| Bad or Undisclosed Behavior |
| Disables Windows Firewall |
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WinAntiVirus 2006 (Unregistered Version) automatically disables Windows Firewall during the installation process. The disabling of Windows Firewall is not disclosed to the user at any point, nor does WinAntiVirus give any reasons for their actions. By disabling the user's firewall, WinAntiVirus may leave the user's computer more vulnerable to viruses and other badware.
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| Makes exaggerated claims of system vulnerability |
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WinAntiVirus 2006 (Unregistered Version) uses alarmist language and deceptive tactics to scare users into upgrading to the full version of its software. The software claims "Severe Infections detected!" over a few tracking cookies that are considered to be harmless. Additional warnings shown after a system scan state that "The threats found on your computer are very likely to create further problems if not fixed immediately, such as: Lost Documents and Settings; Permanent Data Loss; System not starting up; System slowdown and crashes; Loss of Internet Connection; Infecting other computers on your network." In order to "clean" the computer, the user must register WinAntiSpyware 2006, which entails purchasing the full version of the software.
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| Continuously runs a process in the background |
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A process named FWSvc.exe runs continuously in the background of the user's machine, even after the user has exited WinAntiVirus 2006. The software fails to disclose that this process will always be running in the background. In fact, the user would not be aware of this behavior unless they looked at the running processes on Windows Task Manager. Information available online on the process identifies it as malware and potentially harmful to the user's computer.
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| Downloads updates without user's consent |
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WinAntiVirus 2006 (Unregistered Version) automatically downloads "spyware database updates" and "application updates" on the user's computer without the user's consent. This automatic updating is not disclosed to the user at any time -- whether during the initial installation of WinAntiVirus 2006 or as the individual updates occur. There is also no option given to the user to stop these updates from happening. The user is given no information on what these updates are or what purpose they serve.
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| Automatically runs on startup |
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WinAntiVirus 2006 (Unregistered Version) automatically runs in the systems tray on startup. The application does not inform users that it will run on startup, and has no setting to allow users to disable this function.
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| Recommendations |
| We recommend that the producers of WinAntiVirus 2006 (Unregistered Version) do the following: |
- Do not disable Windows Firewall or any other software without clearly disclosing to the user what modifications will be made, why they are necessary, and seeking the user's informed consent.
- Stop making exaggerated claims of system vulnerability.
- Inform the user during installation that WinAntiVirus 2006 will automatically run on startup, or provide the user with the option not to run the software on startup.
- Disclose to the user that WinAntiVirus 2006 (Unregistered Version) will run a process in the background and clearly disclose the reasons why the process needs to run constantly, even when WinAntiVirus 2006 (Unregistered Version) is not running.
- Clearly disclose to the user when updates are available and ask for their consent before continuing with the update.
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We currently recommend that users do not install the version of WinAntiVirus 2006 that we tested,
unless the user is comfortable with the level of risk we identify or until the application
is updated consistent with the recommendations in this report.
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Badware Behavior