Panda Cloud Antivirus

Finally the new Panda Cloud Antivirus beta is here, getting us closer and closer to the expected Panda Cloud Antivirus 2.0 release. Version 1.9.1 incorporates a full fledged firewall with application and system rules. This new firewall and its settings is available from a new tab off the main GUI.

The full firewall included in this beta version is a smart community-based firewall which will automatically assign inbound and outbound communication privileges to processes. The automatic assignment is performed depending on its risk assessment as well as the direction of the communication which is being initiated. So if an OUTBOUND connection is being made by a Secure or Low Risk process, the process is allowed to communicate automatically. Alternatively if a process is deemed riskier, a prompt will ask the user to choose whether to allow or block the communication. A similar although stricter approach is used for INBOUND connections.

The risk assessment of executed processes is shown in the Process Monitor window of the main GUI as shown in the first picture of this blog post. This is calculated automatically based on many different conditions, such as safe lists, digital signatures, telemetry and prevalence, automated analysis of processes, etc.

However users can also manually manage the firewall rules by adding new ones, editing, deleting, importing and exporting rules and prioritizing certain rules over others. This is easily done from the Program Control window under the firewall tab of the main GUI as shown in the next picture.

Finally there’s also a lot of improvements in the antivirus part of the program, as always targeted at making Panda Cloud Antivirus even lighter and faster, as well as a usual batch of bug fixes. The full changelog can be seen below.

Today is a very special day for us at Panda Security for two reasons. First because today marks the two-year anniversary since we released the first beta of Panda Cloud Antivirus, the first free antivirus from the cloud. To celebrate this, we’re releasing another beta version today, Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta 1.9.

The objective of this beta version is to test the interception of networking traffic in order to build cloud-based firewall functionalities in future versions. In this beta the networking interception is applied to both HTTP and POP3 traffic. Even though the program incorporates a Process Monitor which keeps track of HTTP web traffic requests on a per process basis and allows for per-process blocking, no traditional firewall functionality is provided in the beta, only interception.

In order to promote thorough testing of this version, we are giving away 10 Amazon.com $100 gift certificates to the most active beta testers who report bugs in the Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta Support Forum. The winners of the gift certificates will be selected at the close of the promotion by the Support Forum Moderators amongst the users with the most amount of new (unknown at the time of posting) bug reports. Note that the beta may still be ongoing after be promotion ends on August 1st, 2011. In addition there will be PRO license codes given away to other active beta testers as well.

New Features
- Process Monitor functionality and traffic history reporting.
- Ability to block a process by sending it to Recycle Bin.
- Blocked processes can be restored from the Recycle Bin.
- Ability to disable/enable BackgroundScan after signature cache synchronization.
- Ability to exclude file extensions from the on-access scanner.
- Exclusion of Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP) detections.
- New graphical installer. Logs are kept under %TEMP%\StubInstaller.log.
- New Toolbar without ID Protect & Shopping and with Toolbar Cleaner.

Read more about this beta, download and install from http://www.cloudantivirus.com/forum/forum.jspa?forumID=50202

   
Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta3 is finally available for download. Please visit Panda Cloud Antivirus’s new website at http://www.cloudantivirus.com to download this latest version.

Some of the most important and notable changes over the previous version are the following:

• New improved interface.
• New website design and services.
• New Collective Intelligence Real-time Activity Monitor.
• New Technical Support Forums.
• Fixed slowness of PC after install.
• Fixed most cases of scan stuck at X% and errors during scan.
• Fixed “Problems with Internet connectivity” popup message.
• Fixed BackgroundScan by deactivating many unnecessary operations.
• Improved performance based on cache optimization (much less CPU utilization).
• Improved performance based on memory management (less memory consumption).
• Improved management of Recycle Bin and restoration of disinfected objects.
• Improved quick scan option.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta3 introduces a new website at http://www.cloudantivirus.com where people are able to create accounts and use those credentials to login to their Panda Cloud Antivirus product instead of using license keys which need to be renewed every year. This allows users to access the online Support Forums and other Panda Cloud Antivirus services which we’re still building.

     
We have been circulating a limited Preview Release of Beta3 which supports Vista 64bit and Windows 7 (32 and 64bit). This Beta3 Preview only has additional platform support. No other functionality which is currently being developed for Beta3 is included yet in this Preview Release.

Basically we’re interested in getting as much feedback from the 64bit and Windows 7 community as possible. If you’re one of these guys or gals, we want to hear from you. Please send all feedback regarding this Preview Release to beta@pandasecurity.com or send your comments to this blog post.

Downloading
The download link is the following:
CloudAntivirus-Beta3-0.08.83-Preview.exe
EDIT: changed link to point to a more reliable server.

Installing
If you have a previous version of Panda Cloud Antivirus, you’ll need to manually uninstall that first, reboot and then install the Beta3 Preview.
Note: The Beta3 Preview can also be installed on XP/Vista 32bits, even though we’ve not tested it in these platoforms.

Workarounds
Remember that under x64 the registry entries for the different workarounds mentioned in this blog are different. They are the following:

Activating advanced logging:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodePanda SecurityPanda Service Host]
"tracePath"="C:\Logs_CloudAV"
"traceEnabled"="1"

Disabling BackgroundScan:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodePanda SecurityPanda Service Host]
"BackgroundDisabled"="-"

Enabling Exceptions:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodePanda SecurityPanda Service HostExceptions]
"CreateMiniDump"=dword:00000001
"ToMessageBox"=dword:00000001

 
If you’re having any type of problem with Panda Cloud Antivirus (a recent one we’re getting is the Error Code 1 while scanning) you can help us troubleshoot it by enabling exceptions and having Panda Cloud Antivirus create minidumps when it runs into a problem.

You can enable exceptions easily by creating the following registry key:
   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPanda SecurityPanda Service HostExceptions]
   "CreateMiniDump"=dword:00000001
   "ToMessageBox"=dword:00000001

For those less familiar with manipulating the Windows Registry you can simply download and execute the following Exceptions.reg file which will automatically make the change in the Registry for you:
Enable Exceptions

Once enabled, any exception caught will be shown to you in popup windows similar to the following ones:

If this happens, you can find the minidump in the following locations:

• XP: c:documents and settingsall usersProgram datapanda securitypanda cloud antivirus
• Vista: c:program datapanda securitypanda cloud antivirus

Simply compress (in a ZIP or similar) the minidump and send it to us. We have enabled an FTP account where these can be uploaded to.
FTP Server: 212.8.79.111
Username: betatester
Password: d8PvVVdTQzWv

Don’t forget to drop us a note at http://www.cloudantivirus.com/forum if you do upload a minidump so we can provide you with an answer or fix after we analyze your upload.

Again thanks to all that are helping us improve Panda Cloud Antivirus !

Some users upgrading from Beta1 to Beta2 version have come across problems during the uninstall/reinstall upgrade procedure. In order to try to make things easier on users we have created an uninstaller standalone application for Panda Cloud Antivirus.

IMPORTANT: only use this generic uninstaller on PCs with Panda Cloud Antivirus. If this uninstaller is executed on PCs with other Panda products (Panda Antivirus Pro, Panda Internet Security, etc.) it will have negative effects and will leave the PC in an unstable state.

Simply download and execute the uninstaller in the following ZIP file:
Download Cloud Antivirus Uninstaller

If you’re still having problems with an uninstall procedure and would like the manual instructions feel free to contact us at the Technical Support Forum (http://www.cloudantivirus.com/forum).

Some Beta1 users have misunderstood the popup message that was recently shown by Panda Cloud Antivirus, announcing the availability of the Beta2 version.

The feedback we received is that some users thought the software was going to stop being free. I wanted to post this to clarify any confusions that might have been created by this notification.

This notification is merely announcing the availability of the Beta2 version. Some considerations to take into account during the beta period:

• As soon as a new Beta version is announced (Beta2, Beta3, etc.) the previous Beta version will stop connecting to Collective Intelligence and updating its cache.
• Users can of course download the new Beta version for free.
• After the Beta period is over and Panda Cloud Antivirus version 1.0 is released it will continue being free without any loss of functionality whatsoever.

Sorry if this notification has caused any confusion.

We’ve received quite a lot of reports lately from people who have managed to install Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta2 under Windows 7 based on a post from the DownloadSquad.

Basically the method used to install Cloud Antivirus Beta2 under Windows 7 consists of uncompressing the CloudAntivirus.exe installer file using WinRAR, 7-zip or any other capable un-compressor and setting the compatibility mode of the SETUP.EXE to Vista.

You may then run the installer by double-clicking on SETUP.EXE and this will install Cloud Antivirus Beta2 happily on a Windows 7 system.

During some quick testing both the on-access and the on-demand scanner seem to work normally.

However please be advised that Cloud Antivirus Beta2 has not yet been certified by our QA team and therefore is not fully Windows 7 compatible. We’re still working on Beta3 which will be fully compatible on both 32 and 64 bits Windows 7.

Thanks to the millions who have downloaded and installed Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta1 (0.08.80) and sent feedback to help us improve the product before its final release. Today we’re releasing Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta2 (0.08.81).

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
1- Uninstall the Beta1 from Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. Reboot.
2- Download the Beta2 from http://www.cloudantivirus.com.
3- Install the Beta2.

BETA2 IMPROVEMENTS
We focused Beta2 on fixing the most important detection & disinfection aspects per feedback from the community. The following is a list of items that are either new or fixed in Beta2. If you have any doubts about any of them feel free to post your question as a comment.

New – “Undo” Option for Recycle Bin
Some users complained about the effect of the automated deletion of known malware. In some cases where users want these samples to not be deleted and/or in the case of false positives, there was no option to recover these files. A new option has been added with Beta2 to the Recycle Bin so users can recover deleted detections for a period of 3 days (configurable by CI). During this time period file icons will be changed to show that the file is quarantined in the Recycle Bin. NOTE: this does not apply to “disinfected” files, only to “deleted” files.

     

New – Synchronous Real-Time Cloud-Scan
Under some circumstances files being executed (directly from Internet download, from a read-only network share, etc.) were checked asynchronously against the cloud after the file was loaded into memory. This resulted in detection+disinfection actions to be taken after infection. With Beta2 we changed this behaviour to block the execution until a response has been received by Collective Intelligence. In the event that it is malware, the file will be deleted prior to allowing it to execute.

New – Latency & Response Control of the Cloud-Scanner
We deployed 10 sensors throughout America, Europe and Asia and have detected that 98.41% of the Collective Intelligence queries are responded to within 3 seconds. However, in the remaining cases there is not a control mechanism and if the response is not timely (because of connectivity issues, latency, proxy delays, etc.) then the program would be allowed to execute prior to receiving the response from Collective Intelligence. With the new response control mechanism, programs executing which take longer than 6 seconds to receive an answer from Collective Intelligence are put “on hold” for a second timeout period of 30 seconds after which the program is unblocked and allowed to execute (although it will continue being scanned asynchronously).

Fixed – Slow Scans
Right after installation Panda Cloud Antivirus launches a BackgroundScan of the entire PC to ensure it is clean. Some users reported that launching an On-Demand scan of the entire PC right after install slowed down the PC and/or caused the scan to take a long time. This bug was due to both the BackgroundScan and OnDemandScan running simultaneously. With Beta2 this is fixed by having the BackgroundScan automatically pause in case it detects an OnDemandScan being launched. Once the OnDemandScan is finished, the BackgroundScan will resumen where it left off.

Fixed – Recycle Bin Unblock Functionality
Under some circumstances and with certain types of malware, some users reported that unblocking a suspicious/potentially unwanted malware that was sent to the Recycle Bin, resulted in it being continuously detected over and over again. This has been fixed in Beta2.

Other Fixes

By the way, we’ll still release a Beta3 version prior to final release of Version 1.0. For Beta3 we’re already working on new platforms (Windows7, 64bits), improved features, a new website, a Collective Intelligence real-time encyclopedia and some additional things. Expect the Beta3 to be released around September.

 

We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback from the community regarding Cloud Antivirus. Thanks to all for downloading, testing, and using it. Of course there are many questions that are being answered through this blog and via comments, but as not all users read through the comments, I thought I’d compile a list of the most important and most common questions as well as answers. The list is comments/questions is the following (scroll down for the answers):

• Why isn’t there a 64bit and Windows7 version?
• Will Panda Cloud Antivirus continue being FREE after the beta is over?
• Do I need to run a different antivirus at the same time as Cloud Antivirus?
• Am I still protected when I’m not connected to the Internet?
• After installing Cloud Antivirus I scanned my PC and it took a really long time. What’s up?
• Are my files being sent to the cloud for scanning?
• What exactly is sent to the cloud?
• Cloud Antivirus detected a Trojan and deleted it. How can I get it back?
• Why can’t I choose delete/block/ignore when it detects a Trojan?
• Can I run Cloud Antivirus alongside my Norton360/AVG/Etc.?
• Scan stuck at x%.
• I have 2 monitors and Cloud Antivirus always appears right in the middle of both.
• Since I installed Cloud Antivirus my system has *really* slowed down to a crawl.
• I’m having problems downloading the Cloud Antivirus installation program.

 

 

Why isn’t there a 64bit and Windows7 version?

Basically we wanted to get Cloud Antivirus out there and tested as soon as possible to validate the new philosophy and protection model. Supporting additional configurations was less of a priority than seeing if the model is truly valid or not. However we’re seeing that by popular demand this is the #1 request we’re getting so we’ll re-think our priorities and try to release these builds as soon as possible.

 

Will Panda Cloud Antivirus continue being FREE after the beta is over?

YES. Absolutely. 100%. Free.

 

Do I need to run a different antivirus at the same time as Cloud Antivirus?

No. Cloud Antivirus provides all the protection you need from viruses, malware, etc. Also it is not recommended to run 2 different AV engines at the same time as they can conflict with each other.

 

After installing Cloud Antivirus I scanned my PC and it took a really long time. What’s up?

If you run an on-demand scan of your entire system right after installing Cloud Antivirus you will experience this slowness because both the initial Background Scan and the on-demand scan are running simultaneously. Panda Cloud Antivirus runs a Background Scan after installation. During this Background Scan Cloud Antivirus does a review of the entire PC by scanning it and by filling up its goodware cache (checking known good files against the cloud) in order to optimize future scans. Simply allow Cloud Antivirus to finish its Background Scan before launching a full system scan. If you are experiencing problems after that, please export your Windows Event Log for Cloud Antivirus (My PC, Manage, Event Viewer, Nano, right-click & Save as) and send it to us at beta@pandasecurity.com.  

 

Are my files being sent to the cloud for scanning?

No. Absolutely no files and no personal information is sent to the cloud. Also only PE files (.EXE, .COM, etc.) are checked against the cloud. Non-PE files such as pictures, documents, etc are not scanned from the cloud.

 

What exactly is sent to the cloud?

For any PE file that is checked against the cloud, we create multiple cryptographic hashes. Amongst them is what we call a “reverse signature” of the file. This reverse signature is able to identify multiple similar files. The response from the cloud can be “malware”, “goodware” or “unknown”. Also we send “behavioral traits” of files to be scanned heuristically remotely by the cloud. These are basically properties and characteristics of each file. In summary, no content and no personal information is ever sent to the cloud.

 

Cloud Antivirus detected a Trojan and deleted it. How can I get it back?

Cloud Antivirus is pre-configured to automatically delete malicious files. However suspicious files and certain types of grayware (hacking tools, potentially unwanted programs, etc.) are not deleted automatically and sent to the Recycle Bin (quarantine). To access the Recycle Bin, click on the folded bottom right corner of the Cloud Antivirus program. From there you can unblock detected files and get access to them again. Keep in mind that, once unblocked, these will not be detected again by Cloud Antivirus. However if the file that was detected is a true malicious file such as a Trojan, it will be deleted automatically and there’s no way to get it back (after all, you’re installing Cloud Antivirus to get rid of malware, right?).

 

Why can’t I choose delete/block/ignore when it detects a Trojan?

As an antivirus program, the main thing that users ask for from us is that we detect and get rid of malicious files without bothering them. This is exactly what Cloud Antivirus does, keeping everything as simple and straightforward as possible. This is what we’re trying to do with the new protection model of Cloud Antivirus, to manage all these decisions for end users automatically. However we are getting some feedback from advanced users to have this functionality included. We’re thinking about how to approach this but one way would be to activate an “advanced mode” and while in that mode maintain an encrypted copy of every detected file in the Recycle Bin (at least for x amount of max time) that can be recovered if needed. Comments about this approach are welcomed.

 

Can I run Cloud Antivirus alongside my Norton360/AVG/Etc.?

No you can’t, just as you can’t (or shouldn’t) run two or more different antivirus programs at the same time. The Cloud Antivirus installer identifies a large number of AV programs and will stop the installation if it detects one running. However there are reports of some users that have been able to install Cloud Antivirus running at the same time as lesser known AV programs such as Spyware Doctor Antivirus. In these cases you might experience slowness or slugginesh of the Operating System. To resolve this issue simply uninstall one of the two AV programs.

 

Scan stuck at x%.

Issue 1: This is a bug of the interface transparency effect. It’s not really a bug with the scan itself; rather it’s a bug on the interface painting actions. It occurs when, during the scan, the screensaver kicks in or the user session is closed. After coming back to the scan window, the impression is that the scan is stuck. However if you click on the scan window and drag it you can see that the scan is finished or still progressing.
Issue 2: We have had some reports of stuck scans which are not due to the interface transparency effect. If you are experiencing this problem, please export your Windows Event Log for Cloud Antivirus (My PC, Manage, Event Viewer, Nano, right-click & Save as) and send it to us at beta@pandasecurity.com.

 

I have 2 monitors and Cloud Antivirus always appears right in the middle of both.

Yes this is a reported and known bug. We’ll fix it as soon as possible.

 

Since I installed Cloud Antivirus my system has *really* slowed down to a crawl.

See the FAQ above about running Cloud Antivirus in parallel with another AV program. If this is not the case and you still experience slowness of the Operating System in general, please contact beta@pandasecurity.com and send us the details of your configuration.

 

I’m having problems downloading the Cloud Antivirus installation program.

Delete all temporary file from your browser and try downloading again from www.cloudantivirus.com.