a-2

Download a-2free
http://updates.a-2.org/a2freesetup.exe

 

http://forum.a-2.org/viewtopic.php?t=173&sid=52d2abb74817ee9a9ed3623565d50000

wizard

 

FINALLY something to play with !

I never thought Andreas would release anything this year...But glad to see he did !

Funny you have to register an account for a free program to get updates (when installing) ? But, hey what the heck...it's only 2 minutes work.

 

You have to activate and update a² at least one time before using any parts of it. We want to be sure you get the newest version of a² before using it.

In fact we won't collect anything about you. You can easily check this using a packet sniffer. You will just see that a² will send a simple url to the server:

Code:

[25/Nov/2003:20:31:46 +0100] "GET /updates.php?product=A2FR&user=testuser@test.de&code=testpassword&no=1 HTTP/1.0" 200 -

Nothing about your hardware or software .

 

Seems to run smooth, slick interface, easy to use.

Scanned my harddisk (40 gig) in less than 30 minutes.

Found nothing, but i'm happy it didn't

I just hope the complete signature-database will be added soon.

Kind regards,

Waldo

 

In fact memory signatures and worm signatures are still missing. but I guess they will be added tomorrow after releasing the a² personal version .

 

Re:a²

Those who are testing a² and commenting positive or negative, please post your OS, if you care to.

Would also be interested in comments on resource use (qualitative & quantitative ie. runs light, uses little resources, uses ?% GDI free, Sys & User free if running Win9x)

It might help those interested in this program as we progress to full release and beyond...

Also if you get a chance run some leak tests on a²:

http://www.firewallleaktester.fr.st/

 

Nice idea ... I will test the leak tests against a² personal .

 

To create ~19,000 (memory) signatures and some few 1,000 worm signatures in just one day (from which 8 hours are regular work) and the release of a² personal is just imprevise. You must have a pretty good time management (or actually no sleep) or ...

wizard

 

No sleep at all . But well ... most file signatures are simple finger prints. Just to have basis we can build on. After memory signatures are ready there will be added normal binary signatures, too.

Memory signatures are selected by hand and nobody said that memory signatures will be released for ALL unique nasties tomorrow . But I will start to build them up . Will take about 5 or 6 days .

And well ... 1505 binary worms and worm variants . Won't add VBS worms - only a generic detection to catch them .

 

I've tried downloading a2freesetup.exe several times, and each time I download and run it, I get:

"The setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program."

I'm not using a download manager, and I don't generally have problems with download corruption. No idea what is going on here.

Edit: Never mind, I finally got it. It took 4 tries, though. Must be a busy server. Or it's running IIS.

 

@Seltsam:

Congratulations. I am happy that you finally managed to release a squared. (Btw., I am still waiting for my special version ;-)

I am a little bit unhappy about the mandatory activation procedure though. At least the freeware version should not require activation. I have no doubt that you do not transmit any private data. But the whole activation concept contradicts almost everything I like about the internet: freedom, anonymity and so on. I guess you will understand how I feel. (Almost the same applies to mandatory autoupdate and registration procedures in connection with commercial software.)

@All

My first impressions are as follows:

1.
Found a typo in the license agreement: documentation instead of dokumentation would be right.

2.
Found more mistakes in the license agreemet: intellectual property instead of mental property would be right.

3.
Wondering about the statement re reverse engineering: this is indeed a funny one considering ... ahh Seltsam will know what I mean ;-)

4.
I have still not installed the software: it should read "with" instead of "width" ("the conditions of the present treaty" -> should be agreement). Well, actually I believe that the complete clause "Passing On the Software" must be revised.

5.
Did I mention that I hate license agreements? "OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE" ... what's that? "Thouroughly" seems also strange to me ...

6.
OK...now I have accepted the license agreement although I did not understand it. *fg*

7.
Now the autoupdate bugs me. I am unable to edit the update and account settings.

8.
Bah ... Mr. Andreas Haak forces me to create an account.

9.
Called myself Andreas Hackevoll (hackevoll@sofort-mail.de)

10.
Got an activation code called: qonodeto32 . Btw. ... does the license agreement say that I must not disclose this code?

11.
Used a wrong username: Typed Andreas Hackevoll instead of hackevoll@sofort-mail.de . The a2 server purported not to be reachable. But that must be a fake error.

12.
Activiation worked fine as soon as I entered the correct username.

13.
The live update bugs me ... it downloads and downloads and downloads. Is there really no private data transfer taking place

14.
What the fu** is that?? Do you really ask me to restart my computer?? This can't be true. What is it good for?

15.
Damn ... this a2 icon has jumped into my quick start panel. I hate that. I do not want it to be there ...

16.
Ahh ... I was able to start a2 w/o rebooting my computer.

17.
GUI looks nice! (Was it really me who said this? ;-)

18.
Tried to configure the on access scanner. Doh! It's not part of the free version.

19.
Same applies to the so-called Analysis-Tools whatever that may be.

20.
Made an internet update. Funny ... a2 starts to download all the stuff again which it has already downloaded before. Will it try to reboot my computer again? ;-)

21.
No!

22.
I tried to visit the control center. Nothing happens.

23.
O.k. ... there is only one option left: Scan my damn system. It loads the signatures (which takes a small while) and a another nice GUI pops up.

24.
Now it scans my c: drive. It already found one malware sample...don't know yet what it is.

25.
I guess it scanned about 15000 files. And it was pretty quick!!

26.
Let's see what it found:

5 nasties ... 1 x assasin2, 4 x optixlite. No false alerts. It did not find the beast trojan compressed with acprotect.

26.
a2 did not automatically delete the malware samples which is good.

27.
Now let's scan a few malware archives and another big directory.

28.
Hmm ... no false alerts. It finds some trojans in the malware archives. I believe it would not be fair to post any test results since the signature database is not complete yet and we are still talking about a release canditate.

Summary: a2 seems to work pretty well. And its damn quick. Too early to say anything about the detection rates. The activation procedure is so stupid ...

Cheers ntl

 

>But the whole activation concept contradicts almost everything I like about the internet:
>freedom, anonymity and so on. I guess you will understand how I feel. (Almost the same
>applies to mandatory autoupdate and registration procedures in connection with commercial
>software.)

But well ... it helps me alot. Regardless where you downloaded a² and how old the package is ... you will at least update it one times.

>10.
>Got an activation code called: qonodeto32 . Btw. ... does the license agreement say that I
>must not disclose this code?

Nope ... but in fact if to many pcs try to update a² personal with one and the same account data the account is closed .

>Used a wrong username: Typed Andreas Hackevoll instead of hackevoll@sofort-mail.de . The
>a2 server purported not to be reachable. But that must be a fake error.

Not exactly. Its a bug in the url encoding. Will be fixed .

>The live update bugs me ... it downloads and downloads and downloads. Is there really no
>private data transfer taking place

Yes. But it depends when you download . In fact every time when I release an update I will upload a new up-to-date setup .

>What the fu** is that?? Do you really ask me to restart my computer?? This can't be true.
>What is it good for?

The updater tried to update itself. So it needs the restart for the file replace .

>Damn ... this a2 icon has jumped into my quick start panel. I hate that. I do not want it to be
>there ...

I can make a option "Create desktop/quick launch link" ... .

>Ahh ... I was able to start a2 w/o rebooting my computer.

Sure you are .

>Tried to configure the on access scanner. Doh! It's not part of the free version.

Exactly .

>Same applies to the so-called Analysis-Tools whatever that may be.

Process viewer, autostart viewer and so on .

>Made an internet update. Funny ... a2 starts to download all the stuff again which it has
>already downloaded before. Will it try to reboot my computer again? ;-)

Sure ... cause you still use the old updater and thats why it redownloads it ... until a reboot. But well ... I forgot to add a message: "Please reboot your pc" to the updater. Was added now .

>I tried to visit the control center. Nothing happens.

A browser window should be opened .

>O.k. ... there is only one option left: Scan my damn system. It loads the signatures (which
>takes a small while) and a another nice GUI pops up.

Was it really you who said this? *fg*

>Now it scans my c: drive. It already found one malware sample...don't know yet what it is.

Well ... I thought about printing the last found malware name to the statistics .

>5 nasties ... 1 x assasin2, 4 x optixlite. No false alerts. It did not find the beast trojan
>compressed with acprotect.

No unpacking within the free version .

>Hmm ... no false alerts. It finds some trojans in the malware archives. I believe it would not
>be fair to post any test results since the signature database is not complete yet and we are
>still talking about a release canditate.

And cause its the "scheinsicherheit" testset many packed and crypted stuff .

 

Nice job Andreas

I am guessing those that doughted you should appologize.

I am trying this new version and because there is no unpacking it doesn't detect my samples. They are only zipped.

I will try unzipping them and scan again
funny how if I have me firewall enabled and I try to post I get an error message saying invalid refering site LOL

con

 

I have copies of the setup files for several different recent versions of AI RoboForm (specifically, 5.4.9 through 5.5.2). A2 flagged each with a diagnosis of Trojan.Win32.Gentee.b.

The scan window does not appear correctly with a DPI setting of 120 (selection tree appears, but no button). I hit Tab and then Enter, which was a wild guess, but worked.

When I click Next on the first dialog of the "a2 Updater", I get an error ("Access violation at address 004706DB in module 'a2upd.exe'. Read of address 00000000.") immediately, then the update hangs and does nothing.

 

Thought about adding basic unpacking ... but not sure yet . In my opinion unpacking of archives is absolutely useless ... . But well ... maybe .

 

@nameless:
Can you please send in the false positives? Can you reproduce the error inside the updater?

I will do a few optimizations for "large fonts" . But for now I will go to bed to get a little bit of sleep .

 

Its not really "useless" as I find it a necessity for any Antivirus/Antitrojan needs, alot of things that are downloadable are archived, so even if it hasnt been opened yet, is it better to find the malware BEFORE its active in your system, or after?

 

a² personal does on access scanning ... so no need I guess ... . But well ... I will put a vote only if they want it .

 

Will a2 run with trojanhunter and spywareguard active or do I need to remove them.

 

I am running both and have had no problems.
No false positives and am running windows 98se
fast scan in my opinion

 

Thank you Hayc59 I appreciate that.









- removed unnecessary attachment.

 

your welcome

 

I am running both and have had no problems.
No false positives and am running windows 98se
fast scan in my opinion
Same here. I even have the latest Roboform v5.50. No flags on it. No Problems except on activation. Everything is worked out now. All looks good.
15,500 files scanned in 22:00 minutes. P3 450 Mhz.

 

I'll send in one of the false positives. I assume that even though I had four of them, only one will be needed.

The problem with the updater was 100% reproducible (I tried about 10 times).

The latest version of RoboForm is 5.5.2 (which is beside the point, but...). I didn't get a flag on the installed files, but rather (as I said) on the setup files for RoboForm.