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Windows AntiSpyware Downgrades Claria Detections

Posted by Zonk on from the convenient-timing dept.

accihap writes "A week after word leaked out that Microsoft was negotiating an acquisition deal with Claria (See recent /. coverage), spyware researchers have noticed that the Windows antispyware application has downgraded Claria's Gator detections and changed the recommended action from 'quarantine' to 'ignore.' Screenshots of the new default settings."

3 of 411 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Photoshop? by crimoid · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just tried to let IE install one of their apps and MS AntiSpyware caught it, flagging it with Moderate.

    To their credit though you had to dig to find the Moderate label. The first thing a user will see is a rather largish (scary looking) red box encouraging them to block the software.

  2. I can confirm by Slayback · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just yesterday I was helping a neighbor clean-up his girlfriend's parents' computer (how do I get roped into things like that?) So, I install the 3 big ad-removers; Spybot S&D, Adaware, and MS AntiSpyware. I ran the MS one first since Spybot kept crashing when doing the cleanup (very mean buggers). I noticed that the Claria stuff was all set to ignore after it detected it. I didn't think much of it and set all of them to quarantine, but I did think it was a little odd.

    Anyways, CONFIRMED.

  3. Not just Claria. by ArcCoyote · · Score: 5, Informative

    MSAS leaves all "Moderate" threats at Ignore, because they are often relatively well-behaved components of ad-supported software.

    MS isn't dumb, and they have criteria for determining what is a moderate/high/critical spyware threat. A lot of times it comes from feedback to SpyNet. If adware comes bundled with an ad-supported product, doesn't hijack your browser, and removes cleanly when you uninstall the software it supports, it's a only moderate threat.

    MS is also a big legal target and a monster in the eyes of many smaller software companies. They'd be getting sued non-stop if MSAS indiscriminately removed the adware from ad-supported products.

    I did a cleanup of a seriously crufted-up machine last night. Claria, 180Solutions, WhenU, Comet Cursors were all set to Ignore. Kazaa and BearShare were set to Quarantine, and quarantining them would have snagged the adware they came bundled with.

    CoolWebSearch, VX2, and the other real bastards were rated "Critical Risk" and set to "Remove."

    I set everything to "Remove" and MSAS did just that without problems. Can't really complain.