I have found various methods to have Avast scan incoming and outgoing gmail messages. However they are in bits and pieces and do not install correctly. Is there a detailed description available to perform this task?
Well here are a slew of related topics:
GMAIL SSL AVAST and STUNNEL
Gmail and Avast Providers
Solution: Using GMail with Avast and a SPAM filter
Redirecting multiple SSL accounts
How to handle the secure connection with a SPAM filter and avast!
Also see http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=26654.msg217996#msg217996
This last link may well be enough for your needs so check here first.
Thank you for the links. Using pieces from each of them I think I got Avast and Stunnel to work together, however I still do not get a clean message on the incoming emails. Only get it on those messages that come in through port 110. In Outlook Express I have the POP server set at 127.0.0.1, and the POP port set at 11110 with secure session turned off. In Avast I have set POP to redirect ports 110 and 11110. And in Stunnel the conf file is set at accept=127.0.0.1:11110 and connect:995=pop.gmail.com. Does this give you or anyone else any clues at to what I may have wrong that I don’t get the clean message in the email? If/when I get inbound working I may try it with the outbound emails. Thanks for any help.
I don’t use STunnel so I can’t speak from experience, but I would have though it might be difficult to do this when you add STunel to the equation.
Personally I don’t feel there is much value in the clean notes (other than to make people you email to aware of avast), as I never take clean notes from any AV at face value. A clean note in an incoming message is even less work, if the email is infected all hell will break loose with an audible and visual alert.
If you don’t get an alert avast hasn’t detected anything, but you still need to exercise common sense wilt email as no single application will give 100% protection. Never open attachments or click on links in unsolicited email, always check.
Thank you again for your reply. Like you, I don’t just rely on a clean message to insure me that a message is OK. If unsolicited I also take other careful steps. However I just like to see the message to know that Avast or any other antivirus with email scanning capabilities at least looked at the message as a way of telling me that the scanner is at least working. It may not find everything but at least I know that is it trying.
I used to use Stunnel and the clean notes are there in the emails…
Are you checking the mails on ‘Sent items’? The notes are added after the email is moved to that folder. Or, on contrary, you’re sending an email to yourself and there isn’t any note there?
Stunnel.conf file should be as follow:
cert = stunnel.pem
# GMail
client=yes
# POP3 service, listens on localhost:11110
[gmail-pop3s]
accept=127.0.0.1:11110
connect=pop.gmail.com:995
# SMTP service, listens on localhost:11025
[gmail-smtps]
protocol=smtp
accept=127.0.0.1:11025
connect=smtp.gmail.com:587
No problem, glad I could help.
There are numerous instanced of malware inserting (not really inserting just adding) the line, [This email has been scanned by 'insert the common AV of your choice here], etc. just to lull the user into the sense that a scanners is working or has scanned it.
The avast icon rotates when files/emails are being scanned, you can also check the Internet Mail providers Detailed view, Last scanned or Scanned total: fields or email headers as there is a line placed there to show it has been scanned. so all of those also provide info that email is actually being scanned.
Welcome to the forums.
Here is how I am currently set up to test scanning of gmail by Avast. I am using Outlook Express and have two identities. Identity1 has an account using comcast.net from which I am sending a test message. Identity1 has smtp set to use port 587 and no-ssl. Identity2 has an account using gmail.com on which I am receiving the test message. Identity2 has the pop server set to 127.0.0.1 and the port set to 11110 and no-ssl. For pop my stunnel.conf is exactly the same as yours. In Avast I have port redirects as follows pop 10,11110 and smtp 25,587,11025. Now when I send a message from identity1 (comcast) it goes out port 587 and is redirected to Avast and picks up the outbound clean message before sending. Now when I switch to identity2 (Gmail) to receive the email, it comes in fine and the outbound clean message is contained within the email but there is no inbound clean message. Hope this makes sense.
Can you see in the headers of the messages (Right click the message, choose Properties and Details), for instance:
X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS XXXXXX-X, XX/XX/200X), Inbound message
X-Antivirus-Status: Clean
No I do not see the incoming message in the headers. Here is the only info on Avast that is present in the headers:
X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS 081009-0, 10/09/2008), Outbound message
X-Antivirus-Status: Clean
This is the outbound message from identity1 to identity2. No sign that identity2 was scanned by Avast.
I need help here from Alanrf or vojtech… It’s beyond my knowledge…
Thanks, I really appreciate everyone’s help. Is there anything else I need to provide to possibly find an answer?
Did you uncheck the ‘Ignore local communication’ option into the Redirection tab of settings of Internet Mail provider?
Thank you Tech, that corrected the missing “clean note” on the inbound messages. ;D ;D ;D Must have missed that in the instructions somewhere. Now to see if I can get the outbound working properly.
Not only the clean notes but your emails aren’t being scanned at all…
Let’s go to the outbound. Feel free to come back and ask for help if you need 
I am not sure what you mean with this statement ??? ??? ???
I must not try to speak for Tech but the point is that, without the change suggested by Tech, avast was not only not putting in the “clean message” (just in my opinion - a not very useful feature) but, more importantly, your incoming messages were not being scanned by avast at all.
They are now being scanned - as shown by the X-Antivirus headers in the inbound messages that are, I suggest, sufficient to tell you the message has been scanned.
(Edited - to include the missing word “not” at the beginning after the follow-up post from the OP).
Thank you, I saw the word “aren’t” (currently) and didn’t realize it was meant to say “weren’t” (previously). I agree with your’s and others’ thoughts about the “clean” messages, for testing it just seems to eliminate the need to look at the X-Antivirus headers. I have been trying to get outgoing gmail scanned but am having problems connecting to the smtp server. Right now I have Outlook Express setup as follows: in the Servers tab, I have outgoing mail set to 127.0.0.1 and in the Advanced tab outgoing mail set at 11025 and “this server requires…” unchecked. In Avast, I have “redirect smtp” set at 25,587,11025. and my stunnel.conf is:
cert=stunnel.pem
client=yes
POP3 service, listens on localhost:11110
[gmail-pop3s]
accept=127.0.0.1:11110
connect:995=pop.gmail.com
SMTP service, listens on localhost:11025
[gmail-smtps]
protocol=smtp
accept=127.0.0.1:11025
connect:465=smtp.gmail.com
It never connects to the smtp server, just times out which is set to 1 minute. Can you see anything I may have wrong on the outgoing mail side?
Again, thanks to everyone for their help.
Couple of things to try. 1. Use port 587 instead of 465 for SMTP. 2. or remove the “protocol=smtp” line with port 465.
Removed the protocol=smtp and retained port 465 and all appears to be working perfectly. Thanks to all who provided help, greatly appreciated. Hope I can return the assistance some time.