Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 Jan 06 - 10:14 PM

There really are too many reasonably good AV programs around for anyone but the manufacturers to give very good advice on more than a few. Bundling of other malware/annoyance features in with AV protection also confuses the issues.

A fairly recent (04JAN2006) Security Tests Update gives an idea of the sort of variation in AV detection typical tests find, in this case for several variants of a single virus type of recent interest.

Similar reports come out frequently, and the fact that a given AV program "missed some variants" should not cause a lot of concern. Some programs are consistently nearly always in the 100% category, but there are lots of swaps in position when another different bug is tested. You can look for a program that's consistently in the top category, or feel reasonably secure with one that seldom misses the odd one. The critical thing is to get enough protection without making your machine unusable.

This particular bug is still being "evaluated." The vulnerability is known and a patch released. "Wild" exploits have been rare, and the whole AV industry is still arguing over how much of a threat it is. Positions on the list could change dramatically for the same test rerun a week later, when everyone agrees on what it is.

John

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 Jan 06 - 06:12 PM

ittybittytitty ???!!!
reproductive system in fetal pig dissection

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Jan 06 - 03:58 PM

Buggered if I can find how to "allow" sites in Panda anyway.

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 Jan 06 - 03:18 PM

With the proliferation of hazards and annoyances on the web, various programs choose many different criteria for what to block. Sometimes its not a single thing, but a combination of things that result in blocking.

One reason for blocking a site might be absence of a "certificate" that identifies the site as at least legitimate enough to have registered with an "authenticator" site. Lots of sites don't bother, and since certificates must be renewed periodically you'll find lots of perfectly good sites that a good program will warn have "invalid" or "unknown" certificates. Many programs only look for certificates if a download of information (saved other than in temp space) is required, so sites may "certify" downloads but not bother with keeping current site certs.

I haven't checked, but I don't believe mudcat presents a cert.(?) (The cat's been on my always allow list for so long I don't remember.)

Many programs are suspicious about sites with popups on their opening page, but usually only the popups are blocked. A good program should tell you when a popup is blocked and provide a way for you to accept it, since on some sites the popup is the content. The utilities that actually do the downloads of things like driver updates on many vendor sites are in this category.

Some programs block all cookies, and/or notifiy you and ask whether you want to accept one. Mudcat actually uses lots of cookies. You need your login cookie to be anything other than "Guest" but you also get (apparently) a separate temporary cookie for each thread you open. The "thread" cookies are how the 'cat knows to change the color of threads in the list that haven't changed since you looked at them.

Programs can filter based on content. The Google toolbar has a "safe search" filter that won't report "objectionable content" sites in search results if you leave it turned on (the default setting).

Since there are lots of threats, and lots of annoyances, that aren't strictly viruses, many AV programs apply complex criteria to "make your browsing safe and happy." You have to learn what yours does, and make adjustments where needed.

John

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 06:50 PM

Panda has told me there is a function to permit specific sites. However I thought it blocked sites on a security basis (which would be good) rather than a "virtue of content" basis, which would be bad, and seems unlikely since it does not block asstr or ittybittytitty.

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: Girl Friday
Date: 12 Jan 06 - 07:59 PM

We're running the platinum version and have been able to tell panda to always allow mudcat. The only trouble I have is renewing panda. It does not recognise visa card.

Sue

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 12 Jan 06 - 05:06 AM

We have all sorts of problems with some of the clients we deal with at work with Panda since Titanium (and Platinum) came out (we produce estate agency software and have several thousand users round the country). Truprevent seems to cause various problems like blocking parts of internet uploads - preventing text files being opened - reporting index problems in database files - to mention a few.

We don't have the same problems with other anti virus products but it's probably the 'intelligent'/heuristic part of the Truprevent thing that f***s things up which you don't want to be!

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: mack/misophist
Date: 11 Jan 06 - 09:04 PM

If I were you, I'd ask Panda for the answer. After all, they wrote it.

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 Jan 06 - 08:37 PM

There is no error message.

It started yesterday (Tuesday). I was out all day and the software updates Panda automatically several times a day.

There is no error message, and as soon as I disable the relevant part of Panda, all is fine, so it's not the browser (IE6). I thought it was the Mudcat down until I discovered that the other computers on my network could get on to the cat. Then trial and error with Panda narrowed it down.

I can't find any "allow site" feature in Panda at all, which seems odd.

The "unsafe access" is described in Panda as being a security feature.

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 11 Jan 06 - 04:34 PM

Might it possibly be reading the 'google adds' as adware?

Panda Ti doesn't appear to HAVE a 'content blocker', so that's not the problem...

What are the odds that Mudcat is still 'infected' with some phisher, worm Trijan or whatever virus or something leftover from the 'crash' that Panda Ti is picking up on???? (This is NOT an accusation, just a legit. question.)



Any other info to share Richard? Error messages or such??

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: MMario
Date: 11 Jan 06 - 04:28 PM

it probably needs to be told to allow the cookie.

Subject: RE: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Jan 06 - 04:27 PM

Most browsers allow setting security levels, and if set too high cookies may be rejected and/or some sites may be blocked. In that case you can usually set a permission to allow a specific site, or allow cookies from a specific site, simply by putting the site name in a list somewhere.

I haven't heard of an AV having a problem with mudcat, but there should be a way to specify an "ignore criteria" for a specific site that you trust. The protection against "unsafe internet access" sounds more like a "content filter" function such as one would use to prevent the kids from getting to unsuitable places, and you may have something set in your browser and/or in your AV, so it could be either program that's causing the problem.(????)

John

Subject: Mudcat and Panda Titanium antivirus
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 Jan 06 - 03:35 PM

All of a sudden, unless I disable protection against "unsafe internet access", Panda Titanium blocks me from the mudcat.

Does anyone else run or know this software?

Does anyone else know of this problem?