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Spyware, viruses, & security : Screensaver on Download.com contains Adware/Malware
Screensaver on Download.com contains Adware/Malware
by Johnincal - 10/15/06 10:04 PMI don't know how to contact the people at Download.com about this. but I don't see how this could have gotten by them:
http://www.download.com/Gorgeous-Fall-Foliage-Screensaver/3000-2389_4-10445919.html?tag=foot_pub
Check out the users reviews and you can download it yourself and check out the alarms you get from your AV and Anti-Spyware programs.
Contact Download.com...
by Marianna Schmudlach
- 10/15/06 10:15 PM
In reply to: Screensaver on Download.com contains Adware/Malware by Johnincal
If you find a program available on Cnet's download.com that contains malware or is otherwise harmful to your computer, you can submit an alert to the download.com technical department by clicking here. Provided you give them the required information, they should then reevaluate the software and determine if it meets the download.com standards. If it doesn't, it will be removed from the site until the developer corrects the issues.
Hope this helps.
Link Provided doesn't work...
by Johnincal - 10/16/06 11:46 AM In reply to: Contact Download.com... by Marianna Schmudlach
The link you gave me doesn't work. Says this:
"Fatal Error
Access Denied
Reason: Client address is not authorized."
I just received the same "fatal error"...
by Marianna Schmudlach - 10/16/06 3:33 PM
In reply to: Link Provided doesn't work... by Johnincal
try this link:
http://cnet.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/cnet.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=-RT18hki&p_lva=&p_li=&p_new_search=&p_accessibility=0&p_srch=&p_sort_by=&p_gridsort=&p_row_cnt=167&p_prods=&p_cats=&p_pv=&p_cv=&# 38;p_search_type=answers.search_fnl&p_nav=&p_li=&p_page_head=1&p_page=1&p_page_foot=1
You have to LOG IN !!
You then only have to look for "Download.com"
How we test for adware & spyware.
by Marianna Schmudlach - 10/16/06 3:35 PM
In reply to: Link Provided doesn't work... by Johnincal
http://cnet.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/cnet.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=339&p_created=1108142543&p_sid=-RT18hki&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD0xNjcmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3 B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX2ZubCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1
Got it!
by Johnincal - 10/16/06 5:15 PM In reply to: How we test for adware & spyware. by Marianna Schmudlach
Thanks for your help... After much searching, I found the right page (they don't make it easy do they?) before your last post. I did file a report and they already got back to me on this.
What cracks me up is that this screensaver was featured in the "Dispatch"... LOL I would think they would check this stuff out before they advertise it.
Thanks for your help!
John
Not many detect it...
by John.Wilkinson - 10/16/06 6:49 PM
In reply to: Got it! by Johnincal
I decided to download it and see how my security software rated it...McAfee Antivirus, Norton Corporate Antivirus, Webroot SpySweeper, and several others all said that it was clean. Ewido was the first one that detected it but even Grisoft, the group behind Ewido, doesn't have a description or details about it. That leaves me wondering why it's considered a high-risk trojan by some, what exactly it does, and why most scanners don't pick it up.
It's a nice screensaver, though. 
John
P.S. What did the download.com team say?
More info...
by Johnincal - 10/16/06 8:07 PM In reply to: Not many detect it... by John.Wilkinson
I was first alerted to this through a friend of mine's newsletter "Cliff Notes Newsletter", in his latest edition:
http://freewarewiki.com/ClifsCurrentNewsletter
He sites SiteAdvisors review of the download.com links for the software, along with his own results:
http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/screensavers.com
http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/easyscreensavers.com
http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/smileycentral.com
You can contact Cliff through the site for addition info...
As for CNet's response:
Hi John,
Thank you for taking the time to write us and thanks for the heads up.
I'll forward your comments onto our processing team who will investigate your claim and take action as appropriate. To help ensure that CNET Download.com Library has the most up-to-date information and is functioning the way we intended, we download, install, and test products submitted to our library to verify that they meet our extensive list of submission requirements. Occasionally certain problems may slip by and so we really appreciate all the help we can get ensuring that our library is trusted, safe, and secure.
Sincerely,
Arturo
Customer Service
CNET Membership & Loyalty
This came just a few hours after I submitted it...I have to admit that is great customer service!
John
(NT) Thanks for the additional info:)
by Marianna Schmudlach - 10/16/06 10:28 PM
In reply to: More info... by Johnincal
Thanks for your help!
by Johnincal - 10/18/06 1:18 PM In reply to: (NT) Thanks for the additional info:) by Marianna Schmudlach
Thank you for your help!
(NT) We have to THANK YOU for reporting it :)
by Marianna Schmudlach - 10/18/06 1:20 PM
In reply to: Thanks for your help! by Johnincal
From Lee Koo (admin)
by Marianna Schmudlach - 10/17/06 1:49 PM
In reply to: More info... by Johnincal
I "think", the "Cnet bug" has bitten
I reported this to the Download.com team --if it comes up
positive it will be removed.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
-Lee
http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6132-0.html?forumID=32&threadID=212932&messageID=2270368
my anti-virus didin't go off but.......
by skizz - 10/16/06 7:59 AM In reply to: Screensaver on Download.com contains Adware/Malware by Johnincalit also didn't download screensavers, all it did was send me to a screensaver website that wants all my info.
Ewido has declared it a false positive...
by John.Wilkinson - 10/18/06 1:56 PM
In reply to: Screensaver on Download.com contains Adware/Malware by Johnincal
I scanned the screensaver with several security programs and most declared it harmless, and after installation no damage was done nor was any malware found. As a result, I e-mailed Ewido Networks yesterday since they were the first to detect "Dropper.Agent.hl" in the installer, and asked them to review the identification.
This morning I received a response stating that it was indeed a false positive, and that the screensaver did not contain any malware. Ewido updated their signatures a little over an hour ago to correct this issue and Ewido/AVG Anti-spyware no longer identifies it as posing a threat.
Given this revision, I'm sending an e-mail to the download.com team asking that they re-evaluate this download based on the updated definitions/signatures in hopes that they will clear it for resubmission to download.com.
If any other malware scanners (aside from Ewido) are identifying the "Gorgeous Fall Foliage Screensaver" as malware please name them here so that the screensaver may be re-evaluated by the respective companies and the signatures/definitions may be revised as necessary.
Thanks!
John
False Positive? Maybe Not!
by Johnincal - 10/20/06 9:33 PM In reply to: Ewido has declared it a false positive... by John.Wilkinson
One of the forums I belong to had this post..It seems that those false positives may not be false at all...
Check it out and let me know what you think...
http://temerc.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2772&highlight=
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