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

**Lax** · 02-27-2005, 05:29 PM

It applies to FF? I've never had that problem, it's always asked me first until I told it to let it through.

**jancz3rt** · 02-27-2005, 05:37 PM

Yeah in my case it allowed FF through as well as Opera. Funny huh?

JAN

Vlk · 02-28-2005, 01:29 PM

Forgive me - but from this thread I got the impression that you're suggesting that it's actually a problem in avast. Let me say that this is definitely not the case here.

An inability to correctly work with local proxies is a long-standing issue in Sygate. You may try to find more info about this problem on a number of websites and forums.

There has also been some discussion about this on the official avast support forum. Please see e.g. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=11332.0

Anyway, thanks for the heads up.

Cheers
Vlk

**jancz3rt** · 03-01-2005, 11:07 AM

I do not blame AVAST now that I know what is behind the problem. Thanks for pointing it out however. AVAST! RULESSSSS!

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

02-27-2005, 05:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
jancz3rt Moderator - F@H Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Czech Republic Age: 24 Posts: 4,023	Weird Yeah in my case it allowed FF through as well as Opera. Funny huh? JAN __________________ A64 3700+ @ 2.65Ghz ::: 7300GT @ 600/1500 ::: 2GB RAM @ 440Mhz www.CZ3RT.com ::: FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND ::: F@H Team 44358

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: 22 Posts: 2,405	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.

02-27-2005, 05:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
Lax Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Snow country Age: 22 Posts: 2,405	It applies to FF? I've never had that problem, it's always asked me first until I told it to let it through.

02-28-2005, 01:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
Vlk New Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1	Forgive me - but from this thread I got the impression that you're suggesting that it's actually a problem in avast. Let me say that this is definitely not the case here. An inability to correctly work with local proxies is a long-standing issue in Sygate. You may try to find more info about this problem on a number of websites and forums. There has also been some discussion about this on the official avast support forum. Please see e.g. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=11332.0 Anyway, thanks for the heads up. Cheers Vlk

03-01-2005, 11:07 AM	#10 (permalink)
jancz3rt Moderator - F@H Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Czech Republic Age: 24 Posts: 4,023	My Mistake I do not blame AVAST now that I know what is behind the problem. Thanks for pointing it out however. AVAST! RULESSSSS! JAN __________________ A64 3700+ @ 2.65Ghz ::: 7300GT @ 600/1500 ::: 2GB RAM @ 440Mhz www.CZ3RT.com ::: FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND ::: F@H Team 44358

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