »
I have my contributions translated online into English
For misunderstandings please blame the translator ;-)

Offline Asyn

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Wait for one of the devs, according to the changelog, CC should have been improved in 20.8
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline Asyn

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Excerpt from the changelog...

Friendlier CyberCapture - If you stumble upon a file we can’t identify, CyberCapture can send it to our ThreatLabs for a detailed analysis. We’ve updated this entire process to make it easier than ever

Please provide screenshots of what you're seeing on your system.
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline Zitrus

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...Please provide screenshots of what you're seeing on your system.
Sorry, I can't take screenshots of yesterday's events ;)
I have my contributions translated online into English
For misunderstandings please blame the translator ;-)

Offline Asyn

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...Please provide screenshots of what you're seeing on your system.
Sorry, I can't take screenshots of yesterday's events ;)
If it doesn't show up anymore, I guess it's fixed already. ;)
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline strakl

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Well Cyber capture always worked for me like a charm, but in 20.8 it is certainly much better.

Offline Zitrus

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...If it doesn't show up anymore, I guess it's fixed already. ;)
It would have been nice if your guess were correct.

But until the last virus definition update it was not fixed. The only popup I saw when I clicked "helper.exe" was an internal Windows one: "The file cannot be executed" or something like that - no more Avast popup or notification. The only Avast popup was the first time "helper.exe" has been tried to run (after system restore and changing the CyberCapture settings to "ask ..):



Since 6 p.m., after the latest definitions update, Windows replies correctly again. Thus "helper.exe" is no longer blocked. But there was no informative popup or notification from Avast!

If Avast now writes in the changelog. "Friendlier CyberCapture - If you stumble upon a file we can't identify, CyberCapture can send it to our ThreatLabs for a detailed analysis. We've updated this entire process to make it easier than ever", then that is only partially correct - two steps forward and one backward! No more pupup when something is automatically blocked and sent to Thread Labs and no popup or notification when the file is unblocked because Avast has rated it as clean.

Despite other improvements of CyberCapture this lack of information is a step backwards in ease of use. In older versions there was always a popup from CyberCapture - when blocking/submitting and when unblocking/clearing-as-clean (although a notification would be better than a popup because it doesn't go away). Avast has yet to do some work here!

And there are 3 more .exe files in the Interlink program that are not yet required and waits for a "...closer look" by Avast: "plugin-container.exe", "plugin-hang-ui.exe" and "updater.exe".

Let's see how it goes on ::)
« Last Edit: October 08, 2020, 07:48:53 PM by Zitrus »
I have my contributions translated online into English
For misunderstandings please blame the translator ;-)

Offline Zitrus

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...No more pupup when something is automatically blocked and sent to Thread Labs and no popup or notification when the file is unblocked because Avast has rated it as clean...

When Avast is updated it acts sometimes like a demanding Diva :P

Because the described troubles I performed Avast's "Repair App" now.
Then I switched all options in the settings (inclusively the ones in geek:area) off and on or changed the offered options back and forth.

I left the option in CyberCapture at "Ask me to send..."

Now Avast purrs round and CyberCapture shows it's pop-ups again (hopefully all of them and continuously).

Oh boy! My 12 year old car is not that sophisticated ;D
I have my contributions translated online into English
For misunderstandings please blame the translator ;-)

Offline Asyn

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1. When Avast is updated it acts sometimes like a demanding Diva :P
2. Oh boy! My 12 year old car is not that sophisticated ;D
1. Yep, that's why I always reboot twice after an update. ;)
2. Well, thanks for your entertaining feedback Zitrus..!! 8)
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline Zitrus

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...Yep, that's why I always reboot twice after an update. ;)

I always do that too. The first reboot into an administrator account, the second into the regular user account. That always helped. Except this time - this time I also had to run the "Repair App" and renew all the settings.
But I suspect that this time Avast also helped via micro-updates. When I had the difficulties described I still had the build 20.8.5684.561 - now 20.8.5684.602.
Avast is still the best anti-virus program I've tested. At the moment I have to work with a replacement laptop and that is as old as my car but offers a lot less horsepower ??? (my regular PC is under warranty repair at the time :'(). Avast puts very little strain on CPU and RAM (in contrast to some other tested AVs) and I can work usefully with that dodderer-Lap ;D.

Even if the Diva bitches sometimes ;) - I'm glad I've got Avast Free AntiVirus :D
« Last Edit: October 09, 2020, 04:41:35 PM by Zitrus »
I have my contributions translated online into English
For misunderstandings please blame the translator ;-)