AutoIt and Malware: Difference between revisions

From AutoIt Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
mNo edit summary
m (Resolved several spelling and grammatical items.)
Line 1: Line 1:
If you have been using AutoIt for any length of time you will know that it is a great, and powerful scripting language. As with all powerful languages there comes a downside. Virus creation by those that are malicious. AutoIt has no viruses installed on your system, and if a script you have created has been marked as a virus, (and you're not malicious) then this is a [http://www.pcguide.com/care/data/virus/scanFalse-c.html false positive]. They found a set of instructions in an AutoIt EXE out there somewhere, took the general signature of the file, and now all AutoIt EXE's are marked (or most of them). This can be due to several reasons.
If you have been using AutoIt for any length of time you will know that it is a great, and powerful scripting language. As with all powerful languages there comes a downside: virus creation by those With malicious intent. AutoIt has no viruses installed on your system, and if a script you have created has been marked as a virus (and you're not malicious) then this is a [http://www.pcguide.com/care/data/virus/scanFalse-c.html false positive]. They found a set of instructions in an AutoIt EXE out there somewhere, took the general signature of the file, and now all AutoIt EXE's are flagged (or most of them). This can be due to several reasons:


* AutoIt is packed with UPX. UPX is an open source software compression packer. It is used with many viruses (to make them smaller).
  * AutoIt is packed with UPX. UPX is an open source software compression packer. It is used with many viruses (to make them smaller).
* Malicious scripter got the AutoIt script engine recognized as a virus.
  * Malicious scripter got the AutoIt script engine recognized as a virus.


And I am sure there are more ways your executable could be marked, but that covers the basics. Now I am sure you are wanting to know what you can do to get back up and running without being recognized as a virus. You have to send in a report to the offending AV company alerting them to the false positive they have made. It never hurts to send in your source code along with a compiled exe, to help them realize their mistake. You may have to wait up to 24 hours for them to release an update. The time it takes really depends on the offending AV company.
There are more ways your executable could be marked; this topic covers only the most common causes. If you encounter a false positive, in which your script is erroneously recognized as a virus, please alert the offending AV company immediately so the matter can be resolved. Best practice would be to include your source code along with a compiled exe, allowing the AV company to independantly verify your report. This process may take up to 24 hours depending on the AV company, but will be resolved much more quickly if you provide source code.


* AntiVir
* AntiVir

Revision as of 15:58, 15 January 2013

If you have been using AutoIt for any length of time you will know that it is a great, and powerful scripting language. As with all powerful languages there comes a downside: virus creation by those With malicious intent. AutoIt has no viruses installed on your system, and if a script you have created has been marked as a virus (and you're not malicious) then this is a false positive. They found a set of instructions in an AutoIt EXE out there somewhere, took the general signature of the file, and now all AutoIt EXE's are flagged (or most of them). This can be due to several reasons:

  * AutoIt is packed with UPX. UPX is an open source software compression packer. It is used with many viruses (to make them smaller).
  * Malicious scripter got the AutoIt script engine recognized as a virus.

There are more ways your executable could be marked; this topic covers only the most common causes. If you encounter a false positive, in which your script is erroneously recognized as a virus, please alert the offending AV company immediately so the matter can be resolved. Best practice would be to include your source code along with a compiled exe, allowing the AV company to independantly verify your report. This process may take up to 24 hours depending on the AV company, but will be resolved much more quickly if you provide source code.

  • AVG
  • ClamAV
    • Website
    • Contact (I would only contact the ones with "virusdb maintainer or virus submission management")