Bombshell: avast! 6.0 Available!!!

Discussion in 'other anti-virus software' started by Doraemon, Feb 23, 2011.

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  1. Deenka

    Deenka Registered Member

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  2. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    @ vlk

    Can you tell me more about WepRep or point me to some technical document about it?

    At avast! website, there's only the following:

    Does it only rate based on community-provided feedback? Is there anything else behind it, like real-time verification for active threats (like exploits, JavaScript obfuscation...)? If it doesn't, it would be great if avast! team could implement such protections.

    Thanks

    -edit-

    I found this info as well on avast!'s website.

    So, it seems it only provides community-based ratings.
     
  3. dw426

    dw426 Registered Member

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    But isn't protection against what you asked already in the WebShield? It seems to me it's a simplified "WOT". I let it run for a bit just to see how it worked. I've since uninstalled it as ratings (even in WOT) are easily gamed and they just aren't effective indicators of a websites safety. No knock on WebRep, just a personal opinion.
     
  4. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    WebRep works with IE and Firefox out of the box, and plans for a Chrome version soon, according to company representatives. It supports a search result ranking and Web site reputation service that uses a combination of data from Avast's virus labs and user voting to determine a safety score for a site

    http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-20035077-12.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0
     
  5. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    AFAIK, the WebShield component only will stop an exploit if the domain is known to be hosting one. It won't stop an exploit if the domain is unknown, or if the domain is not known to contain any.

    Example: -http://baddomain.com may be in WebShield database, but -http://newbaddomain.net may not be, and WebShield won't do anything.

    vlk for sure can say more about it, but I believe that's how it goes.
     
  6. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    Yes, I've been told the same in avast forum by an user, but avast website states differently. It would interesting to know how it truly operates; otherwise, why would avast!'s website lack that bit of information?
     
  7. dw426

    dw426 Registered Member

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    I'm curious too. If it isn't simply community-based, then it's worth looking more into.
     
  8. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    Absolutely. And, to be honest, I find an only community-based rating system just simply stupid. All of a sudden anyone is capable of deciding the safety of websites?

    At least WOT has a few things on its side. It gets domains known to be malicious from respectable sources like Malware Domain List, Malware Patrol, Malware Domains. Maybe more, but these are the ones I can remember.

    Sure, nothing beats real-time verification, but at least those (anti)malware domain sources are respectable and give some credibility to WOT.
     
  9. vlk

    vlk AV Expert

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    Here's a little explanation of how WebRep works: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=71981.msg601295#msg601295


    This is wrong. What you described is one of the features of the Network Shield - the URL blocker. On the other hand, the Web Shield really scans all data streams and provides a true real-time protection (scanning based on the actual content, as opposed to some simple blacklists - i.e. exactly as you said: exploits, JavaScript obfuscation etc).


    Thanks
    Vlk
     
  10. Brocke

    Brocke Registered Member

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    i just installed Avast free and is there supposed to be toolbar or something with the Webrep? im running IE 32bit
     
  11. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    OK. Thanks.


    Yes, indeed. I made confusion about the components Web Shield and Network Shield. The Network Shield, as you clarified, is the one actually working as I previously mentioned. The Web Shield scans content. But, how does scanning a given domain for exploits, when they're active, make it be a blacklist?

    A blacklist is precisely what Network Shield is. And, this component is the one I actually have seen blocking a few domains known to be hosting exploits. But, it wouldn't whistle if the domain was new.

    I'll give you an example. AVG LinkScanner's Surf-Shield component scans real-time for active malicious content (exploits, JavaScript obfuscation...), not based on a blacklist. *

    Isn't avast!'s Web Shield protection scope more in the line of checking for known (active/inactive?) malicious content? Perhaps, the reason why avast! team introduced WebRep?

    -edit-

    * It would be completely stupid to do it so. How so? Domains hosting exploits never last that long.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2011
  12. DVD+R

    DVD+R Registered Member

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    :ninja: I dont know what happend but!... I downloaded from Avast and the 5.1 version installed, and notified me that a new version was available. ok so after it updated itself, my whole system became unresponsive :blink: On rebooting, the desktop hadnt fully loaded after a time lapse of over 6 minutes, even then nothing would respond, and 10 minutes and counting, and I'm waiting for all files to load so I can at least do something :doubt: ... OK time lapse is now almost 22 minutes and CTRL/ALT/DEL... fails to operate resulting in a popup informing me it failed to initiate... :ninja: ...Time lapse almost 1/2 an hour and I'm now reaching forr my Acronis rescue disk... tick.. tick..tick.. operation succeeded :cautious: Now unless Avast buck their Ideas up, I'm not installing this again anytime soon.
     
  13. Kyle1420

    Kyle1420 Registered Member

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    Forget the product.... What about this new avast girls voice??
    It is H.O.T!

    Gonna enjoy getting updates now :D
     
  14. Syobon

    Syobon Registered Member

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    server version still on 4.x, rushed version, lame.
     
  15. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    Updated without problems. I'm really liking all these new features.
     
  16. Brocke

    Brocke Registered Member

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    i dont mind the Webreb toolbar. nice and simple
     
  17. gery

    gery Registered Member

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    lol:argh: :D :D
     
  18. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    Is there a good blocklist that I can import into Site Blocking?
     
  19. gery

    gery Registered Member

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    was wondering the same
     
  20. Brocke

    Brocke Registered Member

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    i dont think you can but they are building there own database. it will take time but a millions of people useing it shouldnt take long
     
  21. Nevis

    Nevis Registered Member

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    ok , finally i get to try whats new in avast 6 after all that buzz :)
     
  22. Brocke

    Brocke Registered Member

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    is it good to auto sandbox stuff or to keep it to ask?

    will it cause issues for people of the older ages?
     
  23. cheater87

    cheater87 Registered Member

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    Saw Languy's review and the sandbox is dreadful. :( You think that the sandbox would help with stuff that got through the detection but nope.
     
  24. dw426

    dw426 Registered Member

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    Well, it's Languy for one. Another thing is that (I think?) the sandbox is new, I have no doubts it'll need and receive tweaks and updates to deal with issues like that. I'm willing to give them a chance, this release was just born and it was a FAST Beta.

    Edit: Didn't do my homework. According to other posts around here, Avast had sandboxing in the previous security suite. Perhaps the sandbox needs looking into then, though I still view Languy with caution.
     
  25. RejZoR

    RejZoR Lurker

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    Well this is what i've been warning Vlk from but that's how they decided at the given time.

    Both, Auto Sandbox and Behavior Shield will get a significant efficiency bump in the comming month or two when CommunityIQ kicks in with the data coming from 140 million users. After that we should see significant improvements in Auto Sandboxing rate and also Behavior Shield interventions.
    But for now, any test done by ppl like Languy who don't know the background of the "story" will only cause harm to the reputation.

    I've tested it back in the early beta stage and it was far more aggressive than it is now so only conclusion that i can make is that they've gone few steps back and let the data come from a larger set of userbase. After all, they are aiming at fully automated behavior analysis and blocking (without any or little user intervention). opposed to noisy and annoying HIPS and behavior analyzers by others.

    So bottom line, give it a month or two and then comment it again.
     
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