Summary
An application that does not perform as claimed.
Removal
Based on the settings of your F-Secure security product, it may allow the file to run, block it from running, move it to the quarantine where it cannot spread or cause harm, or ask you to select an action.
If you are aware of the risks involved in using the file and consent to its use, you may change the settings of your F-Secure security product to allow the file to run. You may also change the settings to exclude it from scanning.
A False Positive is when a file is incorrectly detected as harmful, usually because its code or behavior resembles known harmful programs. A False Positive will usually be fixed in a subsequent database update without any action needed on your part. If you wish, you may also:
Check for the latest database updates
First, check if your F-Secure security program is using the latest updates, then try scanning the file again.
Submit a sample
After checking, if you still believe the file is incorrectly detected, you can submit a sample of it for re-analysis.
Note: If the file was moved to quarantine, you need to collect the file from quarantine before you can submit it.
Exclude a file from further scanning
If you are certain that the file is safe and want to continue using it, you can exclude it from further scanning by the F-Secure security product.
Note: You need administrative rights to change the settings.
Technical Details
The Type designation 'Hoax' was previously used by F-Secure to identify an application that does not perform as claimed. This differs from the more common usage of the term 'hoax' to refer to fake, alarming or misleading e-mail messages, which we no longer catalog.
With changes in the threat landscape today, programs previously identified as 'Hoax' have since been reclassified under the Riskware Category, with the Type designation 'Application'.
These programs may be listed under the family name 'Application:W32/Hoax'; specific programs which perform significant actions or pose a notable risk may be further described in in individual Description pages.
The update in naming better clarifies the program's overall security profile in the current, more complex threat landscape.
More
Application files or toolbars that are used to propagate fraud are detected with the prefix Not-Virus:Hoax.
Detections beginning with the prefix not-virus:Hoax.HTML are of websites containing fraudulent information. The site is fraudulent rather than malicious. The antivirus engine is detecting the site's HTML rather than a drive-by-download.
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