Sygate Personal Firewall And Avast! Conflict :)

**jancz3rt** · 02-26-2005, 10:26 PM

Hey I found this very strange. When using the newest version of Avast! with my Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6, I found that whenever any of the three browsers I have was run, it would bypass the sygate setting of asking first. I find this very annoying because it could be a potential securitty threat. I am sure it's because of the new "provider" called WEB SHIELD in the newest version of Avast! When I allow that service access to the internet, all subsequent attempt by a browser to access the internet is granted passage. Now I guess you see the seriousness of that problem.

JAN

red onion · 02-26-2005, 10:59 PM

I have Avast and Sygate, both the free versions; I just tried what you mentioned, and it appears to be a loophole of some sort. I checked the Avast forums, but found no mention of the problem.

**jancz3rt** · 02-26-2005, 11:01 PM

Cool so you noticed the same problem. Think about it...it's a bad HOLE. Maybe I will write an e-mail directly to Avast!. I have helped them with the english help files and so on...

. Anyway...happy to hear that it's not just me yet also worried for others. BTW - YOU can solve it by...terminating the WEB SHIELD provider and setting it to ask in Sygate. It will be inactive which will solve the above problem, yet at the same time disable a feature that could help when browsing the net (in terms of protection).

P.S.: I sent AVAST an e-mail informing them of this problem. I hope that it will be solved fast

JAN

red onion · 02-26-2005, 11:28 PM

I was going to post a message in their forum, but you have to register; I was too lazy. Thanks for sending in the email--let me know what they said.
Yes, It by-passes the firewall, so 3rd party programs can hijack your browser without your knowledge. Adefinite problem.

**Lax** · 02-26-2005, 11:36 PM

Wow, that is a potentially deadly security hole. Good job on reporting it, you should get your name in something. I wonder if there are any other holes of the like with other browsers/programs.

**jancz3rt** · 02-27-2005, 11:38 AM

This problem applies to Opera, Mozilla Firefox and IE6 (those are the ones that I tried). I hope Avast writes back soon. It's the weekend here in the Czech Republic (where the Avast team is from) so I guess I will hear from them tomorrow. Thanx

JAN

Sebouh · 03-01-2005, 11:32 AM

Avast sucks!

**jancz3rt** · 03-01-2005, 12:21 PM

And your justification for that? I am open to other people's views but when they lack a reason, I don't view them as legitimate. These claims are so silly. Common, when you say something, I expect a decent reason to back it up. Your reason my friend, I must say...SUCKS! Please elaborate on that.

JAN

Sebouh · 03-01-2005, 07:14 PM

ok, a reason you want, a reason u'll get. I used Avast for a month, and what viruses or infected files did Avast catch? Nothing. I used to use Norton (which i reinstalled it and using it now) it finds may files and cleans them, they aren infected files and trojans. Now i dont think that when i used avast my pc was clean, so avast was terrible, the only thing it cought was a toolbar trying to install itself, Even my anit-spyware catches that.
That's the reason u asked for. So what justification can u give me for that?

**jancz3rt** · 03-02-2005, 08:51 AM

Well I can tell you that unlike in your case, it captures (at least the 4.6 version that I have) trojans and so on from installing on many websites that I have visited. It found a virus on my PC that my previous antivirus failed to detect. So it is effective. I use spyware/adware removal tools of the sort of Ad-aware SE, Soyware Blaster, Spybot Search and Destroy. Now they only find like one registry change at most! No viruses and trojans whatsoever on my PC. Maybe you did not use Avast! properly...but believe me, it is effective in capturing stuff. Your reason is fine and I respect it, I just don't believe it. Obviously Avast! by itself does not stop spyware and adware.

JAN

02-26-2005, 10:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
jancz3rt Moderator - F@H Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Czech Republic Age: 24 Posts: 4,023	Sygate Personal Firewall And Avast! - SERIOUS ISSUE!! READ Hey I found this very strange. When using the newest version of Avast! with my Sygate Personal Firewall 5.6, I found that whenever any of the three browsers I have was run, it would bypass the sygate setting of asking first. I find this very annoying because it could be a potential securitty threat. I am sure it's because of the new "provider" called WEB SHIELD in the newest version of Avast! When I allow that service access to the internet, all subsequent attempt by a browser to access the internet is granted passage. Now I guess you see the seriousness of that problem. JAN __________________ A64 3700+ @ 2.65Ghz ::: 7300GT @ 600/1500 ::: 2GB RAM @ 440Mhz www.CZ3RT.com ::: FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND ::: F@H Team 44358 Last edited by jancz3rt; 02-27-2005 at 11:39 AM.

02-26-2005, 11:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
jancz3rt Moderator - F@H Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Czech Republic Age: 24 Posts: 4,023	Hhaha Cool so you noticed the same problem. Think about it...it's a bad HOLE. Maybe I will write an e-mail directly to Avast!. I have helped them with the english help files and so on... . Anyway...happy to hear that it's not just me yet also worried for others. BTW - YOU can solve it by...terminating the WEB SHIELD provider and setting it to ask in Sygate. It will be inactive which will solve the above problem, yet at the same time disable a feature that could help when browsing the net (in terms of protection). P.S.: I sent AVAST an e-mail informing them of this problem. I hope that it will be solved fast JAN __________________ A64 3700+ @ 2.65Ghz ::: 7300GT @ 600/1500 ::: 2GB RAM @ 440Mhz www.CZ3RT.com ::: FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND ::: F@H Team 44358 Last edited by jancz3rt; 02-26-2005 at 11:17 PM.

02-26-2005, 11:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
red onion Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Quebéc, Canada Age: 40 Posts: 546	I was going to post a message in their forum, but you have to register; I was too lazy. Thanks for sending in the email--let me know what they said. Yes, It by-passes the firewall, so 3rd party programs can hijack your browser without your knowledge. Adefinite problem. Last edited by red onion; 02-26-2005 at 11:30 PM.

02-27-2005, 11:38 AM	#6 (permalink)
jancz3rt Moderator - F@H Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Czech Republic Age: 24 Posts: 4,023	Yup This problem applies to Opera, Mozilla Firefox and IE6 (those are the ones that I tried). I hope Avast writes back soon. It's the weekend here in the Czech Republic (where the Avast team is from) so I guess I will hear from them tomorrow. Thanx JAN __________________ A64 3700+ @ 2.65Ghz ::: 7300GT @ 600/1500 ::: 2GB RAM @ 440Mhz www.CZ3RT.com ::: FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND ::: F@H Team 44358

03-01-2005, 11:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
Sebouh Gold Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 480	Avast sucks! __________________ sbho

02-26-2005, 10:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
red onion Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Quebéc, Canada Age: 40 Posts: 546	I have Avast and Sygate, both the free versions; I just tried what you mentioned, and it appears to be a loophole of some sort. I checked the Avast forums, but found no mention of the problem.

02-26-2005, 11:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
Lax Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Snow country Age: 23 Posts: 2,407	Wow, that is a potentially deadly security hole. Good job on reporting it, you should get your name in something. I wonder if there are any other holes of the like with other browsers/programs.

03-01-2005, 12:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
jancz3rt Moderator - F@H Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Czech Republic Age: 24 Posts: 4,023	WHAT? Did I hear someone just say something....I think not! And your justification for that? I am open to other people's views but when they lack a reason, I don't view them as legitimate. These claims are so silly. Common, when you say something, I expect a decent reason to back it up. Your reason my friend, I must say...SUCKS! Please elaborate on that. JAN __________________ A64 3700+ @ 2.65Ghz ::: 7300GT @ 600/1500 ::: 2GB RAM @ 440Mhz www.CZ3RT.com ::: FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND ::: F@H Team 44358 Last edited by jancz3rt; 03-01-2005 at 12:23 PM.

03-01-2005, 07:14 PM	#9 (permalink)
Sebouh Gold Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 480	ok, a reason you want, a reason u'll get. I used Avast for a month, and what viruses or infected files did Avast catch? Nothing. I used to use Norton (which i reinstalled it and using it now) it finds may files and cleans them, they aren infected files and trojans. Now i dont think that when i used avast my pc was clean, so avast was terrible, the only thing it cought was a toolbar trying to install itself, Even my anit-spyware catches that. That's the reason u asked for. So what justification can u give me for that? __________________ sbho

03-02-2005, 08:51 AM	#10 (permalink)
jancz3rt Moderator - F@H Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Czech Republic Age: 24 Posts: 4,023	Ok Well I can tell you that unlike in your case, it captures (at least the 4.6 version that I have) trojans and so on from installing on many websites that I have visited. It found a virus on my PC that my previous antivirus failed to detect. So it is effective. I use spyware/adware removal tools of the sort of Ad-aware SE, Soyware Blaster, Spybot Search and Destroy. Now they only find like one registry change at most! No viruses and trojans whatsoever on my PC. Maybe you did not use Avast! properly...but believe me, it is effective in capturing stuff. Your reason is fine and I respect it, I just don't believe it. Obviously Avast! by itself does not stop spyware and adware. JAN __________________ A64 3700+ @ 2.65Ghz ::: 7300GT @ 600/1500 ::: 2GB RAM @ 440Mhz www.CZ3RT.com ::: FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND ::: F@H Team 44358 Last edited by jancz3rt; 03-02-2005 at 08:54 AM.

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