Hidden malware in game files?

[Szxmon]

Hi all,

after last update Malwarebytes finds file:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Troubleshooter\Release\bin\ProtoLion.exe

as malware.heuristic. It's first time in my life that any steam file is detected as virus. Can someone confirm it's safe to use?

Edit1: Ok, so I turned on Windows Defender and scanned above file and it seems clear. I added ProtoLion.exe to exception in Malwarebytes and everything looks good, but still it would be nice to confirm that the file is OK.

[Steyr12345]

From the Developer:

Originally posted by Dandylion:

We have updated the notice about this issue!

We're sorry to worry you.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/470310/announcements/detail/2734199622689000098

[Rusc]

Just had this with the same antivirus too. This post from July post link says that most anti virus is flagging f/p.
You can white list the games files through Malwarebytes manually. link to Malwarebytes guide on how to do so: link [support.malwarebytes.com]

[Szxmon]

Nice one, I was on vacation in that time, so I missed the announcement. Still, strange thing is that I have Malwarebytes since few days and it was OK till now, but thanks for fast answer. I think that topic may be happily closed.

[Vaultwulf]

When starting my game today the following file was quarantined by Malwarebytes.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Troubleshooter\Release\bin\ProtoLion.exe

I also had to add it to the allow list in order to launch the game.

[lemurs2]

I am always surprised that there are people who do not know this, but here we go.

Anti-virus programs do not detect viruses, they scan for EXE files that Microsoft has not okayed. Small and foreign developers often do not pay Microsoft to do this and thus their EXE files are flagged as viruses.

[Zloth]

I don't think that's true at all, lemurs2. I make exe programs all the time and I sure don't have to register them with Microsoft. There's probably hundreds of thousands of exe programs made every day!

The key word in the first post is "heuristic." Instead of looking for a string of bytes they know belongs to a virus program, which only works for viruses the company knows about, they are looking through the file and noticing something that makes it think that it might be a virus. It may really be one but it could also just be dumb luck that the file's bytes happened to line up in a way that scared the program.

This one sounds like the latter. It's good you posted, though, because Dandylion can contact the virus company and ask for a fix. (Or maybe they can just move some subroutines around and avoid the problem on their own if they are planning to give us an update soon anyway.)

[lemurs2]

I did not post my opinion, I posted what I know in the game industry.

[Mochan]

Originally posted by Zloth:

I don't think that's true at all, lemurs2. I make exe programs all the time and I sure don't have to register them with Microsoft. There's probably hundreds of thousands of exe programs made every day!

The key word in the first post is "heuristic." Instead of looking for a string of bytes they know belongs to a virus program, which only works for viruses the company knows about, they are looking through the file and noticing something that makes it think that it might be a virus. It may really be one but it could also just be dumb luck that the file's bytes happened to line up in a way that scared the program.

This one sounds like the latter. It's good you posted, though, because Dandylion can contact the virus company and ask for a fix. (Or maybe they can just move some subroutines around and avoid the problem on their own if they are planning to give us an update soon anyway.)

Tons of exe files you get on github show up as virus threats. I think in your case since you compiled the file yourself you ranti-virus knows this and heuristically doesn't see it as a threat.

Try downloading an exe from Github Windows Defender will mark it as a crius every time.

Antiviruses are a gimmick and frankly people need to stop relying on them.

Besides, the bigger question is why isn't Windows Defender considered Malware. It is in your PC, against your will, you can't stop it or uninstall it, and it runs at inopportune times eating up your memory, cpu cycles and harddrive capacity, and it tells you what you can and can't run. And It does this while you are playing games, eating up your framerate. Windows update too.

It is the very definition of malware.

Windows 10 is a piece of ♥♥♥♥ OS it's unfortunate but we gamers have no choice but to put up with it. (SORRY NO NOT GONNA RUN LINUX)