[Mimedefang] Runtime Virus Scanner Detection

[David F. Skoll]

On Tue, 17 Jun 2003, Richard Laager wrote:

> I'm just curious, is there a reason that the list of available virus
> scanners is detected at compile-time instead of at run-time?

Not a very good reason.  I feel happier doing it at compile time
so that if (for example) someone sticks a totally-unrelated executable
named "sweep" in the path, it doesn't get picked up as a virus scanner.

If you *know* where your scanner lives, you can force a run-time detection
by doing something like this:

	$Features{'Virus:NAI'} = "/full/path/to/uvscan";

(using NAI's "uvscan" as an example.)

I much prefer this "manual run-time" configuration to a totally
automated approach.

> Furthermore, why aren't message_contains_virus() and
> entity_contains_virus() part of the MIMEDefang code?

They should be.  In fact, they used to be, but I took them
out in favour of specific routines for specific virus scanners.

> Ideally they would
> scan using all available virus scanners, not just the first.

You're right.

> Is there any interest in a patch or two to change either/both of these
> behaviors?

Sure! :-)

--
David.