[Solved] Win32.Bagle not detected by avast

[DavidR]

@ Frank
Add to that if there were a small/reasonable fee for the Home version and continue the policy that the home version registration/license could be used on more than one home & non-commercial system.

Would it drive current users to those offering a free option, possibly not but would depend on any pricing. Or as has been said previously having a Donation method, perhaps a button somewhere in the home version, about avast or Simple User Interface.

@Tech
This isn't my suggestion but what has been said in the forums 'recently' by an Alwil team member and even if they agreed I don't see anything being able to be done immediately, to incorporate heuristics into the existing AV won't be an overnight task, even if you bought in someone else's heuristics engine.

[Lisandro]

This isn't my suggestion but what has been said in the forums 'recently' by an Alwil team member

I know that. I'm just commenting the text, not putting words in your mouth. I'm making a comment that slow generic signatures won't help...

to incorporate heuristics into the existing AV won't be an overnight task.

I can't imagine that Alwil team has never studied and worked with this... Is Alwil on stage 0 about this? I can't believe... Haven't they never thought about this... if so, it won't be overnight, it's a matter of planning, good or bad planning...

[sasin44]

and did u guys know that avast pro had a keygen...
its in this site where i get my movies ..i noticed they had put up avast for download around a week ago..i downloaded it then.
and i was cleaning up my HD and unzipped the  contents and it had a keygen..did not test it though ..
i was of the opinion that avast it self put it on their servers ..since i noticed that avast uses
www.download.com servers on its home page..

[sasin44]

infact i am considring of sending it to awil for analysis ..it it detects it as a threat may be it'll discourage its use..i dont see the need when the home edition is so good by it self..
some people have a habit of geting thing they dont even need..
eg..i have nero 6 and it works jus fine..
while i see my usual warez sites offering nero 7,nero ultra they dish out nero more versions every day than the pixles on my screen 

[DavidR]

Yes, they do there are a number of key generators for many applications including avast and avast is regularly blocking keys generated in this way. However, there is no way that avast would put a key generator on the download.com site.

Those that use key generators often find they get an unwelcome gift.

Perhaps you should send it and the URL to avast, but a simple google search will reveal many.

[sasin44]

i mean that in avast i want to download avast 4.7 from www.avast.com...it re directs me to www.download.com i guess that avast is using download.com servers to give better speeds..downloads at 850Kb/s now

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
avast is hosting its downloads at download.com

[Lisandro]

and did u guys know that avast pro had a keygen...

The keys generated are blacklisted (at least, from time to time). People can't update and so won't use an antivirus that couldn't be updated.

i dont see the need when the home edition is so good by it self.

The major competitor of avast Pro is avast Home

avast is hosting its downloads at download.com

Only the English version.

[sasin44]

ho so if i have a keygen how do i give ita ato avast so avast can bar those keys?
and i think avast should use avg's method of updating..every time the avg version is updated it overwrites the previously cracked exe...so it becomes useless ...if this is done frequently enough we can really elimnate keygens..
i guess the concept of "product activation" can be really taken advantage of in anti-virus softs since updating it cant be prevented ??
unlike like some futile attempts by MS ....which cant be helped cos we dont need to update a OS on a dai;ly basis..and we can get all the latest patches in other ways
and come to win vista i happen to have the latest crack by CloNy and it works like butter should i mail it to avast so they can perfix [tool] and add it to their detection in a year....??
 

[DavidR]

ho so if i have a keygen how do i give ita ato avast so avast can bar those keys?

As I said send the url and the keygen to avast, either sales or support @avast.com should do.

[Lisandro]

and can i know the meaning of avast! Überevangelist and evangelist ...

It refers to the number of the posts only. With some hundreds of posts you become an evangelist... Übere comes from latim (?) and means 'a lot', too much, very fertile...

and i dont know how but i have noticed some on made me  a junior member 

Again... number of your posts...

[Vlk]

This thread is slowly going off-topic.. But anyway, since it's a sensitive topic, let me react to a couple of points made here:

1. ALWIL is not short of cash. In fact, we're growing quite successfully, and we're constantly hiring (this includes the virus lab). However, I can tell you it's not easy to find quality people for the lab -- the problem is that this job requires a very specific skillset and we cannot really expect the new people to know all the tricks - so training them is quite consuming... but I'd say it is improving. Plus we have some other plans on how to improve the process.

2. You might've noticed that some other AV companies do react to virus submissions in a timely fashion, BUT STILL rank in the various AV tests lower than avast. The problem is that we currently handle non-critical stuff in batches - so the reaction time is quite poor (but the definitions do get added after all). This should change with the new internal system (which I already discussed a couple of times, and which should go online by the end of this year). BTW the topic of judging the criticality of a given sample is another story...

3. The quote of mine (about heuristics) that someone found and posted here is quite amusing - and it is true that I now have to admit that I wasn't quite correct.

4. I keep seeing an increased number of complaints on the forum (even from the "evangelists") about unacceptable state of the avast virus database - but really, are we dealing with many people who actually got INFECTED running avast? I mean, think about it, avast is today installed on 32+ MILLIONS of machines worldwide, and still you see, from time to time, SINGLE occurences of people getting infected (of course, not all people who get infected go to the forum - but even the number of people contacting directly our tech support department is not too high). I'd say that from this perspective, avast is hugely effective (and I'm not saying this because of some kind of self-esteem but simply as a defense against the complaints). OTOH I'm not trying to say that everything's OK but the situation is not that bad, really.

5. Most of the virus lab guys aren't even aware of the forum. I'll make sure to get them acquinted and to have them monitor the Viruses and Worms category for any future complaints. This forum is a great community and has been very important to our success - and I think you deserve better handling from our side!

Cheers
Vlk

[Lisandro]

This thread is slowly going off-topic.. But anyway, since it's a sensitive topic, let me react to a couple of points made here:

Thanks for posting.

1. ALWIL is not short of cash. In fact, we're growing quite successfully, and we're constantly hiring (this includes the virus lab). However, I can tell you it's not easy to find quality people for the lab -- the problem is that this job requires a very specific skillset and we cannot really expect the new people to know all the tricks - so training them is quite consuming... but I'd say it is improving. Plus we have some other plans on how to improve the process.

The problem, for us users, it that we're leaving with promises... you may agree that we will be happy to see facts. Sorry to argue, but seems that we're talking about a small company that cannot deal with it... I know it's not truth... but it's being hard to wait. Sorry, these are we: all unsatisfied users

2. You might've noticed that some other AV companies do react to virus submissions in a timely fashion, BUT STILL rank in the various AV tests lower than avast. The problem is that we currently handle non-critical stuff in batches - so the reaction time is quite poor (but the definitions do get added after all).

Can we do anything more than send samples? Can we help in another way? I don't think so... the problem is that I receive IM from a lot of users. I'll send to you by email later. People complain about his own computer, the very few that get infected... but it his computer after all...

3. The quote of mine (about heuristics) that someone found and posted here is quite amusing - and it is true that I now have to admit that I wasn't quite correct.

Good to see you're changing your mind, at least, a little. Hey, we're proud avast users... don't disappoint us, that is what we're complaining... I hate to hear bad words or to read bad press about avast... it somehow hurts me... although it's difficult to express this feeling.

4. I keep seeing an increased number of complaints on the forum (even from the "evangelists") about unacceptable state of the avast virus database - but really, are we dealing with many people who actually got INFECTED running avast? I mean, think about it, avast is today installed on 32+ MILLIONS of machines worldwide, and still you see, from time to time, SINGLE occurences of people getting infected (of course, not all people who get infected go to the forum - but even the number of people contacting directly our tech support department is not too high). I'd say that from this perspective, avast is hugely effective (and I'm not saying this because of some kind of self-esteem but simply as a defense against the complaints). OTOH I'm not trying to say that everything's OK but the situation is not that bad, really.

My computer get infected twice last two months.
Two friends of mine get their computer infected.
Worms and trojans in the four cases. It took me some time to get clean. One needed reformat. Well I'm just 1/32,000,000 ... :'(

5. Most of the virus lab guys aren't even aware of the forum.

Couldn't this change a little? Couldn't the forum has a special submission webpage, for only forum members to send samples?

I'll make sure to get them acquinted and to have them monitor the Viruses and Worms category for any future complaints. This forum is a great community and has been very important to our success - and I think you deserve better handling from our side!

Thanks... it will be good to share some comments and to receive some comments from these guys... after all, we depend on their work

Thanks for posting Vlk. Just trying to share my last two months feelings about avast detection. Sorry to be so hard on last comments, again, we just want the best for you and us.

[RejZoR]

Some sort of proactivety is highly desired and result can be beneficial to both, developers and users.
First have some less work on new samples and with proper system can quickly gain access to all the new variants detected by it (lets take ESET's ThreatSense.NET as an example since we all know it) and users can benefit from early detection of new malware. Nothing is perfect, but i'd say, any proactive detection is better than none.
Also on a side note i'm lately quiet impressed by the number of new signatures added, so virus lab guys are certanly very active.

[polonus]

Hi Vlk,

Thanks for turning the noses all towards one direction, and that direction  is and should be crescendo. Just looking at my little blue turning ball icon with the a on it, and it seems to wink at me now, saying: "things are not that bad really". The update frequency of avast is good. We are going on to evangelize, thanks for the heads up,

polonus

[bob3160]

Hi Vlk,

I keep seeing an increased number of complaints on the forum (even from the "evangelists")

I highly doubt that a bouquet of roses would have gotten any ones attention.
There's nothing wrong with criticism when it's meant to improve the product.
I also believe that the "evangelists" have earned the right to voice their opinions even when it's
not in praise of avast!
No one can be satisfied at all times and only through constructive and objective suggestions will
avast! improve even if these suggestions come from outside of the company.

It was nice to finally receive a reply from Alwil. Thanks