Programming Forums > Application Development > Visual Basic .NET

bigguy · Jul 7th, 2006, 7:08 AM

Hey yall. For my Spyware program I need something that can scan all the files ona HDD, Floppy, and CD. If yall can kinda pint me in the right direction towards some links or if yall wouldnt mind helping me because I'm sure it would take awhile alone. I would extremely greatful. I underdstand yall have your own projects. But I just thought I'd ask. Also, what some things that would make present spyware programs better?

Infinite Recursion · Jul 7th, 2006, 9:49 AM

I'm almost certain you meant anti-Spyware and not Spyware. If so, you could start by getting a list of all logical drives:

(Toggle Plain Text)

Import System.IO
...

Public Function ListAllDrives() As String()
        Dim arDrives() As String
        arDrives = Directory.GetLogicalDrives()
        Return arDrives
End Function

'SAMPLE USAGE
        Dim sDrive As String, sDrives() As String
        sDrives = ListAllDrives()
        For Each sDrive In sDrives
            Debug.WriteLine(sDrive)
        Next

or as an alternative:

(Toggle Plain Text)

' List the drives.
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal _
    e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    For Each drive As String In Directory.GetLogicalDrives()
        lstDrives.Items.Add(drive)
    Next drive
End Sub

Quote:

Also, what some things that would make present spyware programs better?

The ability to remove the spyware found and its associated files.

bigguy · Jul 7th, 2006, 8:46 PM

This is my code to get drives on the system:

(Toggle Plain Text)

 Public Sub GetDrives()
        Dim drives As String() = Directory.GetLogicalDrives
        For Each drive As String In drives
            Dim di As DriveInfo = New DriveInfo(drive)
            Dim newlst1 As ListViewItem
            newlst1 = lstdrives.Items.Add(0)

            Try
                newlst1.Text = (drive & di.VolumeLabel)

            Catch ex As Exception
                newlst1.Text = (drive & "")
            End Try

        Next
    End Sub

But how can I be sure I get all the fiels in the sytem? Like I want it to scan the selected dirves in the listbox. But I dont know how to scan all the files and folders and registry and stuff. Also, I thought about someythign to mkae it better, but I dont know if it would work.

1.Incase it misses anything "very very harmful" It creates a small backup of everything, and saves the status on a floppy from whivch you can boot. Hopefully this feature wont be used very often but just incase. I dont know if thats somethign that would help, people or for the most part be a nusiance. But lewt me know what yall think and mayeb so other stuff yall might think would help it out.

2. I don't know if other anti-spyware programs have this. But if somethign new is found like a spyware program that I dont know about but it's on someone's computer it gathers the info about it anfd it then sends it to my Update server and is added to the updated sig files. Now I know that part sounds liek spyware but I'm not meaning it to. Just somthign to help better protect people.

Let me know what yall think. Thanks thus far

grumpy · Jul 7th, 2006, 9:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigguy

2. I don't know if other anti-spyware programs have this. But if somethign new is found like a spyware program that I dont know about but it's on someone's computer it gathers the info about it anfd it then sends it to my Update server and is added to the updated sig files.

Given that there is a very large number of ways that spyware might work (different means of spying, different data gathered, different means of reporting what is spies, different means of installation), I suggest it would be rather challenging to design a general means of detecting such things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigguy

Now I know that part sounds liek spyware but I'm not meaning it to. Just somthign to help better protect people.

One way to handle that is to have the reporting process under user control. In particular, only send information back to your service if you have permission from the user to do so. Preferably, disable the reporting mechanism unless the user has enabled it (reporting data back to you before receiving user permission seems a bit at odds with the intent of an anti-spyware package). And allow the user to check data sent back before hand, preferably in a form that the user can easily understand.

bigguy · Jul 8th, 2006, 1:44 AM

Thanks for the input grumpy. I will do that as it is a much better idea. But I still neeed help wiht the drive scan. just to look at all the files on the slected drive and scan them using info form the sig files. I think info meant I wanted to actually show the drives on the system but I'm not I just need somethign to scan them for spyware.

grumpy · Jul 8th, 2006, 3:31 AM

You've got the code that gets drives. To recurse a directory tree, look in the win32 API help files (which come with VB, IIRC) for functions FindFirstFile, FindNextFile, and FindClose

melbolt · Jul 8th, 2006, 5:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigguy

Also, what some things that would make present spyware programs better?

after completion of a scan, the program logs all of the files to be removed, it then prompts you to reboot, when the reboot happens, it removes all of the infected files through command prompt.

a lot of programs out there will find them but then leave it up to the user to figure out how the hell to get rid of them if they are in use.

Safe mode scan usually does the trick but a lot of users aren't that computer savvy.

bigguy · Jul 8th, 2006, 1:06 PM

Thanks grumpy for that info I will look into it. Thanks melbolt, I will add that to my To-Do list.

Prm753 · Jul 8th, 2006, 2:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melbolt

after completion of a scan, the program logs all of the files to be removed, it then prompts you to reboot, when the reboot happens, it removes all of the infected files through command prompt.

I'm not totally sure that would do anything. If the spyware .exe's are starting up on boot, (and continuing to run) I think even the command prompt will not be able to get rid of them unless it is running in Safe Mode. As far as I know, Windows won't just let you yank out a file from under a running process, as that could make the process or Windows crash.

Do correct me if I am mistaken though.

melbolt · Jul 9th, 2006, 4:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prm753

I'm not totally sure that would do anything. If the spyware .exe's are starting up on boot, (and continuing to run) I think even the command prompt will not be able to get rid of them unless it is running in Safe Mode. As far as I know, Windows won't just let you yank out a file from under a running process, as that could make the process or Windows crash.

Do correct me if I am mistaken though.

you're not mistaken in what you explained but you misunderstood what i meant or i failed to explain it correctly.

when i said command prompt, i mean before the operating system loads command prompt, not "start > run > cmd" command prompt. kind of like chkdsk does if you do a hard shutdown the next time you boot up.

Jul 7th, 2006, 7:08 AM	#1
bigguy Professional Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 298 Rep Power: 0	Help making a Drive Scanner Hey yall. For my Spyware program I need something that can scan all the files ona HDD, Floppy, and CD. If yall can kinda pint me in the right direction towards some links or if yall wouldnt mind helping me because I'm sure it would take awhile alone. I would extremely greatful. I underdstand yall have your own projects. But I just thought I'd ask. Also, what some things that would make present spyware programs better? __________________ Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it. - Mark Twain Destruction leads to a very rough road, but it also breeds creation.

Jul 7th, 2006, 8:46 PM	#3
bigguy Professional Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 298 Rep Power: 0	This is my code to get drives on the system: (Toggle Plain Text) Public Sub GetDrives() Dim drives As String() = Directory.GetLogicalDrives For Each drive As String In drives Dim di As DriveInfo = New DriveInfo(drive) Dim newlst1 As ListViewItem newlst1 = lstdrives.Items.Add(0) Try newlst1.Text = (drive & di.VolumeLabel) Catch ex As Exception newlst1.Text = (drive & "") End Try Next End Sub Public Sub GetDrives() Dim drives As String() = Directory.GetLogicalDrives For Each drive As String In drives Dim di As DriveInfo = New DriveInfo(drive) Dim newlst1 As ListViewItem newlst1 = lstdrives.Items.Add(0) Try newlst1.Text = (drive & di.VolumeLabel) Catch ex As Exception newlst1.Text = (drive & "") End Try Next End Sub But how can I be sure I get all the fiels in the sytem? Like I want it to scan the selected dirves in the listbox. But I dont know how to scan all the files and folders and registry and stuff. Also, I thought about someythign to mkae it better, but I dont know if it would work. 1.Incase it misses anything "very very harmful" It creates a small backup of everything, and saves the status on a floppy from whivch you can boot. Hopefully this feature wont be used very often but just incase. I dont know if thats somethign that would help, people or for the most part be a nusiance. But lewt me know what yall think and mayeb so other stuff yall might think would help it out. 2. I don't know if other anti-spyware programs have this. But if somethign new is found like a spyware program that I dont know about but it's on someone's computer it gathers the info about it anfd it then sends it to my Update server and is added to the updated sig files. Now I know that part sounds liek spyware but I'm not meaning it to. Just somthign to help better protect people. Let me know what yall think. Thanks thus far __________________ Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it. - Mark Twain Destruction leads to a very rough road, but it also breeds creation.

Jul 8th, 2006, 1:44 AM	#5
bigguy Professional Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 298 Rep Power: 0	Thanks for the input grumpy. I will do that as it is a much better idea. But I still neeed help wiht the drive scan. just to look at all the files on the slected drive and scan them using info form the sig files. I think info meant I wanted to actually show the drives on the system but I'm not I just need somethign to scan them for spyware. __________________ Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it. - Mark Twain Destruction leads to a very rough road, but it also breeds creation.

Jul 8th, 2006, 1:06 PM	#8
bigguy Professional Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 298 Rep Power: 0	Thanks grumpy for that info I will look into it. Thanks melbolt, I will add that to my To-Do list. __________________ Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it. - Mark Twain Destruction leads to a very rough road, but it also breeds creation.

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Jul 8th, 2006, 3:31 AM	#6
grumpy Programming Guru Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 1,254 Rep Power: 5	You've got the code that gets drives. To recurse a directory tree, look in the win32 API help files (which come with VB, IIRC) for functions FindFirstFile, FindNextFile, and FindClose

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Programming Forums > Application Development > Visual Basic .NET

Help making a Drive Scanner