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Virus Scanner False Positive?


Paul Biderman
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Paul Biderman
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When I try to download vATIS both my virus scanners object and delete the file. Is this just a false positive? Has anyone actually scanned the current download file to ensure it's clean?

Paul Biderman
ZAN DATM

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Bradley Grafelman
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Multiple AV software running concurrently? This isn't sounding good already.

 

Here is a VirusTotal scan of the latest .exe file linked to from the website showing a detection ratio of 0 out of 52.

 

What threat(s) were listed? I'm guessing "heuristics" was somewhere in the name, which is a fancy way of an AV program saying "I couldn't find any known threats, and that makes me look bad since you paid for this software, so I'm going to flag this file as doing something odd just in case it's some zero-day exploit I can take credit for finding." (I guess "heuristics" is also a lot shorter/succinct, too. )

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Paul Biderman
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I've always run 2 AV packages. I don't trust the internet. LOL. Both scanners reported WS.Reputation.1 as the infection.

Paul Biderman
ZAN DATM

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Bradley Grafelman
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I've always run 2 AV packages. I don't trust the internet.

Or AV experts who state using multiple AV packages is a Bad Idea, apparently.

 

Both scanners reported WS.Reputation.1 as the infection.

Oh no... not only are you using multiple AV packages, one of them is Norton/Symantec?? Must...bite...tongue...

 

Moving along... did you read up on what that "threat" actually is? If not, here is Symantec's page on it.

 

In a nutshell, it's similar to the heuristics comparison I drew above. Because millions of Symantec users haven't installed vATIS without their bank accounts getting drained, their teenage daughters getting impregnated, and their cancer suddenly going into remission, Symantec flags this file of "low reputation score" to let you know that while it couldn't find any known threat, it still wants you to get your money's worth and understand that Symantec just doesn't quite trust it yet.

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Paul Biderman
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Yup, I read it. Again, I just don't trust the internet. And I've never been infected with anything with Norton on my computers. Other AV software....different story. I've also never had a VATSIM related software trigger any AV alerts and I've been doing this since 1998. So forgive my skepticism and hesitation. If I install this thing and my computer gets infected you'll come fix it right?

Paul Biderman
ZAN DATM

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Bradley Grafelman
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If I install this thing and my computer gets infected you'll come fix it right?

Sure!

 

NOTE: I will also charge my normal hourly rate for on-site time as well as travel time to and from your location. =)

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Paul Biderman
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You're the one apparently supporting the product. And we can do a remote session so no travel would be required. But to allow you to remote into my router I'd need 3 forms of ID, your p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]port, your left arm and right pinky toe, and a promise to never again use the internet after you're done.

Paul Biderman
ZAN DATM

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Bradley Grafelman
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You're the one apparently supporting the product.

Eh... I'm supporting the product's author, mostly because I think I've done sufficient Facebook-stalking to guarantee I can track him down if the need ever arose.

 

The real solution is probably just to get more Symantec users to smack the AV software on the nose and tell it to give vATIS a chance to earn a better "reputation score."

 

... Or make Justin fill out this form.

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Paul Biderman
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Filling out forms? VATSIM users don't fill out forms!

 

Well.....it installed and ran.....no problems yet.....

 

Thanks for your support. No comment on the FB stalking......

Paul Biderman
ZAN DATM

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