Inkscape ALERT

[rjpjr]

After reading on this forum about the "open source" vector creation software INKSCAPE, I decided to download and install it and give it a ride. I Installed it Wednesday...Thursday my Antivirus program alerted me of a Virus embedded in the installation software. The virus was identified as Win32/FakeAc.CX. I guess that is the risk of using "Open Source" software.

 

[Fred Weiss]

I question your assumption that the virus came from the software itself. Did you download it from the official site? If so, was the virus contained in that download or did it perhaps become infected later from a virus already on your system?

A search for a virus with the name Win32/FakeAc.CX on Google returns no results.

 

[rjpjr]

We use Computer Associates Antivirus software. This is the alert message it gave me. "A virus has been detected! The Win32/FakeAv.CX was detected in C:documents and settings\edited\desktop\inkscape-0.46.WIN32.exe. I interpretted this as the A.V. software found the Virus embedded within the installation program itself. After the A.V. software cured the virus, the installation program was removed from the desktop. Yes, the installation program was downloaded from the official site. As far as already having a virus, our systems have been virus free for two or three years, well, until yesterday that is.

 

[animenick65]

It's quite possible that it has a virus. Their servers may have been compromised.

 

[GK]

Upload the file here, it will tell you if its a false positive or not. A lot of times with OpenSource stuff there have been a lot of them because developers are coming out with new ways to do things and it may trigger your AV

This has happened with GIMP before and Kaspersky even confirmed there was no virus.

 

[PMG]

I downloaded it the other day from the Inkscape site and didn't have any issues with a virus,,I use AVG 8.0

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

same here PMG...i've been using inkscape for a couple months now...shovel mentioned it awhile back...and i tried it out...love it!!!....never had an issue with virus...

 

[Robert H. Bigart]

You should only load from a reliable site such as the Inkscape site or a couple
of Magazine sites there are sites selling Inkscape which should be illeagle.

Bob Bigart

 

[Techman]

It's quite possible that it has a virus. Their servers may have been compromised

Extremely unlikely.

I guess that is the risk of using "Open Source" software.
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I am willing to bet its a 99% chance its a false alarm.. Some anti virus softs are getting very picky. If you downloaded it from an official site then personally I would feel really confident it was a false alarm..

For a while there was a virus alert in M$ word documents that used a certain script. All false alarms



The reason why i say this.. The installer does a crc and md5 check before anything is unpacked. If the numbers do not add up the installer will abort. If anything was in there that was not supposed to be there,, the installer would know about it.

As for the risk of open sources software.. These opens source products are clean. It is in their best interest to stay clean. The open source world is not a bunch of black hat ops looking to destroy anything. They are dedicated and committed to producing some really good products.