

- #Clamxav scanning engine update
- #Clamxav scanning engine full
- #Clamxav scanning engine software
- #Clamxav scanning engine code
#Clamxav scanning engine code
Thus, not only does the Mac App Store version of ClamXav have limited features, but this reduced functionality also hinders the program’s ability to protect your computer.Īlso, the non-App Store version doesn’t include a code signature, so depending on how you have Gatekeeper configured, Mountain Lion might not even let you run the version of ClamXav that comes with the Sentry feature.


The Mac App Store version doesn’t include the Sentry feature because, according to the developer, “the App Store requirements stipulate that everything must be self-contained within the app.” If you download the program from the developer’s site, it includes a built-in Sentry feature that allows you to manually configure on-download scanning for individual folders. Some versions of applications in the Mac App Store have limited functionality compared to their non-App Store counterparts.įor example, ClamXav is a freeware virus scanner based on the ClamAV engine. I have personally made Opera and Apple aware of this on multiple occasions, but they don’t seem to have learned their lesson.Īnother app that I’ve observed is nearly always out of date in the Mac App Store is Amazon’s Kindle app.Īmazon doesn’t publicly share any release notes, so there’s no way to know whether the old version in the Mac App Store (1.8.1, which was released in October 2011) contains any security-related bugs that might have been patched in the current version (1.9.2, which was released this month). In fact, there’s nearly always a delay of several days in between the release of the new version on Opera’s site and in the Mac App Store. This is not the first time that an insecure version of Opera has been distributed through the Mac App Store.
#Clamxav scanning engine update
Apple requires that all apps distributed through the Mac App Store must only be updated via the store’s own update mechanism. Neither current users nor new users of the Mac App Store version of Opera will be prompted to download a newer and more secure version until the new version becomes available in the store. This doesn’t just mean that new users of Opera who download it from the Mac App Store will get an outdated version.
#Clamxav scanning engine full
A full week after the new version of Opera was released on the Web, the old and insecure version 11.64 is still being distributed in the Mac App Store.
#Clamxav scanning engine software
Opera Software offers its browser for download from its site, and Apple also distributes the browser through its Mac App Store. Opera Software also released a security-only update for the old version 11 of the browser, from 11.64 to 11.65. One week ago, Opera Software released version 12.00 of its Opera browser which fixes a number of security vulnerabilities, some of which are rather serious and could lead to cross-site scripting or code execution. Though its approach may be somewhat flawed, Gatekeeper can nevertheless provide a bit of additional protection by encouraging users to download apps from the Mac App Store, which contains only apps that have been vetted by Apple.Īpple claims that by using the Mac App Store, “you’ll always have the latest version of every app you own.”īut what if apps in the Mac App Store are less secure than their non-App Store counterparts? The new OS includes a feature called Gatekeeper that can be configured to allow only applications from the Mac App Store to run (the most restrictive choice) or only apps signed with a Developer ID, which includes but is not limited to Mac App Store apps (this is the default option).Ī third choice allows all apps to run including unsigned ones, but Mountain Lion warns that this is the path of least security.Īpple touts Gatekeeper as a way to help you “keep your system free from malware.” Sophos’s Chester Wisniewski has previously expressed doubts as to how effective Gatekeeper will be at fulfilling this goal. The next version of Apple’s Mac operating system, OS X Mountain Lion, is scheduled for release in July.
