Anti-virus programs are preventing long-standing AJAX connections

Hey there, I have come across something quite strange while developing a web application that relies on long-held HTTP connections using COMET to stream data between the server and the application.

The issue I've encountered is that some anti-virus programs are not playing nice with this setup. During our beta phase, users have reported problems when their anti-virus software is enabled. It's not just one particular anti-virus causing issues either. After doing some research, I stumbled upon a workaround for Avast which you can find here:

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to address this compatibility issue? Are there specific headers that can be sent to appease these security programs?

javascriptajaxhttpcometantivirus

Answer №1

Dealing with this issue can be quite challenging. The anti-virus feature in question is designed to prevent harmful code from sending your personal information to a remote server through the browser. It functions by buffering all outgoing traffic, scanning it for specific patterns before allowing it to reach the network.

This method works effectively when an application sends a complete HTTP request over the socket because the anti-virus can detect the end of the request and proceed to send the data without continuous scanning.

In scenarios like yours, where there may only be a header without a length field, the anti-virus will not transmit any data until enough information is provided to fill its buffer.

If disabling this particular feature seems like the best course of action, I've encountered similar issues with AVast and McAfee. It's likely that other anti-virus software providers have implemented similar measures. Personally, I faced this problem with McAfee's Personal Information Protection feature, which appeared to be too flawed for practical use.

To address this, try consistently sending data over the socket or include a length field in your HTTP messages. I've tried notifying some anti-virus companies about this issue, and while one resolved it, another did not take any action as far as I know.

Ultimately, such protective features may prove inadequate since a malicious application could easily bypass them by encoding the data using methods like ROT13 before transmission.

Answer №2

Consider opting for HTTPS over HTTP for added security. While some scanners can still intercept HTTPS, they are not as prevalent and usually deactivated by default. Enabling this feature may disrupt SSL connectivity in Firefox, leading to limited user adoption and potentially prompting the vendor to remove it altogether.

Answer №3

One issue arises when certain files cannot be scanned in sequential order - requiring later parts to determine the maliciousness of earlier sections.

Scanners often struggle with data streams, as the continuous flow of information may not be recognized as a clean file format. This causes delays in scanning and processing your stream.

To address this issue, it is recommended to transfer data in smaller increments and utilize the COMET connection solely for notifications (closing each channel after a single notification).

Answer №4

If you opt for a non-traditional port when making web requests, you may find ways to tackle the issue. However, it's important to note that many browsers view this as cross-domain activity, posing additional challenges. I'm unable to provide a definitive solution at this time; ultimately, how the antivirus program handles traffic on a specific port will dictate the best course of action.

Answer №5

In my experience, it seems that breaking the connection and reconnecting is inevitable. What happens in your code when the connection drops during an outage? I faced a comparable issue with a firewall previously. The solution involved detecting the disconnection and then establishing a new connection. I find the suggestion to separate the data transfer quite effective.

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