False Positives

Hi,
I have been using the free Home version of Avast for about a week. Already I have 5 files in exclusions, all of which are false positives.

The latest one that turned up is SuperAntispyware.exe. When I run this file through the jotti site which checks the file with other antivirus programs, none of those other programs find anything wrong with SuperAntispyware.exe.

I have not added any new programs to my computer but the Avast new definitions are apparently causing these hits as viruses.

I am getting really discouraged with Avast. Can anyone offer any comments, please!

Is there a way to have Avast tech people remove these false positives?

Laverne

I ran my latest updates and scans with SuperAntiSpyware along with avast running on Friday 25th May. I received no alerts from avast then … I will try again.

Hi,
The file I am using is this one – current version 080526-0

I’d appreciate hearing further from you when you update to this definition data base.

Thanks.
Laverne

SAS (free edition) advised me that I am fully up to date. I am using the same VPS version as you.

I have just completed a SAS scan of my system - with avast fully active and with no alerts from SAS or from avast.

However, to be sure … I run with avast Standard Shield (normal), avast Webshield (normal), avast Internet Mail (high) and avast Outlook/Exchange (custom).

I doubt that the Internet Mail or Outlook providers have any involvement but what is your Standard Shield setting?

I updated SAS and AVAST! tonight (5-26-08). I updated SAS First and all was well. Then I updated AVAST! and I got a “WIN32:Trojan-gen {Other}” hit from AVAST! on the SuperAntiSpyware EXE file. I could not email it from vault as it gave me this error message.

“The following file cannot be sent by email:
SUPERAntiSpyware.exe (FileID: 5)
The file is bigger than the limit: 1024 kB”

All my Shields are set to “Normal”

Rather than fight with AVAST! I just uninstalled SAS. :frowning:

As always, thank you for this excellent free antivirus. I do not post this as complaining, merely reporting a result.

smokethapimp

thanks for your post. I stand corrected in that I should have added to my earlier post that I am using WinXP SP3. I note that you are on Vista. May or may not matter.

Hi,

I made my settings the same as you indicated: “I run with avast Standard Shield (normal), avast Webshield (normal), avast Internet Mail (high) and avast Outlook/Exchange (custom).” And I still get a virus on SuperAntispyware.exe.

Which version do you have of SuperAntispyware? Mine is 4,0,0,1154. The version number is sort of hard to find. Open SAS > Preferences button > Help tab. (You may already know that!)

I can’t understand why I get a virus found and you don’t. Any further thoughts?
Laverne
P.S. I just saw the other post where SAS is causing a problem. Hmmm. For the record I am using WinXP SP2. Does the OS matter?

P.S. I just noticed that you mentioned SAS (free edition). My SAS is the paid edition. Do you think this is the problem?

Which SAS were you using, Smokethapimp?

Laverne

My SAS reports “Free Edition 4, 1, 0, 1046”

May well be the difference. Let’s see what smokethapimp has to tell us.

I was using SAS Free Edition. I am on Vista Home Premium now. I used SAS as an On Demand Scanner only.

Im also experiencing a false positive with Avast and the Frostwire Installer.
Everytime I execute the installer to install frostwire Avast detects some of its components as a trojan.
i know that frostwire does not contain any trojan because the previous versions of the virus definitions of avast did not detect the installer of frostwire to contain a trojan.Maybe the latest virus definitions are detecting some programs as a trojan or virus.I think its not the program of avast its the virus definition.

@Avast! team: Please fix this problem.I like Avast because it has real time protection against malicious codes and I dont want to replace it with any other Anti Virus because Avast is the best for me.

I just updated SuperAntispyware to the latest version (4,1,0,1046) which is the version alanrf mentioned. Voila! No more virus found!

I am very concerned with false positives because I help many senior citizens with their computers and they have little idea what to do when a virus shows up (or any other problem). I would like to have them use Avast, but am a little wary now.

I still have the following in Exclusions, though they do not show up in other antivirus scans:

C:\Scanner Visioneer 8600\8600.exe
C:\Scanner Visioneer 8600 for Inspiron 530\8600.303110.EN.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ActiveScan\pskavs.dll
C:\SpyNoMore Download Folder\spynomore.exe
C:\System Information for Windows Download Folder\siw V1.73.exe

Thank you to all for your input and fast response.
Laverne

Also see http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=35821.0, same issue.

DavidR, after reading the thread from your link, I updated to SAS version 4.1.1046 and all is well for the moment. Thanks for the link. :slight_smile:

You’re welcome.