Malwarebytes

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:13:14 -0500, "David H. Lipman"
wrote:

From: "Ken Blake, MVP"

| On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:07:11 -0500, Stan Brown
| wrote:

I've checked on the Web page but can't find a clear answer:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner?
They say "malware" over and over, and to em that implies both, but
they never actually said what they mean as far as i could see.

I raise the point because a friend claims that Malwarebytes Anti-
malware does spyware scanning only, not virus scanning


| Your friend is essentially right. Good a product as it is, they use
| the word "malware" improperly, to mean just spyware, not all malware,
| including viruses.

That's not true either.

MBAM doesn't just target "spyware", a form of non-viral malware in the trojan class.


OK, if you want to use the terms very precisely. I meant it more
generally. All anti-virus programs target more than just viruses too.


MBAM targets other forms of non-viral malware in the trojan class such as; adware, BHOS,
Dialers, keyloggers, banker/bancos, various C2 bots, trojan rootkits, trojans agents, etc.

But it doesn't target exploit codes.


--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:13:14 -0500, "David H. Lipman"
wrote:

From: "Ken Blake, MVP"

| On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:07:11 -0500, Stan Brown
| wrote:

I've checked on the Web page but can't find a clear answer:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner?
They say "malware" over and over, and to em that implies both, but
they never actually said what they mean as far as i could see.

I raise the point because a friend claims that Malwarebytes Anti-
malware does spyware scanning only, not virus scanning


| Your friend is essentially right. Good a product as it is, they use
| the word "malware" improperly, to mean just spyware, not all malware,
| including viruses.

That's not true either.

MBAM doesn't just target "spyware", a form of non-viral malware in the trojan class.


OK, if you want to use the terms very precisely. I meant it more
generally. All anti-virus programs target more than just viruses too.


MBAM targets other forms of non-viral malware in the trojan class such as; adware, BHOS,
Dialers, keyloggers, banker/bancos, various C2 bots, trojan rootkits, trojans agents, etc.

But it doesn't target exploit codes.


--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:53:18 -0700 from Ken Blake, MVP
:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:07:11 -0500, Stan Brown
wrote:

I've checked on the Web page but can't find a clear answer:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner?
They say "malware" over and over, and to em that implies both, but
they never actually said what they mean as far as i could see.

I raise the point because a friend claims that Malwarebytes Anti-
malware does spyware scanning only, not virus scanning


Your friend is essentially right. Good a product as it is, they use
the word "malware" improperly, to mean just spyware, not all malware,
including viruses.

Thank you -- that's very clear. It doesn't exactly build confidence
that they misuse such a crucial word in the description of their
product!


--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:53:18 -0700 from Ken Blake, MVP
:

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:07:11 -0500, Stan Brown
wrote:

I've checked on the Web page but can't find a clear answer:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner?
They say "malware" over and over, and to em that implies both, but
they never actually said what they mean as far as i could see.

I raise the point because a friend claims that Malwarebytes Anti-
malware does spyware scanning only, not virus scanning


Your friend is essentially right. Good a product as it is, they use
the word "malware" improperly, to mean just spyware, not all malware,
including viruses.

Thank you -- that's very clear. It doesn't exactly build confidence
that they misuse such a crucial word in the description of their
product!


--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

From: "Stan Brown"

| Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:53:18 -0700 from Ken Blake, MVP
| :

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:07:11 -0500, Stan Brown
wrote:

I've checked on the Web page but can't find a clear answer:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner?
They say "malware" over and over, and to em that implies both, but
they never actually said what they mean as far as i could see.

I raise the point because a friend claims that Malwarebytes Anti-
malware does spyware scanning only, not virus scanning


Your friend is essentially right. Good a product as it is, they use
the word "malware" improperly, to mean just spyware, not all malware,
including viruses.

| Thank you -- that's very clear. It doesn't exactly build confidence
| that they misuse such a crucial word in the description of their
| product!


Actually it is NOT a misuse of the word.

Read the whole thread. You will see that this discussion has mentioned the concept of
some overlap.

As I wrote, because it can't remove coide injected into binaries it can NOT be called an
anti virus product while it does tearget non-file infecting viruses. The name
Malwarebytes' Anti Malware is both appropraite and apropos.

--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp

From: "Stan Brown"

| Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:53:18 -0700 from Ken Blake, MVP
| :

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:07:11 -0500, Stan Brown
wrote:

I've checked on the Web page but can't find a clear answer:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner?
They say "malware" over and over, and to em that implies both, but
they never actually said what they mean as far as i could see.

I raise the point because a friend claims that Malwarebytes Anti-
malware does spyware scanning only, not virus scanning


Your friend is essentially right. Good a product as it is, they use
the word "malware" improperly, to mean just spyware, not all malware,
including viruses.

| Thank you -- that's very clear. It doesn't exactly build confidence
| that they misuse such a crucial word in the description of their
| product!


Actually it is NOT a misuse of the word.

Read the whole thread. You will see that this discussion has mentioned the concept of
some overlap.

As I wrote, because it can't remove coide injected into binaries it can NOT be called an
anti virus product while it does tearget non-file infecting viruses. The name
Malwarebytes' Anti Malware is both appropraite and apropos.

--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp

In ,
Virus Guy typed:
"David H. Lipman" wrote:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner?

MBAM is not an anti virus application and is geared towards non-viral
malware. It may block a virus but it will not remove a virus once
the files are infected.

I don't know why Dave is being evasive about this.

I've used MBAM exactly once so far, and that was on a drive where the
user downloaded and ran one of those fake AV scanners because they
panicked during a web-surfing session.

I removed the infected hard drive and attached it as a slave to a
good/trusted system and ran several AV scanners against the drive.

MBAM did detect several files that were remnants of a zbot infection.

So I'd have to say that MBAM does have *some* ability to ID files that
are viral / trojan in nature.

Will MBAM function as a resident application or service and perform
real-time scanning of incoming files or data? I don't know. Probably
not.

Will MBAM remove viral files (both running in memory and on the file
system) and undo all viral registry entries? I don't know. Probably
some-what. Not many apps that actually call themselves "Anti-Virus"
do a good job of that.

Is MBAM a virus scanner as well as a spyware scanner?

The answer is absolutely yes, but I don't really know how large it's
viral/trojan definition database is.

Dave can answer that - I don't know why he's being evasive about it.

Wow; Dave was a lot more correct than you are on this one. That is NOT an AV
program, nor does it claim to be. I pity the person who depends on it as
their source of AV protection, because that it is not. It seems to be an OK
program too, but not as a major AV protector.

HTH,

Twayne



--
--
Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered
through personal experience does not become a
part of the moral tissue.

In ,
Virus Guy typed:
"David H. Lipman" wrote:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner?

MBAM is not an anti virus application and is geared towards non-viral
malware. It may block a virus but it will not remove a virus once
the files are infected.

I don't know why Dave is being evasive about this.

I've used MBAM exactly once so far, and that was on a drive where the
user downloaded and ran one of those fake AV scanners because they
panicked during a web-surfing session.

I removed the infected hard drive and attached it as a slave to a
good/trusted system and ran several AV scanners against the drive.

MBAM did detect several files that were remnants of a zbot infection.

So I'd have to say that MBAM does have *some* ability to ID files that
are viral / trojan in nature.

Will MBAM function as a resident application or service and perform
real-time scanning of incoming files or data? I don't know. Probably
not.

Will MBAM remove viral files (both running in memory and on the file
system) and undo all viral registry entries? I don't know. Probably
some-what. Not many apps that actually call themselves "Anti-Virus"
do a good job of that.

Is MBAM a virus scanner as well as a spyware scanner?

The answer is absolutely yes, but I don't really know how large it's
viral/trojan definition database is.

Dave can answer that - I don't know why he's being evasive about it.

Wow; Dave was a lot more correct than you are on this one. That is NOT an AV
program, nor does it claim to be. I pity the person who depends on it as
their source of AV protection, because that it is not. It seems to be an OK
program too, but not as a major AV protector.

HTH,

Twayne



--
--
Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered
through personal experience does not become a
part of the moral tissue.

From: "Twayne"



| Wow; Dave was a lot more correct than you are on this one. That is NOT an AV
| program, nor does it claim to be. I pity the person who depends on it as
| their source of AV protection, because that it is not. It seems to be an OK
| program too, but not as a major AV protector.

| HTH,

| Twayne

Anybody on the MBAM Team will tell 'ya MBAM is an adjunct and not a anti virus application
replacement.


--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp

From: "Twayne"



| Wow; Dave was a lot more correct than you are on this one. That is NOT an AV
| program, nor does it claim to be. I pity the person who depends on it as
| their source of AV protection, because that it is not. It seems to be an OK
| program too, but not as a major AV protector.

| HTH,

| Twayne

Anybody on the MBAM Team will tell 'ya MBAM is an adjunct and not a anti virus application
replacement.


--
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
Multi-AV - http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp

On Feb 21, 3:56*pm, Stan Brown wrote:
Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:53:18 -0700 from Ken Blake, MVP
:







On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:07:11 -0500, Stan Brown
wrote:

I've checked on the Web page but can't find a clear answer:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner? *
They say "malware" over and over, and to em that implies both, but
they never actually said what they mean as far as i could see.

I raise the point because a friend claims that Malwarebytes Anti-
malware does spyware scanning only, not virus scanning

Your friend is essentially right. Good a product as it is, they use
the word "malware" improperly, to mean just spyware, not all malware,
including viruses.

Thank you -- that's very clear. *It doesn't exactly build confidence
that they misuse such a crucial word in the description of their
product!

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

Why don't you ask in the MBAM forum?

The MBAM experts are very helpful along with other "regular" folks.

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?

I just think of the free version as a good detection and removal tool
- it does not prevent your system from getting infected, and it not
supposed to prevent.

Their home page says "When your computer becomes infected..."

On Feb 21, 3:56*pm, Stan Brown wrote:
Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:53:18 -0700 from Ken Blake, MVP
:







On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:07:11 -0500, Stan Brown
wrote:

I've checked on the Web page but can't find a clear answer:

Is this a virus *and* spyware scanner, or just a spyware scanner? *
They say "malware" over and over, and to em that implies both, but
they never actually said what they mean as far as i could see.

I raise the point because a friend claims that Malwarebytes Anti-
malware does spyware scanning only, not virus scanning

Your friend is essentially right. Good a product as it is, they use
the word "malware" improperly, to mean just spyware, not all malware,
including viruses.

Thank you -- that's very clear. *It doesn't exactly build confidence
that they misuse such a crucial word in the description of their
product!

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

Why don't you ask in the MBAM forum?

The MBAM experts are very helpful along with other "regular" folks.

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?

I just think of the free version as a good detection and removal tool
- it does not prevent your system from getting infected, and it not
supposed to prevent.

Their home page says "When your computer becomes infected..."

Full-Quoter Twayne wrote:

Is MBAM a virus scanner as well as a spyware scanner?

The answer is absolutely yes, but I don't really know how
large it's viral/trojan definition database is.

Dave can answer that - I don't know why he's being evasive
about it.

Wow; Dave was a lot more correct than you are on this one.

Not really.

What Dave did was spend a lot of time explaining the dictionary
definition of a virus as it pertains to computers.

I said that MBAM is a type of AV program, simply because I have seen it
detect files that were viral/trojan in nature. I didn't say that MBAM
was a good AV program, or that it does everything that an AV program is
supposed to do, or that it can function as the sole or only AV program
on a given system.

For most people, there are two kinds of malwa

a) programs or program-initiated system settings that cause them to be
exposed to more advertizing than they'd like to be, or expect to be, or
that cause their browser to bring up web-content that again exposes the
user to advertizing during the course of normal browsing, or cause them
to hit certain web pages for the purpose of driving up traffic. If the
malware only does these things, and does not install or facilitate the
installation of software that performs more invasive functions (remote
control, key logging, external communication, etc) then it's ad-ware or
nuisance-ware.

b) programs, code-fragments, exploit code, etc, that do any or all of
the following without the knowledge or permission of the computer's
owner:

- search the computer for information, files, data, gather information
via key-logging, and communicate that information to an external host
- install or act as back-door access for external command and control
purposes
- enrole the system into a botnet
- act as a spam relay or zombie
- act as DoS agent
- act as a DNS server or file server for various purposes
- encrypt user files for the purpose of extortion
- probe the local lan or the wider wan for exploitable systems
- spread copies of itself or cause other systems to acquire it by
some means either directly or indirectly

Malware that does any of the above is what most lay-people would
classify as viral in nature. Whether a given example is strictly a
virus, a trojan, or a worm is completely irrelavent to the end user, as
all three types have a universal goal of extracting some benefit by
residing and operating on the user's PC while incurring a cost to the
user.

Full-Quoter Twayne wrote:

Is MBAM a virus scanner as well as a spyware scanner?

The answer is absolutely yes, but I don't really know how
large it's viral/trojan definition database is.

Dave can answer that - I don't know why he's being evasive
about it.

Wow; Dave was a lot more correct than you are on this one.

Not really.

What Dave did was spend a lot of time explaining the dictionary
definition of a virus as it pertains to computers.

I said that MBAM is a type of AV program, simply because I have seen it
detect files that were viral/trojan in nature. I didn't say that MBAM
was a good AV program, or that it does everything that an AV program is
supposed to do, or that it can function as the sole or only AV program
on a given system.

For most people, there are two kinds of malwa

a) programs or program-initiated system settings that cause them to be
exposed to more advertizing than they'd like to be, or expect to be, or
that cause their browser to bring up web-content that again exposes the
user to advertizing during the course of normal browsing, or cause them
to hit certain web pages for the purpose of driving up traffic. If the
malware only does these things, and does not install or facilitate the
installation of software that performs more invasive functions (remote
control, key logging, external communication, etc) then it's ad-ware or
nuisance-ware.

b) programs, code-fragments, exploit code, etc, that do any or all of
the following without the knowledge or permission of the computer's
owner:

- search the computer for information, files, data, gather information
via key-logging, and communicate that information to an external host
- install or act as back-door access for external command and control
purposes
- enrole the system into a botnet
- act as a spam relay or zombie
- act as DoS agent
- act as a DNS server or file server for various purposes
- encrypt user files for the purpose of extortion
- probe the local lan or the wider wan for exploitable systems
- spread copies of itself or cause other systems to acquire it by
some means either directly or indirectly

Malware that does any of the above is what most lay-people would
classify as viral in nature. Whether a given example is strictly a
virus, a trojan, or a worm is completely irrelavent to the end user, as
all three types have a universal goal of extracting some benefit by
residing and operating on the user's PC while incurring a cost to the
user.

In ,
Virus Guy typed:
Full-Quoter Twayne wrote:

Is MBAM a virus scanner as well as a spyware scanner?

The answer is absolutely yes, but I don't really know how
large it's viral/trojan definition database is.

Dave can answer that - I don't know why he's being evasive
about it.

Wow; Dave was a lot more correct than you are on this one.


drivel removed

The question was posed as:
Is MBAM a virus scanner as well as a spyware scanner?

And self-answered as:
The answer is absolutely yes, but I don't really know how
large it's viral/trojan definition database is.
Which is an immediate contradiction: It is, but it might not be very good at
it. It isn't and doesn't claim to be usable for AV protection. A legitimate
AV program is required for that.

And regardless of your take on definitions, semantics and syntax, and any
way you wish to spin them, MBAM is not a virus scanner as well as a spyware
scanner in the context of the question that was posed. The fact that there
may be overlaps as there often is with any malware detector, is irrelevant
and a bonus to the product, but not anything to depend on. The fact that it
might detect a hundred viruses is a moot point when it has to recognize and
reach to hundreds of thousands of them.
The fact that a virus may have portions of code that could be found while
looking for spyware is a by-product, not a statement of any kind that the
product protects against viruses.
If your intent is to support AMB then it's failed because all you've
accomplished is creating a thread that talks about what it CAN NOT do (be
used for AV) as opposed to properly defining what it CAN do (catch malware).

HTH,

Twayne