Leading Antispyware Vendors Quietly Drop WhenU Detection

[egghead]

It appears that two popular antispyware companies, PestPatrol (owned by Computer Associates) and Lavasoft, have stopped detecting software from WhenU. In tests performed recently by Eric Howes, using the latest updated target database files, neither PestPatrol nor Ad-aware detected any software from WhenU.

WhenU makes ad serving software which is bundled with unrelated programs available for download for free from the internet. WhenU's software includes Save!, SaveNow and ClockSync. According to a PCPitstop user survey, 87% of persons with WhenU software on their computer had no idea how it became installed.

What led to the decision to delist WhenU's software after years of listing it as a target? One possible explanation is a recent change in the way WhenU's software is bundled into certain other programs. For instance, in the newest version of Bearshare, it is made very obvious that WhenU will be installed.

The Bearshare bundle has a very clear disclosure of WhenU and is a dramatic improvement over past versions. At present, it seems that only the Bearshare installer contains the new and improved WhenU disclosure. Other programs which bundle it still use the older, less acceptable methods.

Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure the reasons behind Lavasoft's and PestPatrol's apparent decision to cease targeting WhenU. There was no announcement from Lavasoft about removing WhenU's software from their target database. Questions from users about the absence of WhenU from Lavasoft's Ad-aware so far have gone unanswered.

Read more,
http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/spyware/whenu_detection_dropped.php

Source osnn.net (http://forum.osnn.net/showthread.php?t=56818)

[rik]

Wonderful...

[zipp51]

Money talks and bulls**t walks,I would venture to say. :D

[egghead]

Lavasoft response regarding WhenU

As posted at Lavasoft:
»www.lavasoft.de/news/press/ (http://www.lavasoft.de/news/press/)

2005-02-15


Lavasoft does not cooperate with WhenU!
As a result of recent rumours and speculation by members of the privacy community and the public at large, Lavasoft wants to make clear that it has not and would not collaborate with any companies that have produced content detected by Ad-Aware. Ad-Aware products are designed purely for scanning and removing of suspicious content (at the user’s discretion) and Lavasoft would not ally with adversaries under any circumstances.

WhenU was indeed removed from the database by research in the last definition file. This however was due to WhenU not scoring more than 2 TAC points at the time, 3 points being the minimum score to be included in the database. More information on the Threat Assessment Chart can be found at »www.lavasoftnews.com/ms/tac_main.htm (http://www.lavasoftnews.com/ms/tac_main.htm)
The TAC report will be reviewed in more detail by our R&D department and in case it turns out that the removal was incorrect, WhenU will naturally be reintroduced to the database.

For further information, please contact press@lavasoft.de

[cash_site]

good cover up by Lavasoft... the inclusion of the 'new' disclosure for whenU, drops the rating down... so instead of trying to hide the fact adware is being installed, they come out and laugh at you telling you right out that Definitely adware is being installed! and you have no option :mad:

Lavasoft, should just drop the minimum TAC requirement down to 2 :p feel sorry for the pro users who paid good money for it, then to have missing parts in the definition files.