@ edith438:
Here is a link of a thread that has already been started on this trojan-like download that comes through (sometimes, but not always) on an AVG update.
http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-forums?sec=thread&act=show&id=223487#post_223487
There is already much discussion on this update issue/problem on that thread. I feel you need to make your own mind up about whether this thing is legit or not. However for me, so-called digital signatures mean nothing to me. Icons can be ripped off by hacking any EXE file, and be used to make new EXE files, in order to make them look like they came from AVG. However, the icons in these updates, though similar, are at slight variance from the usual AVG icons. …not even the same, though to a casual observer, they look alike.
Furthermore, think when have you ever installed new software on your computer, where you did not have to agree to an EULA? Also, these files that are labeled as “ROC_JAN2013_AVG_whatevers”, the poster
splattapuss thinks they could possibly mean "Republic of China". AVG is Czechoslovakian, not Chinese.
Also, if this excessively massive update is a legit program feature addition, then I am sure if I were to uninstall AVG and reinstall it, then I would see this program feature (whatever it is) in the installer options wizard dialog. There it would give me to choice as to whether I want to opt in or out, like the rest of the AVG features. Besides, the current program version of AVG is "
AVG 2013",
NOT "
AVG JAN2013".
I am extremely disappointed that AVG has not yet come onto here and announced to their end users whether this thing is legit or not. But for me, it is acting like a trojan, wanting to connect to the internet, without my permission. So it has already shown me all the misbehavior I need to know about it, as far as I am concerned.
So I could care less about verbal or word claims, such as in some alleged installer signature; instead, I am solely focused on performance and how it behaves. For anyone can claim anything with their mouths or in their writings. But only when something is put to the test, as well as what general feedback consensus has to say, then we begin to have what evidence we need in regards to validity. So far in this post and the other related post, there has not been one person yet who has said anything good or positive about this trojan-like update.
Besides, what information does this ROC AVG thing need to pipe out of my computer anyway, I wonder? AVG already gives their users an option as to whether they want to participate in online surveillance of how they use the AVG antivirus engine at “Options > Advanced Settings… > Privacy Preferences”.
Really, people running Windows firewall would never know about this. People who are running real firewalls, like Zone Alarm, are the only ones who could possibly protect themselves from whatever the effects of this malware is. But then I can see where most folks would go ahead and blindly trust this thing to punch a hole through their firewall, because after all,
it came from AVG, right? edith438, I feel you really want to have a look at the link I just gave above, then search and find all remnants of this trojan-like update, that is, if it becomes your choice to remove this from your system.
Personally, I believe this problem might have occurred, if AVG got their update servers hacked or compromised in some way or other. I think this is very serious, and I feel AVG responsibly owes us some sort of explanation, which to my knowledge, they have not done yet, which is going a long way towards damaging their worldwide credibility even more, not counting the adware they already impose upon us in the AVG interface.
I feel we live our lives by what choices we make. I feel a little wisdom and prudence goes along way. If you did not ask for, or want, or specifically install something onto your system, then I feel it is smart to question, even doubt that. But that is just me, and not necessarily anyone else's opinion.
Good luck.
-Nitrothor
