AVG update cripples some Windows XP systems
On Tuesday an update for AVG 8 suggested that a Windows system file is a Trojan horse, and users who delete the file form the system could leave their Windows XP systems endlessly rebooting or unable to reboot at all. The problem only affects users of AVG 8 products running the Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish language versions of Windows XP. AVG immediately sent out a corrected update to its customers, including those using the free editions of AVG.
A representative for AVG said, "AVG is actively working to remedy the problem some users are experiencing related to the most recent update to commercial and free versions of AVG 7.5 and AVG 8.0 in some languages. A number of users who installed the update mistakenly received a warning that the Windows system file user32.dll product version 5.1.2600.3099 was infected with a Trojan virus and were prompted to delete a file essential to the operation of Windows XP."
In response, the Czech antivirus company has posted details and a fix tool on its site.
For users unable to use their Windows XP machines, AVG says they "should contact their AVG reseller or ask a friend to download the information and fix tool for them."
AVG has suffered some embarrassing glitches of late. Last month, an AVG update declared some ZoneAlarm firewall files to be part of a Trojan horse. In July AVG had to reconfigure its Linkscanner tool after various Web sites complained about the increased traffic as a result of the tool's proactive scanning for malware.
As CNET's resident security expert, Robert Vamosi has been interviewed on the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, and other outlets to share his knowledge about the latest online threats and to offer advice on personal and corporate security. Listen to his podcast at securitybites.cnet.com or e-mail Robert with your questions and comments. 
I guess it must be the super popular Linux everyone is using these days.
'nuff said
Huh?
I never said anything about access privileges.
My comment was entirely about using an OS that doesn't require AV software in the first place.
Huh?
I never said anything about access privileges.
My comment was entirely about using an OS that doesn't require AV software in the first place.
edit:
It is Microsoft's fault for making such a crappy OS that running AV software is necessary. The better OS's have no use for AV software.
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/osxleapa.html
In any event the glitch was to do with AVG in some languages other than English.
The reason you stated above is EXACTLY the reason why I switched to OSX almost 2 years ago. I don't care WHY it is stable, only that it IS stable. :)
Just wait until more tech-less sheep are on OSX and then the virus/malware writers will spend some time targeting that demographic.
Apart from the fact Apple manages to break part of the system with every update, and took 4 point updates with Leopard to get sodding SMB working properly with a Win 2k8 file server without having a Kernel Panic due to the smbfs.kext module...Oh yes, OS X is great and VERY stable, if you use it for web browsing only, it's pretty much useless for anything else.
Open your eyes.
And as for security...hahahaha, it's a joke, it's wide open and has more holes than an uber large colander.
And guess what....I'm typing this on a Mac.
Hunkyboi: I have the same SMB problem using Vista SP1 to access a win2k/2k3/2k8 server with loads of files. Moot point. Open YOUR eyes. Oh, and ANY OS has a lot of holes. Btw... *** is a ponce?
"Guess what... I'm typing this on a Mac" Yeah, sure. Whatever gets you through the night.
are you talking about stability or security? Because I thought OSX was one of the most insecure OSes out there- even behind windows
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You couldn't be more wrong my friend. Keep in mind OSX is built on Darwin, a variation of OpenBSD. The market share argument is a red herring, OS 9 had viruses and it had a much smaller market share than OS X does, which has NO VIRUSES TO DATE.
There is NOTHING in the world more insecure than winblows, as evidenced by the NEED for A/V software.
As for the stability argument, I'm writing this on my work Mini, which hasn't had a single kernel panic in so long I don't remember. When did 10.5 come out again? (I conned my boss into a new Mini with 10.5 right when Leopard came out and unsurprisingly, 10.5.0 did suffer some kernel panics. Most were resolved with the 10.5.1 update though, the rest were fixed with 10.5.2. Now I'm running the latest and greatest, 10.5.5, and it's been rock stable forever).
Stop using software made by inept amateurs that need this nonsense to run somewhat safely.
The antivirus on my office PC thought an autorun for portable apps on my flash drive was a virus. Obviously a hash collision. The antivirus maker could test for hash collisions with common files (apparently, they didn't test the international versions of windows), but for every system file, there's a billion private user-created files they can't test.
For info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_collision
and to all those saying that they don't want to run an OS that needs an AV well the ONLY reason it needs one wait till your fave OS becomes more widely known... Then we'll see if you need an AV to protect yourself ;)
I picked to keep avast! That?s simply the best! I had no problems since.
But my main computers are all Mac. No viruses, no malware. None.
Also, adding all of the computers together that're still out there, 22% is the actual total of Macs, which was reported on this very website two years ago. Find it, I have a life and don't care to.
Update to Vista: it closed a BOATLOAD of the holes with UAC that malware/spyware/viruses used to get into your system.
And the only way you can be getting viruses daily on your machine is if you are seriously doing things you shouldn't be doing in the first place. Upgrade to Vista which fixes almost all security holes in XP.
Oh and heres the link to Apple's market share info.
http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/04/01/analyst-apples-us-consumer-market-share-now-21-percent/
Blocking every program.
It has lost my lot of downloads from reliable Sites
your product is goood
but i want u to send me a software named live satelite tv on my pc
thanks in advance.
And why do we need this?
Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac, version 4.9, released on 26 September 2007, fully supports the new version of OS X, version 10.5. Customers who update automatically from Sophos will already be running this version. Support for OS X 10.5 is also available in the current version of Sophos Update Manager.
About the issue, AVG already has a poor detection rate, if they continue continue delivering crappy software like this and ruining fantastic ones(AVG antispyware, for instance), they're going down.
I've run Linux, OSX, and Windows (but not Vista) and have yet to see any reason one is better than the other.
All OS's are fine... i love my mac... but windows is never it's own problem.. the only problems with windows are A: defective/incompatible/poor hardware, and B: poorly written software. actually, windows does have one blunder i hate, and that's the registry.. other than that.. windoze is fine.
- by vcotty November 14, 2008 5:46 AM PST
- All this for 1 mistake. 2 in all this years and complains from web pages cause they are being scanned. The truth is that I'm a certified IT Pro for a big company and in all my 8 years of experience AVG is the most secured AV software there is. They already have a fix, and this problem only was for some Non-English versions of the operating system. Some talk about Avast (and problem solved), yea, probably because Avast does not detect most of the threats out there (already happened to a colleague and I had to demonstrate the lack of effectiveness). This also happens with Norton, McAffe and a lot of other AV software out there. The only one good enough its Kaspersky but it has a big problem, machines must have high performance (good hardware) or they will become too slow to even work with them. I'm just being objective. My work requires for me to be updated in all security software and issues out there, my JOB depends on it, and till today, I haven't had any single reason to change to another AV software. (THIS ISSUE INCLUDED). And I'm still working for my company, and they are very happy with my job.
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- by The True Computer Genius December 12, 2008 6:10 AM PST
- VCOTTY, maybe you should be fired then. AVG ***********. I've been a certified IT pro since July, 1998. That's over 10 years ago. I've worked for many "big companies," including the government, much longer than that - I've never cared much for certifications until I was forced to get them. Yes, Kaspersky is great, from what I've read. I have a system that is currently DOWN thanks to AVG's failures. Yes, I used it for things the normal user might not, but regardless, AVG IS HORRIBLE. SO take your "8 years of experience" and shut up. Thanks! :)
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- by night silence December 20, 2008 12:51 AM PST
- Mr. certified IT Pro: sorry your evaluation of this situation is totally wrong! This is not a normal mistake we are talking about!!! It is a major windows file removal initiated by wrong decision of the type of software which we trust to protect our computers, not cause and create problems! Read the article again if don't understand how serious it is.
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