AVG LinkScanner 2011 free standalone is in the cloud.

Thanks again m00nbl00d for clearing things up.I get to learn so much from you guys

 

I have tested a known malware link 2 times since Linkscanner was installed. Linkscanner blocked the link the first time but didn't give a peep the second time. This has me puzzled.

 

Did you test the URL two times in a row, or with minutes/hours/days apart? If it blocked the first time (exploit?), the same doesn't mean that malicious URL was still hosting an exploit.

 

It was days apart. It's a rogue AV & it's apparently still active.

 

Maybe at some point that domain hosting the rogue AV was also hosting an exploit. Could you PM me the URL?

 

I have a question!

How does surf-shield scan pages? locally or cloud?
Do AVG Linkscanner collect every URL I visit?

 

AVG's help file doesn't show any information regarding the cloud service, as in what information is sent over them, but I'd say, with 99% of certainty, that it will only provide the URL you visit and see if it may be hosting threats like exploits that may not be locally available. LinkScanners scans http traffic, so the cloud service has to know the URL(s).

As for anything else, upon install you can opt-out from sending any info to AVG, which would be this -http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-software-technology#community

I found this very scarce information of their Cloud technology -http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-software-technology#protective

It doesn't mention anything about URLs or anything like that. I guess it just serves to see if the user has the latest protection and if not, provide it.

-edit-

By the way, you made 3 questions! lol

 

Hmm. Thanks

-edit-

Oh! LOL!

 

Sorry I just saw this. I was going to PM it to you but it appears it's no longer active.

 

What are you uncertain about?

 

AVG might know that I frequent to adult sites

 

Ah, OK. But, I think they would be more excited with exploits.

 

I've been monitoring my firewall logs, and it seems that AVG's service needs outbound connection for port 53 (DNS).

program files\avg\avg10\avgwdsvc.exe

Just in case someone is making use of firewalls with outbound protection, specially Windows firewall, which won't automatically create the rules.

Tomorrow, I may either post here or at Windows firewall thread the rules I have for LinkScanner, for those interested. I still am not sure what exactly this service needs such rule, though. Just in case, better allow it, so that it won't cripple LinkScanner's protection.

 

Here are the rules I created for Windows Firewall to allow outbound traffic.

Process Path: %ProgramFiles%\AVG\AVG10\avgwdsvc.exe

Protocol: UDP

Remote Port: 53

Remote IP(s): Your ISP DNS IPs/third party DNS service

Rule Name: AVG LinkScanner - WatchDog Service (avgwdsvc.exe) (Protocol: UDP) (Remote Port: 53/DNS)


Process Path: %ProgramFiles%\AVG\AVG10\avglscanx.exe

Protocol: UDP

Remote Port: 53

Remote IP(s): Your ISP DNS IPs/third party DNS service

Rule Name: AVG LinkScanner - AVG LinkScanner Quick Scan (avglscanx.exe) (Protocol: UDP) (Remote Port: 53/DNS)


Process Path: %ProgramFiles%\AVG\AVG10\avgmfapx.exe

Protocol: UDP

Remote Port: 53

Remote IP(s): Your ISP DNS IPs/third party DNS service

Rule Name: AVG LinkScanner - AVG Installer Application (avgmfapx.exe) (Protocol: UDP) (Remote Port: 53/DNS)


Process Path: %ProgramFiles%\AVG\AVG10\avgnsx.exe

Protocol: UDP

Remote Port: 53

Remote IP(s): Your ISP DNS IPs/third party DNS service

Rule Name: AVG LinkScanner - AVG Online Shield Service (avgnsx.exe) (Protocol: UDP) (Remote Port: 53/DNS)

The rules written above are only necessary if you have DNS Client disabled. If you have DNS Client enabled or have created a global rule allowing DNS access, then such rules are not needed.

You also need to create rules allowing protocol TCP and remote port 80 for process avgmfapx.exe, and outbound permission to remote ports 80 and 443 for processes avglscanx.exe and avgnsx.exe, and protocol TCP.

I haven't found any issues regarding updates and functionality. I wonder what other rules some of you may have in outbound rules provided by other third-party firewalls.

Any doubts, just give some feedback, and I'll see if I can be of any assistance.

 

-Edit-

I forgot to mention that you should restrict the rule that I named AVG LinkScanner - WatchDog Service (avgwdsvc.exe) (Protocol: UDP) (Remote Port: 53/DNS) to AVG WatchDog Service.

 

I just upgraded to AVG LinkScanner 2011 on one of my Windows XP Pro PC's. It seems to be working OK so far.

Does anyone know why the installation file that AVG downloads is so Large (~105 MB)?

Thanks in Advance.

 

IIRC it downloads everything.

 

I'm assuming you downloaded the AVG online installer, which downloaded everything needed. The offline installer is only ~60MB, but it's compacted.

-edit-

By the way, I'm glad the upgrade went OK!

 

Thanks.

Where can I download the offline installer?

 

-http://free.avg.com/us-en/download.prd-smf

 

Thank you.

 

Great news, AVG LinkScanner an avast! 6.0 work together out of the box now.
Have just installed LinkScanner and no warning about compatibility problems.
So now i can have all the avast! functonality with LinkScanner functionality.
Pretty cool. Is there any way to get rid of the trey icon but still keep all the protection functionality?

 

Be aware that, at some point, LinkScanner may be scanning an URL that's part of avast!'s Network Shield blacklist database, and hence LinkScanner will be blocked from accessing/scanning the URL. Not that it matters, because either way Network Shield will block access to the URL or it's not part of its blacklist, and LinkScanner will flag it; just wanted to let you know.

Regarding the tray icon, I guess you could try disabling it from starting on session logon and see if it still works. Go to http://www.explabs.com/test and run the test. If it blocks it, then it works fine.

 

Seems to work fine.

 

I just finished upgrading to IE9 and Search-Shield ratings do not appear. I already disabled and enabled it in LinkScanner's UI; disabled and enabled in IE9 and nothing.

I'm wondering if you're having the same experience?