It seems that PrevX has become PG aware - in a bad way

As of today's update to PrevxHome, I am now getting an annoying stream of Prevx Hijack alerts for PG (yawn), looks like PrevX will be going into the bin
PXAgent is currently using 84% of my CPU

It also alerts on PXAGENT.EXE in the same way

PrevX Home 2.2.0.3, updated 05.01.2005 with security settings "Prevx Misuse - Hijack" version 00.5

YMMV, It might just be my computer but if its not then I suppose I'd need to pay the US$19.95 "Pro" version that allows rules (which might presumably be used to avoid the alert, but possibly not the check...)

NB: Even after disabling process guard and turning the prevx protection level to off, Prevx is still bleating about being hijacked
Its a pity that it doesn't play well with PG now, I'll have to remove it and put up with my computer suddenly running quickly again ;-)

 

I've just done a manual update - and don't see that security setting on my installation. I guess either mine hasn't updated properly, or they've realised they've got a problem and removed the setting.

According to my about box, the 2 updates I got today are:

Startup Menu: 00.8
MS Services (Heap): 00.1

I'd suggest you run a manual update from the taskbar icon menu and see if it goes away.

 

They did actually remove the hijack protection setting because of this a while ago, you might try updating again. If nothing else, you should also be able to disable that setting, if not then contact their support.

 

It didn't happen again after a reboot with both products disabled

I enabled PG first and then PrevX second, did a PrevX update which didn't change the versions as far as I could see

Thanks Notok, I should have done the obvious and changed the security setting for Hijack (to ask a question rather than deny). I hadn't spent much time looking at PrevX I just put it on to evaluate it and see how much the computer slowed down...

It looks like there is potential for PrevX to start whining for no apparent reason, but no harm done as far as I can see, maybe the PC just needed a reboot; it is only Windows after all

If anybody else encounters this, and wants to try the same :

In the "Security Settings" tab, I changed "Prevx Misuse - Hijack" from "Prevent mode" to "Query mode" in the hope that this would give me a prompt
That took my protection level from maximum to user defined (with a rating of 97%). So I guess that getting a prompt makes me 3% less secure ;-)

I'll probably send their support an email and see what they have to say

I also saw this in the logfile

If it is a "might have been compromised" scenario you would think that it might rate a more visible GUI style alert rather than a logfile entry....

 

Hi,

Ive already used PG 2 Free with thr first version of Prevx.
The new version send some datas (attemted attaks on the computer) to Prevx servers.And i don't like this.

I think- and it's just my own opinion-that Prevx is not necessery.
It's not an Infection System Prevention like PG or Abtrusion Protector.
It's just a "blinded alarm".

There's really no reasons for an advanced user to spend his time by clicking on several alerts ...

Thre's also others free softs to use with PG for a high level defense.
It's for each user to search his "best protection" in fonction of his level, money, sur, and what he has to protect.

Regards

 

I can say I'm impressed, I just got a pm from someone at Prevx letting me know that the problem has been fixed and that it affected a limited number of people
Looks like Prevx won't be going straight in the bin after all, and I hadn't even gotten around to sending them an email yet either....

And kareldjag, I'm aware of the phone home feature of the free one and that the paid for one allows it to be turned off. It doesn't bother me while I am evaluating their software.

In my case I also evaluate software for a small business that I help support so its not just myself that I need to consider when looking at what is on the market
If/when I decide that I like it compared to the other software that I am considering then I'll be purchasing it to support the developers, its hardly expensive after all

I don't equate "free" with good, I do appreciate open source and am quite happy to pay people for open source products where I can audit the code myself... (and of course add any features that I just can't live without)

As far as I'm concerned this thread can be closed

 

Agreed and done. Pilli