Dec
23
Anti-virus/security software sucks
Filed Under Ranting, Security, Software, Stupid, Viruses | 30 Comments
To celebrate symantec-sucks.blogspot.com's existence I have decided to finally upload my avsucks folder.
Oct
10
Retarded viruses
Filed Under Fixes, Viruses | 8 Comments
Twice in 24 hours I've come across "WinBudget" which is some garbage BHO (filename matrix.dll) that gets installed somehow. A few of our customers who don't even venture that deep into the internet (and I know for a fact they don't surf porn sites or download pirated software) got infected by it somehow. I'm guessing it might have been an Outlook/Outlook Express/Internet Explorer zero-day exploit or something.
That was ridiculously easy to remove using RogueRemover and Spybot, but neither were able to find the odd infection left behind:
If you search your drives for folders called 'bak' you may find backup copies of executables from several popular software packages such as Adobe (several products), Nero, Apple (iTunes and Quicktime), Incredimail, Realplayer, Java, and even Norton Antivirus. If you move the contents of each bak folder to its parent directory and overwrite, the infection is gone. Thanks, stupid virus, for making backup copies before infecting files.
The best way to find these folders is like this:
Start > Run > cmd.exe (to get a command prompt)
dir /a /b /s bak
You'll get a list of affected applications. Go into each 'bak' folder and move whatever is in there one level up.
cd bak
move *.* ..
(yes you want to overwrite)
Thanks, WinBudget, or whatever the fuck you are.
Edit: I also found out that WinBudget sticks one or more entries in Internet Explorer's trusted zone list. One is called whataboutadog (dot com) and one is whataboutarabit (sic) (dot com).
Mar
12
HijackThis updated to version 2.0.0 beta
Filed Under Security, Software, Viruses | 8 Comments
We’ve waited a long time for this… At last Merijn Bellekom has finished a brand new version of his most famous program, HijackThis.
And that’s not the only bit of news about HijackThis. It seems that Merijn has managed to sell the program to Trend Micro. Merijn's own explanation is here.
HijackThis 2.0.0 beta is downloadable here.
Changes:
- AnalyzeThis added for log file statistics
- Recognizes Windows Vista and IE7
- Fixed a few bugs in the O23 method
- Fixed a bug in the O22 method (SharedTaskScheduler)
- Did a few tweaks on the log format
- Fixed and improved ADS Spy
- Improved Itty Bitty Procman (processes are frozen before they are killed)
- Added listing of O4 autoruns from other users
- Added listing of the Policies Run items in O4 method, used by SmitFraud trojan
- Added /silentautolog parameter for system admins
- Added /deleteonreboot [file] parameter for system admins
- Added O24 - ActiveX Desktop Components enumeration
- Added Enhanced Security Confirguration (ESC) Zones to O15 Trusted Sites check
Mar
5
Why are McAfee, Symantec and Norton vilified?
Filed Under Security, Software, Viruses | 7 Comments
Worldwide there is a tendency in anti-virus forums and anti-spyware forums to complain about the anti-virus products from McAfee, Symantec and Norton.
Why is that, you may ask? Yes, they are bloated, they take almost half a millennium to scan your system and they were about the last products that could flawlessly work with Vista. But then, there are hundreds of crappy or sub-standard products available on the internet and a program like RogueRemover will take on but a few of the worst offenders. So, why do we care?
The root of this problem lies with the fact that these companies have brilliant sales departments. We all know that a good salesman can sell anything to an unwary customer. And there are hardly any more customers unaware than those who reside in the computer procurement departments of large companies and schools. McAfee, Symantec and Norton are pre-installed in virtually every computer that finds its way into your company or school. No problem, no hassle to search and find the best possible anti-virus scanner. No, that problem has already been conveniently solved for them by the seller.
We, the real experts, know better. We like lightning quick scans, as less false positives as possible, an appealing GUI and a responsive staff that will take all our problems seriously.
So, why do we care? We care because we have the best possible anti-virus programs running on our own computers but we have to live daily with these programs that can't meet our own high standards.
It can be regarded as a form of mental torture that, in the end, makes us more mature and resilient. Regard it as a test and also as an ongoing incentive for other companies to keep developing even better anti-virus programs and anti-spyware programs.
And in the end who really cares? It's not our own money that is wasted on these programs.
edit by DjLizard: I'm filing this under Incompetence also :D
Dec
4
CWShredder no longer supported
Filed Under Security, Software, Viruses | Leave a Comment
CWShredder, originally made by Merijn, creator of HijackThis, hasn't been updated for quite a long time now (since November 2005). I've asked the current owners of the program, Trend Micro, a couple of times if they planned to support it in any way ever again.
I finally got some sort of answer:
Dear Sir
CWshredder is a free software and It is not supported
Best Regards
Peter
Trend Micro technical Support
Edit: Well, CWShredder has never been supported (since it's freeware) so its status hasn't changed. He basically didn't answer your question. Your question was whether there will be any more updates, and he instead answered a question you didn't ask — whether there is CWShredder technical support. --DjLizard