AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2013 doesn't stop EICAR a second time

I'm running AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2013 on Windows 7 64-bit, and I noticed the following:

If I tell Firefox to download the eicar.com test file, then AVG pops up a box saying it detected a virus in eicar.com, and I tell it to move it to the Virus Vault. That's good. But then if I tell Firefox to download the eicar.com file again, AVG doesn't detect it, and the eicar.com gets saved to my C:\Users\username\Downloads directory. That is not good.

Then if I tell Firefox to download eicar.com a 3rd time, AVG pops up a box saying it detected a virus in eicar(1).com, and I tell it to move it to the Virus Vault. That's good. But then if I tell Firefox to download the eicar.com file a 4th time, AVG doesn't detect it, and the eicar(1).com file gets saved to my C:\Users\username\Downloads directory. That is not good.

Wonder if this might have to do with Firefox's cache? After AVG detects and removes eicar.com from my Downloads directory the first time, maybe it's still in Firefox's cache? Then when I tell Firefox to download it again, it just copies it from its cache into my Downloads directory? But then shouldn't AVG still detect that?

 

I had same experience with AVG when trialing. I have installed BD Free AV and it won't let me near any of the eicar versions. Same with MSE. WIll try with AVG again see what happens.

 

is it possible they have internally excluded eicar? as its 100% a "test" file. and since its not malicious im wondering if they maybe purposely do not detect it?? not sure but im thinking that could be a possibility

 

It's not something I'd do as an AV company. Downloading that file is one of the most basic tests a user can perform completely safe from harm, to see that their AV is handling business properly.

 

They do include it. That's why AVG detected it the 1st and 3rd times I downloaded it. The problem is why didn't AVG detect it the 2nd and 4th times I downloaded it?

 

ahh i misread what you meant... that is odd...

 

And if you scan the 2nd and 4th files (on disk) manually, are they detected?
I mean, aren't they just partially downloaded (or even empty) files?

 

Hey, delirious. What about when running with IE ? Chrome, Opera - do you have them ? Please, try with IE and if you don't have Chrome/Opera, download the portable Iron browser (Chromium based) and try with it to see the AVG's reaction. If there is no problem with IE or other browsers, it must be Firefox the problem. BTW, I have seen similar behavior with other AV and Firefox.

 

I am running AVG IS and it would not allow it to download Chrome browser

 

Must be the new AVG Artificial Intelligence:

- AVG: Dude! What you downloaded is a virus! Oh well, i guess i must quarantine it.
- AVG: WTF?! Are you a moron? Did you just download the same thing that i just told you is a virus and you expect me again to go clean up your mess? Listen, pal, i am supposed to be an antivirus, not the babysitter of a braindead! Go quarantine it yourself now!

 

I ended up uninstalling AVG last night. Just seems like an unpolished beta product based on other things I noticed. It also wouldn't detect the EICAR test file at all when I downloaded it from a browser running in Sandboxie.

I have Avira installed now and haven't noticed the various EICAR problems that I saw in AVG.

 

I'm thinking of installing Avira because of this thread. I guess you've tried downloading all the files from EICAR multiple times and each time you get this
http://www.computinghelp.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/avira-antivirus-detection.JPG, but I've read that telling Avira to remove the file only shows this "System is being scanned" dialog box which takes about 2 minutes to scan. In the meantime, the EICAR file is still in the Downloads directory.

I was hoping that Avira instantly prevents the download of the file, like AVG does. I have read that Avast had block all the files from EICAR except for the the SSL enabled protocol https: Avast Free + EICAR testfile