• Hello [name]! Thanks for joining the GMC. Before making any posts in the Tech Support forum, can we suggest you read the forum rules? These are simple guidelines that we ask you to follow so that you can get the best help possible for your issue.

Games flagged by anti virus

flerpyderp

Member
Using GMS 1.4 (latest version)

It was brought to my attention that one of my games (standalone exe) was flagged by a friend's anti virus (Avast). It was also flagged by another friend's anti virus (Avira).

This prompted me to check the file on virustotal. Out of 70 engines, only 2 detected something. Just to make sure, I removed all traces of an extension I'm using in my project and tried again, this time only 1 detection. I then tried uploading the installer version, same result.

I then uploaded a standalone exe of one of my friend's games, made with GMS2, to virus total and it had the same result (same engine detecting the same thing). I therefore assumed it was a false positive to do with how some anti virus see Game Maker's unsigned standalone exes. However, trying a bunch of different GMS games, I'm finding that many have nothing detected, and others have entirely different results.

I then put the project file on another computer and exported the exe there, with a fresh install of up to date Windows 10. Just to make sure there isn't something latching onto exes made on the first computer. Same result.

Malwarebytes has not found anything. I have read of cases of false positives happening, and in this case that certainly happened with one of those two results (it consistently flags as suspicious when using that extension, and does not when the extension is removed).

However, I'm trying to find out why something is still being detected on my game, and not on many other games. It seems like a false positive, but I'm not ruling out it being a legitimate detection.

Does anyone have a similar experience, or any insight? Any help is greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Follow up about the case of it being flagged by Avast - they let it do a full check on the file and it was deemed clean. Then when they tried opening the file, it flagged it again, so they added it to exceptions. Another user with Avast was able to open the same file with no problems.
 
Last edited:

rIKmAN

Member
Using GMS 1.4 (latest version)

It was brought to my attention that one of my games (standalone exe) was flagged by a friend's anti virus (Avast). It was also flagged by another friend's anti virus (Avira).

This prompted me to check the file on virustotal. Out of 70 engines, only 2 detected something. Just to make sure, I removed all traces of an extension I'm using in my project and tried again, this time only 1 detection. I then tried uploading the installer version, same result.

I then uploaded a standalone exe of one of my friend's games, made with GMS2, to virus total and it had the same result (same engine detecting the same thing). I therefore assumed it was a false positive to do with how some anti virus see Game Maker's unsigned standalone exes. However, trying a bunch of different GMS games, I'm finding that many have nothing detected, and others have entirely different results.

I then put the project file on another computer and exported the exe there, with a fresh install of up to date Windows 10. Just to make sure there isn't something latching onto exes made on the first computer. Same result.

Malwarebytes has not found anything. I have read of cases of false positives happening, and in this case that certainly happened with one of those two results (it consistently flags as suspicious when using that extension, and does not when the extension is removed).

However, I'm trying to find out why something is still being detected on my game, and not on many other games. It seems like a false positive, but I'm not ruling out it being a legitimate detection.

Does anyone have a similar experience, or any insight? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Are the other GMS games that don't flag anything commercial games?

If so, it's likely that they submitted the exe to the virus company to have it analysed and whitelisted so it doesn't get flagged anymore.
 

flerpyderp

Member
Are the other GMS games that don't flag anything commercial games?

If so, it's likely that they submitted the exe to the virus company to have it analysed and whitelisted so it doesn't get flagged anymore.
Nope. All little known games from itch.io, friends etc.

EDIT: Thought I'd add that some of the detection results seem quite common among some GMS games, not just that first one I mentioned in the OP.
 
Last edited:

cgPixel

Member
Simple solution: Use the zip export.
The standalone export uses iexpress if I remember correctly, which will be flagged as false positive by some anti virus softwares.
 

rIKmAN

Member
Simple solution: Use the zip export.
The standalone export uses iexpress if I remember correctly, which will be flagged as false positive by some anti virus softwares.
The zip export contains the exe that OP said is being flagged.

If you read his post you would see he also tried the installer version which you are talking about with the same results.
 

cgPixel

Member
The zip export contains the exe that OP said is being flagged.

If you read his post you would see he also tried the installer version which you are talking about with the same results.
The exe from the standalone export is different to the zip export, the OP wrote absolutely nothing about the ZIP export.

He talked about the installer version, yes.
But is the installer version the same as the zipped export?

I had the same problem with my own games, and this fixed it for me.
 

rIKmAN

Member
the OP wrote absolutely nothing about the ZIP export.
He wrote “I then tried uploading the installer version, same result” which would imply he was using the only other export option available - the standalone version that gets exported as a zip file.

Unless devs have submitted their exes to the av companies to have the signatures whitelisted, or the users are using different versions of the av software (and so older sig database files) then it’s odd that some games would flag a false positive and others wouldn’t flag at all.
 

flerpyderp

Member
The exe from the standalone export is different to the zip export, the OP wrote absolutely nothing about the ZIP export.

He talked about the installer version, yes.
But is the installer version the same as the zipped export?

I had the same problem with my own games, and this fixed it for me.
Excellent. It appears that exporting the project as a zip prevents anything being detected when its contents are extracted and the exe is checked.

You mentioned that it uses a different method of exporting the file, does the installer export use the same method as the standalone?

Thanks for the advice!

He wrote “I then tried uploading the installer version, same result” which would imply he was using the only other export option available - the standalone version that gets exported as a zip file.

Unless devs have submitted their exes to the av companies to have the signatures whitelisted, or the users are using different versions of the av software (and so older sig database files) then it’s odd that some games would flag a false positive and others wouldn’t flag at all.
There are 3 options for export - installer, standalone, zip. I had only tried the first two, and didn't think that the third would behave any differently.
 
Last edited:

rIKmAN

Member
There are 3 options for export - installer, standalone, zip. I had only tried the first two, and didn't think that the third would behave any differently.
Ah my bad, I assume by default people are using GMS2 and always forget to check the forum being posted in as I usually only read the New Posts page.
The standalone export option was removed in GMS2 as it caused problems after MS changed the tool used to make the archive.

Apologies to you too @cgPixel.
 

cgPixel

Member
Excellent. It appears that exporting the project as a zip prevents anything being detected when its contents are extracted and the exe is checked.

You mentioned that it uses a different method of exporting the file, does the installer export use the same method as the standalone?

Thanks for the advice!
You're welcome!
I'm glad I could help.
Yes, it seems that the installer export is different to the zip export.

Apologies to you too @cgPixel.
Don't worry, its all good ;)

Best Regards
 
Top