Don't Use McAfee, and really really don't update it

McAfee false-positive glitch fells PCs worldwide
Posted in Security, 3rd July 2009 22:48 GMT

IT admins across the globe are letting out a collective groan after servers and PCs running McAfee VirusScan were brought down when the anti-virus program attacked their core system files. In some cases, this caused the machines to display the dreaded blue screen of death.

Details are still coming in, but forums here and here show that it's affecting McAfee customers in Germany, Italy, and elsewhere. A UK-based Reg reader, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized by his employer to speak to the press, said the glitch simultaneously leveled half of a customer's 140 machines after they updated to the latest virus signature file.

"Literally half of the machines were down with this McAfee anti-virus message IDing valid programs as having this trojan," the IT consultant said. "Literally half the office switched off their PCs and were just twiddling their thumbs."

When the consultant returned to his office he was relieved that his own laptop, which also uses VirusScan, was working normally. Then, suddenly, when it installed the latest McAfee DAT file, his computer was also smitten. The anti-virus program identified winvnc.exe and several other legitimate files as malware and attempted to quarantine them. With several core system files out of commission, the machine was rendered an expensive paperweight.

A McAfee representative in the US didn't immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment. Friday is a holiday for many US employees in observance of Saturday's Independence Day.

Based on anecdotes, the glitch appears to be caused when older VirusScan engines install DAT 5664, which McAfee seems to have pushed out in the past 24 hours. Affected systems then begin identifying a wide variety of legitimate - and frequently crucial - system files as malware. Files belonging to Microsoft Internet Explorer, drivers for Compaq computers, and even the McAfee-associated McScript.exe were being identified as a trojan called PWS!hv.aq, according to the posts and interviews.

We're still trying to determine how widespread this false-positive glitch is being felt and whether people have found any reliable fixes.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07...sitive_glitch/

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Amazing.

An anti-virus program that identifies itself as a virus? Fabulous.

Oh the irony. Thanks Inde.

Only affected European countries?
It's a conspiracy, I tell you! Conspiracy!

Maybe now peeps will listen when I say to avoid McAfee..... (Norton too btw!!!)

Huh, no problems here. Must be because I live in America.

That is just hilarious.

It's too bad Kaspersky costs so much =(

Yeah.. these shop bought ones seem to suck ass.
I just use Avast. <3

DAAAAAAAAAAM i was wondering what was going on with McAfee my Laptop is all RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOed up

a program that destroys the computer that it worked so hard to protect. Oh this is just madness...

anyone know any good free Anti virus - spyware programs i should use after i try to fix my laptop?

Look for it on sale or something. I picked up Kaspersky Internet Security 09 for 20$ 3 users...

This isn't that rare. I've heard of NOD32 doing this one but not on this scale. Usually these things are fixed fast but still cause a mess. I do hate McAfee though and always will. Slow, clunky software with options not in easy to find places, not that resource or detection rate good. I wish they'd just die. In 2000 they had a Spyware finder but it really just found everything BUT Spyware and tried to shred it.

I use Avast! + spybot S&D. Both free for personal use.

owch unlucky i myself use McAfee so im gunna take real care or change anti-virus
lol yeah its a conspiricy sounds like terminator like skynet its become self awear and will launch lots of robots 2 kill ppl :P lol its madness....or maybe ive just been watching too many films

In Soviet Union, anti-virus stops YOU!

Never happened to me. But it did block GW for me once.

They fixed the problem in like 3 hours so it didn't spread much. http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page...nt&id=SOLN2181

This happened to AVG earlier this year too.

I've been telling people to not use McAfee and Norton for ages. Both are trash.

Use Avira. Better/faster than Avast!

That, or get NOD32.

mhmm...i have McAfee

am i suppose to take it off? and if so how do i do it

This is absolutely amazing.

+1
Avira's been great.

Thanks for the link, Inde. That's priceless.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06..._update_snafu/

Update. McAfee says it was "rare."

Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. Also get the McAfee Uninstaller.

To re-iterate what Tarun was thinking but never actually said:

Get Avast!, Avira or (pay for) NOD32. I use all 3 on my various computers and never have a problem with any of them. ...Well, ok - maybe the "once-per-boot" nag adverts from Avira are slightly annoying ^_^

Make sure your firewall isn't McAfee too. If so use this: http://free.agnitum.com

Best firewall EVER invented, maybe even best piece of software in general.

Heh, ever heard of Netsky-F (of course not ), it was a virus whose payload (the part which does nasty things once the vulnerability has been used) was only to remove the Bagle worm. A virus that disinfects you pc .

McAfee is know in the security world as a low-end product. All people who have PCs shipped with it (still many out there) should consider using free alternatives...

i noticed that about agv thats why i quit using it and ive been saying dont use mcaffee or norton for years

+1, Avira's great!

I think you've been confusing this with Antivirus software, it's actually not. Look:

Trend Micro PC-cilin is the way to go