Avira: It’s all fixed, and Microsoft has stopped blocking the six problematic patches

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… even though Microsoft still says they’re blocking … I just got word from Avira saying that they’ve installed an automatic update to all affected
[See the full post at: Avira: It’s all fixed, and Microsoft has stopped blocking the six problematic patches]

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Elly, AJNorth, PhotM, abbodi86

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From Microfix on a different thread:

Looks like Avira have released AV Program updates:
Avira Free Antivirus 15.0.45.1214
Avira Internet Security Suite 15.0.45.1214
both released 2nd May 2019..
over at majorgeeks (an official mirror)
No word on what’s changed yet..

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AJNorth, abbodi86, Microfix

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So it was not Microsoft fault after all, not particularly

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rc primak

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Given that the Avira has distributed a couple of AV engine updates since the initial MS Patch block release, it certainly looks that way.
Transparency from both MS and avira changelogs = opaque?

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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As I posted at the time this flap first broke out, it’s a problem of AV companies using undocumented APIs and other undocumented methods, to get inside the Windows 64-bit kernel without paying MS for a Certificate. Bad practice when you’re supplying security to the masses.

-- rc primak

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abbodi86 wrote:

So it was not Microsoft fault after all, not particularly

Yes, it was. Microsoft has changed kernel code without notifying AV developers and without testing AV applications.

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AJNorth

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Disclosing critical kernel code is the opposite of security mitigation

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rc primak, woody

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What is especially curious (to me) is that I updated four Win 7 Pro x64’s on 2019.04.30 (Group “B”), after updating their Avira to 15.0.45.1184 (released 2019.04.29).  The updating went flawlessly, and there have been no issues whatsoever since.  Moreover, none have updated to Avira 15.0.45.1214 as of yet (even when checked manually).

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abbodi86 wrote:

Disclosing critical kernel code is the opposite of security mitigation

And not disclosing the changes in kernel code to security developers, for testing before release, costs $Trillions in damages to Enterprise users, which Microsoft won’t compensate for.

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woody

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The AV companies did not have to try to do an end-run around Microsoft’s Certificates policy when they wanted to gain access inside the 64-bit Windows kernel. MS is not responsible for any damages when third parties wantonly disregard Microsoft’s rules.

But hey, we all want a free security package, and yet we don’t want it from Microsoft, right?

-- rc primak

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What is the latest word from Avast, AVG, Sophos, McAfee ..regarding April updates ?

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See my MS-DEFCON 4 post, which will appear in the next hour.

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Alex5723, AJNorth, rc primak, Microfix

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