Bug 87250 - LibreOffice 4.4 beta 2 is blocked at startup by Avast Free Antivirus 2015
Summary: LibreOffice 4.4 beta 2 is blocked at startup by Avast Free Antivirus 2015
Status: RESOLVED NOTOURBUG
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: LibreOffice (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
unspecified
Hardware: Other Windows (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2014-12-11 22:40 UTC by jhertel
Modified: 2014-12-12 19:43 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Misc. screenshots with more information (124.73 KB, application/zip)
2014-12-11 22:40 UTC, jhertel
Details
My Avast settings (24.26 KB, image/png)
2014-12-11 22:52 UTC, jhertel
Details

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Description jhertel 2014-12-11 22:40:28 UTC
Created attachment 110760 [details]
Misc. screenshots with more information

The file "C:\Program Files (x86)\LibreOfficeDev 4\program\svxcorelo.dll" is being blocked by Avast Free Antivirus 2015 as a potential virus when LibreOfficeDev 4.4.0.0 beta 2 (Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1) is started.
Comment 1 jhertel 2014-12-11 22:48:44 UTC
I sent the file to Avast for analysis.

It is being reported by VirusTotal as fine (even by Avast):
https://www.virustotal.com/da/file/0ee54ba9febf77f55c31da8403abddb42af4eed42374a190595d04b4bb2a9294/analysis/1418337299/
Comment 2 jhertel 2014-12-11 22:50:19 UTC
For search purposes: The "virus" reported is "Win32:Evo-gen [Susp]".
Comment 3 jhertel 2014-12-11 22:52:04 UTC
Created attachment 110761 [details]
My Avast settings
Comment 4 MM 2014-12-11 23:40:42 UTC
Yeah, sometimes it happens. Normally this will be fixed in 1 or 2 days by avast.
When they don't fix it then, why not report it to the avast forum.
Comment 5 Adolfo Jayme Barrientos 2014-12-12 00:00:35 UTC
No, this is not “critical”. It’s not even our fault that antivirus software has such bad heuristics or whatever they use to “detect” malware.
You should contact Avast developers and tell them that their software has found a “false positive”.
Comment 6 V Stuart Foote 2014-12-12 16:38:01 UTC
@Jesper,

You've done as much as can be done. As Adolfo and MM say, notifying Avast of the false positive is the quickest way for this to be resolved.

Using Bugzilla functions, and for a bit more hand holding the project maintains a Bug Submission Assistant, but at the moment that is out of service. None the less, thanks for reporting--you did fine and it was seen by the correct folks.
Comment 7 jhertel 2014-12-12 18:52:03 UTC
(In reply to Adolfo Jayme from comment #5)
> No, this is not “critical”. It’s not even our fault that antivirus software
> has such bad heuristics or whatever they use to “detect” malware.
> You should contact Avast developers and tell them that their software has
> found a “false positive”.

Oh, you're welcome for me taking the time to report an issue with LibreOffice, trying to help improve it!

Jesus, Adolfo, will you please grow up? It is not about "fault", it is about a problem that actually exists in the real world and that affects LibreOffice. And yes, it is definitely critical for the users experiencing it. And it is no way less of a problem for LibreOffice that another company caused the problem. It appears when starting LibreOffice and then it is a problem for LibreOffice. Jesus! I actually thought for a short while that someone might write something like you said and I thought about mentioning it to counter it, but then I thought, "no, those in charge of LibreOffice must be responsible and clever people and understand why I report this issue". I was obviously wrong when I thought that.

I definitely believe this issue is critical if we want people to use LibreOffice. But of course you can choose to close your eyes to it.
Comment 8 jhertel 2014-12-12 18:55:29 UTC
(In reply to MM from comment #4)
> Yeah, sometimes it happens. Normally this will be fixed in 1 or 2 days by
> avast.
Okay. Now I reported the problem. Let's see if they fix it. It is still a problem for LibreOffice though if they don't.

> When they don't fix it then, why not report it to the avast forum.
Well, it is reported to Avast, as I said. And it is reported to the LibreOffice developers. The problem probably still exists.

I see no reason why I especially should contact Avast. I already reported it here. It is a common problem for LibreOffice. 

I did not report it to complain, and I did not report it because I had a problem on my computer – that is solved for a long time ago by adding the file to the exception in Avast.

I reported it to help the LibreOffice project – of course. Otherwise there would be no reason to report it.
Comment 9 jhertel 2014-12-12 19:00:41 UTC
(In reply to V Stuart Foote from comment #6)
> @Jesper,
> 
> You've done as much as can be done. As Adolfo and MM say, notifying Avast of
> the false positive is the quickest way for this to be resolved.

Thank you so much, V, for your kind answer.

> 
> Using Bugzilla functions, and for a bit more hand holding 

I do not like the term "hand holding". It is as if we are looking down on people by saying that, as if they were children that needs to have their hand hold. That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about adult people that just do not want to spend their time learning about something technical just to report a bug or an issue. What about calling it "help" or "service"?

> the project
> maintains a Bug Submission Assistant, but at the moment that is out of
> service. 

Okay! Where can it be found when it comes back into service?

> None the less, thanks for reporting--you did fine and it was seen
> by the correct folks.

Thank you so much again, V, for your kind way of answering!
Comment 10 V Stuart Foote 2014-12-12 19:43:43 UTC
(In reply to jhertel+bugs.freedesktop.org from comment #9)
@Jesper,
> > Using Bugzilla functions, and for a bit more hand holding 
> 
> I do not like the term "hand holding". It is as if we are looking down on
> people by saying that, as if they were children that needs to have their
> hand hold. That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about adult
> people that just do not want to spend their time learning about something
> technical just to report a bug or an issue. What about calling it "help" or
> "service"?

Sorry that is how I (and others see it). The project QA's requirement is to have actionable, fully formed issue reports that can be reproduced during triage, commented on and prioritized--and then as needed identify/encourage a developer to tackle.

Personally I am comfortable entering issues directly in our Bugzilla instance. Each user has a different comfort and experience level.  In that regard, the BSA is intended to help users to author fully described issue reports--nothing more.
 
> 
> > the project
> > maintains a Bug Submission Assistant, but at the moment that is out of
> > service. 
> 
> Okay! Where can it be found when it comes back into service?

https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/bug/

All that being said, this issue is correctly resolved (as there is nothing actionable on the LibreOffice side) and you have already taken the appropriate action regards notifying the Avast folks.

Warm regards.

Stuart