Users who want a little bit of comfort can install one of the available browser extensions instead to submit sites and files directly from an Internet browser to Virus Total. We already reviewed the Virus Total Firefox and Virus Total Chrome extensions previously. This time, we take a look at the Internet Explorer version of Virus Total.

The Internet Explorer version of Virus Total is limited in comparison to the Chrome or Firefox version. Unlike those versions that integrate not only into the browser’s right-click context menu but also into the file download dialog, the Internet Explorer version only integrates into the context menu.

When you install the Internet Explorer add-on, you will notice afterwards that a Send URL to VirusTotal entry has been added to the context menu of Internet Explorer. This option is only displayed on right-clicks on links, and not if the user right-clicks on other page elements. This basically means that you cannot really check the site you are on currently, unless it links to itself somewhere on the page.

Another issue that users may come across is that the context menu entry will always submit the url to the Virus Total url analyzer, even if a file is the link target. It is possible to switch to the antivirus report in that report, but it takes another click to load it.

The add-on definitely has its flaws, from the context menu limitations to the fact that it is always the page that gets scanned even if the link is pointing directly to a file. The Explorer add-on is however still handy and faster than having to submit file links or urls directly on the Virus Total website.

Virus Total Explorer is compatible with all recent versions of Microsoft’s Internet browser. downloads are provided at the Virus Total website. There is unfortunately no option to directly link to the page where the download is offered. Open the Browser Addons page and switch to Internet Explorer in the menu below to find information and downloads. (via)

The popularity of the service on the other hand means that you sometimes have to wait in queue before your file gets scanned by Virus Total. Another limitation is the 20 Megabyte file size limit which is a bit on the low side of things.

Metascan Online is a new service that is an alternative to Virus Total. The online virus scanning service supports 19 different engines from companies such as Eset, Bitdefender, F-Secure, Clamwin, Symantec or McAfee. While that’s less than half the engines of Virus Total, it should still be enough to judge a file’s damaging potential.

The developers have increased the file size limit to 40 Megabytes so that even die hard Virus Total users can utilize the new search engine (for files larger than 20 Megabytes).

The antivirus scans work similar to the Virus Total scan. Just click the Browse button on the scan form to display a file browser window. Pick a file on the local system that you want scanned and click the Scan button afterwards.

The online scanner displays general file information at the top which include file size, type and md5 and sha1 hashes. Results are shown as graphics on the right after all scans have finished.

The individual engines and their results on the other hand are shown directly on the page. One interesting feature here is that the scan time of each individual engine is displayed here as well. Some scan times on the other hand do not feel right at this point in time, the 1ms of Quick Heal Scan Engine for instance or the 2189ms of Avira AntiVir Premium. Still, it is a nice feature in theory.

A search on the site can be used to look up md5 or sha1 checksums, which can be handy to find out more about a file without having it scanned first by the service.

There is however one aspect of the site that I’d like to criticize. If you visit the site with Chrome Dev or Firefox Aurora, you get a browser not supported page. That page does however list the browser version as supported.

The developers should take a look at their browser identification script and optimize it accordingly.

Metascan Online is a great alternative to Virus Total or No Virus Thanks despite that issue. It is definitely a site to bookmark. It would be nice if the developers would add missing features, like the ability to scan an online file, to the site.

The developers have created several programs and browser plugins to streamline their service even further. We have already reviewed the Virus Total Uploader, an application for Windows to send files from the desktop to Virus Total, or the Firefox add-on Vtzilla which adds capabilities to send file links to VirusTotal right from the Firefox web browser.

The popularity of the Google Chrome browser was probably the main reason why the developers have decided to create a comparable extension for the Google browser as well. The Chrome version is basically a port of the Firefox add-on. It adds an option to “scan with VirusTotal” to the right-click menu when the mouse cursor hovers over links.

The VirusTotal page opens in a new tab after the option has been selected from the context menu. The links are scanned with six different engines, and the results are presented on the new tab.

There is also an option to click on the VirusTotal icon in the Chrome address toolbar to check a hash file of a file, and to send the website url to the VirusTotal website for checking it for malicious contents.

VTChromizer is available for download at the Google Chrome Extensions gallery. (via)

The developers of one of the most popular online virus scanning services, Virus Total, have released a Firefox add-on today that can be used for exactly that purpose, and more.

The VTzilla Firefox plugin adds options to Firefox to scan files at the Virus Total service without downloading them to the local system first. It can furthermore scan websites and urls with popular website scanners, and search the Virus Total database for file hashes and other data.

Non-Firefox users can rejoice as well, as it is now possible to submit websites and hosted files at the Virus Total website as well, to perform the same checks that the Firefox add-on offers.

virustotal

Back to the Firefox add-on. The add-on basically automates part of the process of scanning files hosted on websites for malicious code. The extension installs a toolbar, and options in the right-click menu.

The toolbar offers two interesting options. For one, the ability to search the Virus Total database. This is done by entering a keyword into the form and clicking on the Search VirusTotal button.

Users can search for file hashs (supported are md5, sha1 and sha256), urls, user accounts and user comments. There is unfortunately no option to search directly for file names.

The second button scans the website’s url with various services to determine a threat level. The services currently used are the safe browsing filters of Firefox, Google and Opera, and the security services Phishtank, Smartscreen and TRUSTe.

url analysis tool

The right-click context menu can be used to send urls or files directly to the Virus Total service to scan them there for viruses and other malicious contents. Most Firefox users will probably disable the Virus Total toolbar in the browser, considering that only the search option offers unique features in comparison to the context menu option.

The Firefox add-on furthermore adds an option to scan file downloads with Virus Total. This option is displayed directly in the file download window, and can be selected before the download starts.

scan with virus total

The Firefox add-on has many advantages over manually using the Virus Total website. The options to initiate virus scans of a file download before starting the download, and a website before accessing it make the Firefox add-on a recommended addition for security conscious users and heavy downloaders.

VTzilla is available for download at the Virus Total website.

No Virus Thanks is a similar service that supports 20 different antivirus engines (Virus Total supports 42). The most important engines on the other hand are supported like those from Kaspersky, F-Prot, Trend Micro, Dr. Web, Panda or AVG. The limitations are also similar. Files up to a size of 20 Megabytes can be uploaded directly on the No Virus Thanks website.

The No Virus Thanks Uploader can be installed to send files directly from the Windows operating system to the online service. The tool limits the size of the files that can be uploaded to 5 Megabytes. It is not really clear why the developers have made the decision to reduce the allowed file size. Files larger than 5 Megabytes need to be uploaded manually on the website.

The uploader displays a file browser, the running processes, Registry startups and options to search old files, display the list of drivers and loaded dlls; all of which can be uploaded to No Virus Thanks for the antivirus check. (The drivers list and loaded dlls tab did not display results on our Windows 7 64-bit bit operating system).

The No Virus Thanks Uploader contains a downloader as well that can be used to scan remote files with the antivirus scanner.

No Virus Thanks is a viable alternative to Virus Total that comes in handy if the Virus Total service is busy or unreachable.

The Virus Total service can be used on the website directly by uploading one file to the service or by use of the Virus Total software which recently has been updated to version 2.

It was previously only possible to send one file from within Windows Explorer to the service using the software. This has changed as Virus Total Uploader 2.0 comes with its own interface.

The main improvements of Virus Total Uploader 2.0 are the ability to send up to five files to Virus Total, a file size limit increase from 10 Megabytes to 20 Megabytes, a process view that can be used to send running processes to Virus Total and the option to download and upload files from a url to the online service.

Files that should be send to the online service can be dragged and dropped into the interface, picked from the process listing or selected using the build in file browser. The software will automatically generate file hashes for the selected files and compare them to the Virus Total database. Results are displayed immediately of matching hashes are found with the option to upload the file anyway for a second check.

The old option to send files from within Windows Explorer is still available in the Send To menu. Users who prefer this option can use it exclusively and ignore the program interface.

Virus Total Uploader 2.0 adds several interesting new features to the virus checking service. Especially the increased file size limit and the ability to test running processes easily make it a recommended addition to every Windows operating system.

The new version can be downloaded from the official Virus Total website. (via Raymond)

The file upload limit of No Virus Thanks is 20 Megabytes which means that it is not possible to upload files larger than that. The site has a rather low queue of 30 items and displays the current queue number in the upload form. It usually does not take long to process an upload though. The status is shown after uploading the file to the online virus scanner.

The report contains a detailed analysis of the uploaded file including results of each antivirus engine that has been used to scan the file. One interesting option of the online virus scanner is the option to paste a MD5 hash into a form on the website. This can reduce the time before a result will be displayed if the file has already been uploaded and analyzed by another user of the service.

You can also check the article about online virus scanners that lists several websites that will scan the computer with one antivirus engine usually provided by the software developer of antivirus software.

The guys from Virus Total have created a file uploader that makes the whole process comfortable. The 80 Kilobyte application installs itself in the right-click context menu as a Send To entry which in effect means that you can right-click a file on your computer and select Send To > Virus Total to send it to their website to scan the file.

A browser window will open displaying the scan results in the end. This is way more comfortable than to open the Virus Total website and browse for the file on your hard drive once you are there.

The file size limitation of ten Megabytes is still in place however. Another option that you might want to explore is to send them files by email [scan@virustotal.com]. A report is send to the email address that you have used to send the file.