This blog is primarily concerned with NIS 2007 (and a bit on NIS 08). I have nothing to say about more recent versions.

This blog is more or less dormant (except for occasional comments on related news), and is being left on-line as a historical record and perhaps as a warning to future generations of anti-virus coders.

2008-06-03

Symantec is embarrassed

In a previous post, I had included a simple cut-and-paste of the extremely long and obviously inefficient LiveUpdate screen.

Well, guess what? They've done something to that LiveUpdate progress window so that right-click cut or copy doesn't work anymore (it did before). But they didn't fix the world's most inefficient update algorithm; they just made it slightly more difficult to mock them.

But they're idiots. There are other ways to copy the data out. Here (took 3 seconds):

The following Symantec products and components are installed on your computer.
> Firewall Program Updates
> LiveUpdate
> LiveUpdate Notice
> Norton AntiVirus
> Norton AntiVirus Virus Definitions
> Norton Confidential
> Norton Internet Security Resource Updates
> Norton Internet Security program updates
> Norton Internet Security security updates
> Norton Protection Center
> Symantec Intrusion Prevention Signatures
> Symantec Security Software
> Symantec Security Software Update
> Symantec Shared Components
> Symantec Trusted Application List
> Vulnerability Assessment Program Updates

Initializing...
Connecting to liveupdate.symantecliveupdate.com...

Downloading catalog file (1 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (2 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (3 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (4 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (5 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (6 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (7 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (8 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (9 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (10 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (11 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (12 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (13 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (14 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (15 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (16 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (17 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (18 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (19 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (20 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (21 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (22 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (23 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (24 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (25 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (26 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (27 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (28 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (29 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (30 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (31 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (32 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (33 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (34 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (35 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (36 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (37 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (38 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (39 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (40 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (41 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (42 of 46), product up-to-date.
Downloading catalog file (43 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (44 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (45 of 46), complete.
Opening update list
The digital signature found on the catalog file has been signed by Symantec Corporation.
Processing update list
Opening update list
Processing update list
Downloading catalog file (46 of 46), product up-to-date.

The following updates have been found:
> Symantec Security Software, 7.4 KB
> Norton AntiVirus Virus Definitions, 86.0 KB
Total Download 93.4 KB

Downloading Symantec Security Software (1 of 1), complete.
Downloading Norton AntiVirus Virus Definitions (1 of 1), complete.

Installing Symantec Security Software (1 of 1), complete.
Installing Norton AntiVirus Virus Definitions (1 of 1), complete.


LiveUpdate session is complete.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

First of all, I congratulate you on your "Sky-is-blue" website, another in the long list of free blogs to state the bleeding obvious.
Seriously though, why do you still even use their software?
If you have the sheer inability to use it, and it doesn't work for you, and there are better options out there, for the love of good man, use them!!
Using what you perceive as faulty software to make a point does make a point: It makes the point that you have not yet realised there are...wait for...other choices in life!
And for all that is good and holy, you run Google AdSense which features ads for none-other than Symantec.
You are saying with one hand this company sucks, and promoting them with the other.
Why would anyone trust the opinion of somewhere who is not even computer literate enough to use the block feature in AdSense.
Good lord man, get on with life and stop being so bitter.
Everyone else moved to AVG years ago.

Anonymous said...

Hello Anonymous. Your comment has so many errors that I don't even know where to begin.

Let's start with Adblock: First, I've blocked ads on several of my other blogs (where it actually matters to me), so I'm quite familiar with the technique. But I guess you don't know that there are dozens of ever-changing AV resellers and vendors all using different names and URLs, so blocking a particular product or company can be unreliable. But more importantly, I don't care in this case. AV software is not a moral issue where it matters.

Next: I'm aware that AV SW alternatives exist; in fact I've even posted about them on this blog (you'd know that if you bothered to check your facts before spouting off).

Finally: the point of the blog is to highlight the facts about Symantec. The blog is not about 'me', it's about Symantec. If you don't understand that basic concept, then you must find the world a very confusing place.

Anonymous said...

By the way, your comment "...sheer inability to use it..." is completely insane.

If you read this blog you will see that the issues are not due to user errors. The issues are due to software bugs and poor programming.

If you have any suggestions about what settings should be changed to fix any problem reported here, then add that info as a useful comment against the applicable post.

I've already made that challenge before and not one single positive technical or instructive suggestion has been made.

Anonymous said...

Acutally, I am currently removing all Symantec or Norton products from all computers and servers that any of their products currently installed.
I can remove their products and suddenly everything works.
I can use AVG or tendmicro and everything works. Go figure.
I will never use a Symantec product again and others agree.