Web Shield Not Scanning w/ Google Chrome Browser

[JonM]

Just thought you all would be interested to know that Avast's Web Shield doesn't seem to scan sites browsed using Google's new Chrome browser.  If I open Avast's Provider Configuration window for Web Shield, and watch the "Scanned count" number while surfing with Firefox, the number increases whenever I open a new web page.  But when I watch it while surfing with Chrome, it doesn't change.  (The count for Standard Shield does change, however, so it's not like Avast leaves Chrome completely unprotected.)

I have just played a little with Chrome, and it seems quite a bit faster than Firefox 3 or Internet Explorer 7 (due, apparently, to a new javascript engine).  If you read Google's "comic book" explanation of why they built it the way they did, some very interesting thought went into its design.  This could become a popular browser, so the Avast guys may want to look into getting Web Shield working with it.

For what it's worth (not sure what), it appears from reading other forums that people who run Symantec Endpoint Protection are having trouble getting Chrome even to run.  Oh well... :-)

[DavidR]

Start reading from this post, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=38380.msg321664#msg321664.

Being a new and unsupported browser avast won't scan it by default to avoid possible instability. So you have to make it use the avast web shield proxy, or have the avast web shield add the browser to the list (Optin) of supported browsers.

[Lisandro]

I think WebShield is scanning the http traffic from Chrome correctly, without problems. Strange uh? For me it's working.

[JonM]

DavidR - Thanks for that link.  (I did a search on "chrome" in the forum before posting and did not see that thread.   In fact I got only one result - it was from years ago and had nothing to do with this new browser.) 

[Lisandro]

DavidR - Thanks for that link.  (I did a search on "chrome" in the forum before posting and did not see that thread.   In fact I got only one result - it was from years ago and had nothing to do with this new browser.) 

JonM, did you solve the problem? Is WebShield working now?

[DavidR]

DavidR - Thanks for that link.  (I did a search on "chrome" in the forum before posting and did not see that thread.   In fact I got only one result - it was from years ago and had nothing to do with this new browser.) 

You're welcome.
I too would like to know if you have it working now.

[JonM]

Tech, DavidR -

Yes I did.  I made the changes suggested in that thread, specifically drhayden1's instructions:

the webshield will work
go to options in the browser
change proxy settings
under advanced in LAN
put in the http slot - localhost
and in the port - 12080

and voila!  Web Shield now shows it's scanning Chrome's traffic.

I am sure that if Chrome becomes a common browser, the Avast team will make it so that this work-around isn't needed.  For now, Chrome's beta, so I wasn't surprised when a wrinkle arose.   (As I said in my original note, at least one AV won't let it run at all.)  I am sure it'll all get sorted out in time.

Cheers!

JonM

[Lisandro]

I am sure that if Chrome becomes a common browser, the Avast team will make it so that this work-around isn't needed.

It's not needed.
Are you using Windows 98/Me, if so, the limitation and the necessity of using 12080 proxy port is due to the operational system limitation and not avast Webshield or Chrome.

[Mike Buxton]

The new browser's download page says does not support Operating Systems prior to XP.

[Lisandro]

The new browser's download page says does not support Operating Systems prior to XP.

So my question does not apply.
But, also, the user shouldn't have to change anything into avast to WebShield to scan the Internet traffic over Chrome.

[alanrf]

Like Tech I find that the Chrome browser http accesses are being scanned by avast without any need for any change in avast settings.

[JonM]

Guys -

Not sure what to say.  I'm running XP, SP3, and Avast Home 4.8.1229.  Web Shield wasn't indicating anything was getting scanned till I changed the proxy settings.  It seems like at least one of the other users in the thread that DavidR pointed to was having the same issue, and used the same solution. 

Just to check, I turned off the proxy changes I'd made, and Web Shield stopped indicating that anything was being scanned (the "scanned count" stopped incrementing).  When I turned the proxy settings back on, Web Shield started scanning again.  So in my case, it's repeatable and demonstrable.

I don't doubt you that you got different results.  There's something else going on to explain the difference in people's experiences, but I won't pretend to know what it is.

JonM

[DavidR]

This is in some cases because of using win9x or winME which have to set the browser to use the web shield proxy any way, so if you had to do that for existing browsers then you would have to do the same for chrome.

This could also be the case for some who use Zone Alarm Pro or those that have to use a proxy to connect to the internet. So it isn't quite so straight forward as it might seem.

[alanrf]

I think I may have the answer as to why Tech and I see the scanning of http accesses by Chrome without configuring avast.

It is because (I believe) we have, in the [WebScanner] section of the avast4.ini file, an entry:

Optin=0

This causes avast to scan all http accesses from all processes rather than using the avast installed list of "approved" processes.

The default value is:

Optin=1

this causes avast to scan http accesses of processes in the avast approved list and any included in the entry:

OptinProcess=

[DavidR]

Yes, very possible as the average user will have neither the Optin lines in the [WebScanner] section as they aren't there by default.

Optin=
OptinProcess=