A Portable Opera-targeting Trojan?

[Chim]

Between Sunday and today, I made 6 attempts at downloading Portable Opera 10.62 Rev 2 from PortableApps.com.  On all 6 attempts, I got a download error at between the 340 KBytes to 439 KBytes range of the download.  Three of those download attempts were performed on regular Hard Disk version of Opera.  One was performed on AOL.  Two were performed on OperaUSB, which I later downloaded from a different sources other than PortableApps.com.

I must admit that the 1st download attempt of that OperaUSB also failed at around the 70% completed point.  But, it completed successfully on the 2nd attempt.

Aside of that, I have no problems downloading any other Apps, including downloading the latest regular Hard Drive version of Opera 10.63 this morning.

I informed PortableApps.com of my download problems with their Opera 10.62 Rev 2.
They checked things out and said that there was nothing wrong with the App and that the problem was on my end.  Two other guys even chimed in and confirmed they had had no problems downloading the App.  I even PM-ed one of my Opera friends to try the download.  She too was able to download Portable Opera 10.62 Rev with no problem.  So, by all accounts, that sure does point to the problem being on my end.

One of the guys from PortableApps.com suggested that MAYBE it could be something like a Trojan that targets ONLY Portable Opera and is what kicks it off from being able to be downloaded.  How likely is that?

I just ran a SAS Scan on Saturday.  As usual, no Malware found.
Neither avast, SAS or MBAM ever find any Malware on my computer.
I'm gonna run an avast Scan tonight.

Unless it's some Malware that neither avast, SAS or MBAM is finding.

But, like I said, I can download REGULAR Hard Drive version of Opera with no problem.
Only Portable Opera from PortableApps.com refuses to download onto MY computer ... but, downloads on everyone else's computers.  And I can download any OTHER Apps from PortableApps.com ... or from anywhere for that matter.  Very mysterious.

[DavidR]

I rather doubt that it is malware targeting portable opera, the portable apps guy, is dreaming as I can't see the point of blocking a portable apps browser and Opera browser (non-portable) has a very small share of the browser market (portable would be even less), so there is little point in attacking such a small market share.

Not only that, why block it if it were being targeted I would have thought that they would want to be able to exploit it rather than just stop you download it.

Also you appear to have been having many such download problems, having kicked into touch several download managers also (where others aren't having any problem). So I don't know if this hasn't more to do with a supper crappy dial-up connection.

[Chim]

You have a point, David.  It WOULD make more sense to exploit the Portable Opera than to keep me from downloading it.  Unless it was an Opera competitor who created the Malware. 

Anyway, I just finished running avast manual scans of both my Hard Drive and my connected Flash Drive.  Both came up No Threat Found.

So, who knows?  Maybe it IS my crappy Dial Up.
I still find it difficult to believe though, that if it WAS my Dial Up, how could it so consistently differentiate between that ONE App, Portable Opera 10.62 Rev 2 that fails ... and all the other Apps that do download successfully.  During the weekend I downloaded at least 3 YouTubes in the 17 MegaBytes range successfully.  That is about 6 Meg BIGGER than that Portable Opera that's failing to download.

So, I don't know.  I'll see what the Portable Opera 10.63 from PortableApps.com does.
It should come out any day here soon as the Hard Drive version was released today.

[bob3160]

It's your dial up. I just downloaded it without a hitch and have added it to
the Browsers section of MySharedFiles.

[Chim]

Bob, the jury is still out on whether it's my Dial Up or what.
It's a very odd problem indeed.
But, nevertheless ... you're a Hero!  A Genius!  

Thanks to you and your Shared Files, I now have the PortableApps.com version of the new Portable Opera 10.63 downloaded and installed.

This morning I notice the new 10.63 version was out.
I proceeded to try and download it from PortableApps.com.
Right on cue and by the numbers, the download for this new version failed just like all the download attempts for the 10.62 version ... at that same 300 plus KBytes range of the download.

I then took a stroll over to your Shared Files ... clicked on the download link and BAMM!  Smooth as silk, the PortableApps.com version of Portable Opera 10.63 downloaded without any problems ... on the very 1st shot.  

What does this mean?  It's tough to say and prove for sure.
But, IMO, I would say that this indicates that the BLAME, the Culprit is NOT entirely on MY end.  Maybe 50% of the problem is my Dial Up.  And maybe the other 50% is something over on PortableApps.com's end.  Cuz, I mean, why would suddenly the App download successfully from your Shared Files website on the very 1st shot when there were at least 7 failed attempts at PortableApps.com?

If you keep putting up the new PortableApps.com versions of Portable Opera at your Shared Files, I'll keep downloading them from there.

Thanks again, Bob!

[spg SCOTT]

It may be that for whatever reason that your internet connection can't seem to hold a connection with the portableapps server for long enough to download the file.

I used to have this problem a while back on an older pc and connection...nothing would complete a download...and I had to use a download manager (also with varying results)

The reason (I suspect) that you have had more luck with the other ones is because they are open source and are hosted on sourceforge, with many mirrors around the world. Opera is freeware, and has to be hosted at PA.c...

[Chim]

Ahhh!  FINALLY ... an explanation with some logic.
Thanks, Scott!  It was driving me crazy how some factors definitely pointed to the problem being on PortableApps.com's end and yet other factors definitely pointed to the problem being on my end.  Your theory certainly sounds plausible.

Uh Oh!  But, wait a minute.  If Opera is Freeware, wouldn't that make Firefox also Freeware?
I was able to download FirefoxPortable from PortableApps.com without any problems.

Then again, FirefoxPortable seems to be privileged.
I immediately noticed how FirefoxPortable is placed separately at the TOP of the PortableApps.com Menu while all the other Apps are placed below it in alphabetical order.

[spg SCOTT]

No, Firefox is open-source.

Firefox is probably at the top because you have it set as a favourite (i can't remember if 1.6.1 can do that...)
Right click firefox and see if the favourite option is checked

[Chim]

Doh!  It was one of those mind lapses. 
As soon as I read the 1st word of your reply "No" ... it immediately came back to me that indeed Firefox IS Open Source.

Anyway, Scott ........ Heyyy!  I just checked and you're absolutely right.
Firefox WAS set as a Favorite.  Hmmm?  Strange.  I never set that.  Heck, I never even knew I could.  I'm thinking back to some of the Info I've read at the PortableApps.com site.  Isn't one of the co-founders of PortableApps.com also associated with Firefox in some way?  Maybe there's a deal whereby upon install of Firefox, it automatically gets Favorite status by default.

Either way, I just remedied that.  I un-Favorited Firefox and sent it back DOWN to the regular crowd of Apps.    I then set Opera as a Favorite.

Thanks for the Tip, Scott. 

[Chim]

BTW, 1 other person has finally showed up at the PortableApps.com Forum indicating that they too experienced download failure of Portable Opera 10.62 Rev 2 at the EXACT same 300 plus KBytes range as me.  That's too coincidental that it would happen for that person at exactly the same range as me.  We haven't established a common denominator.  I'm waiting for that person to reply with whether he / she uses Dial Up or not.

[spg SCOTT]

You're welcome Chim

It is probably set as a favourite by default as Firefox is the main open source browser that they use

John does have a slightly special agreement with Mozilla in which he has permission from them to change it (add some PA.c stuff/make it portable) and still keep the firefox name. Normally if you change it, you have to rename it.

I think John is going in the right direction with the connection timeout thought on the hosting server...

Scott

[bob3160]

Chim,
Glad I was able to help. By the way, I used Gigaget for the original download.
Since Adding it to my server, 9 others have also downloaded it from there. 
Let me know when the next full portable version is available and I'll be happy to host it.

[Chim]

Gigaget, Eh?  Do you have Gigaget integrated into your Chrome, Bob?
Cuz one of the reasons I decided to pass on Gigaget was that unlike Orbit Downloader ... Gigaget did not have an option to integrate it into Opera.  Thus, I would have to perform all the Gigaget activity manually and I wasn't have much luck with coming up with the correct URLs.  And the other reason was that I didn't care for that semi-transparent Gigaget logo that took the liberty of inserting itself over at the upper right, flirting with being right on top of those 3 Windows Buttons over there.  I don't know if there is a setting for disabling it from displaying, but I just opted to pull the plug.

Sure thing, Bob, I'll let you know when the next Portable Opera comes out.
It'll probably be a couple of weeks.  We'll now first go through several Snapshots before the next official stable release.

BTW, currently, now besides me, 2 more guys have spoken up at the PortableApps.com Forum as also experiencing the same download problem with Portable Opera.  And at least one of the 2 guys used Cable Internet.  So, it is NOT a Dial Up problem.  They're thinking that maybe a Setting on a Server somewhere where the App is hosted is causing the download to timeout too quickly when it senses a slow and / or bad connection.

[bob3160]

And the other reason was that I didn't care for that semi-transparent Gigaget logo that took the liberty of inserting itself over at the upper right, flirting with being right on top of those 3 Windows Buttons over there.  I don't know if there is a setting for disabling it from displaying, but I just opted to pull the plug.

Right click on that "Gigaget Logo" and uncheck the "Drop Basket" option and you'll only have access from the system tray.
Gigaget doesn't integrate with Opera or or Chrome. It only integrates with IE. 
I use it for direct downloads where I have a link to the download file since once I've copied the link Gigaget starts and it's much faster than
the built in downloaders in the various browsers. (On dialup, that may not have much of an impact) Gigaget also restarts
where it left off should you loose your connection.
I'm happy and comfortable with it. You may not be. The choice is yours.