Version history for Hitman Pro (64-bit)

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Changes for v3.5.6.115 - v3.5.9.124

Version 3.5.9
Added Cloud Assisted Miniport Hook Bypass feature. Read our blog for more information.
Added Mebroot/Sinowal detection and removal.
Added removal of new variant of Trojan Vundo.
Added Master Boot Record (MBR) protection when restoring infected MBR to counter rootkit watchdogs.
Added repair for BCD testsigning. Testsigning is a feature of 64-bit Windows that, when enabled, allows loading of non-signed drivers on 64-bit Windows. Testsigning is typically abused by 64-bit bootkits.
Added Registration on Setup dialog.
Improved corrupted/damaged file handling.
Improved removal of malware files that change their file security.
Hitman Pro won't check for a program update when the last check was less than 2 hours ago.
Fixed a crash that was caused by a bug introduced in build 121 (64-bit only).
Fixed a crash when Compatible Disk Mode was selected and the cloud uploader failed to get access to the file.
Fixed a displaying problem when a filename was too long causing visual overlap.
Fixed a problem during activation of a new key when the license files were read-only.
Close button is now disabled during malware removal process.
Product Activation is now performed on a separate thread.
Several minor user interface improvements.
Updated Brazilian-Portuguese language (thanks Bruno).
Updated internal embedded whitelist.

Changes for v3.5.6.109 - v3.5.6.115

Contains complete removal of 'Here You Have' worm.
Added process hardening to Hitman Pro's malware removal service (Crusader).
Improved detection and removal of malware related registry keys.
Improved detection and removal of malware starting through Autorun.inf.
Improved cloud communication so that it reverts to fixed IPs when DNS queries are compromised by malware.
Fixed a problem resetting the ACL on malware files.
Fixed 'Scan at startup' setting so that 'Scan method' is now remembered.
Added /lic=PRODUCTKEY command line switch which is useful in corporate environments.
Several minor improvements.
Fixed a Windows Vista related problem (build 114).

Changes for v3.5 build 97 - v3.5.6.109

Added universal detection of the LNK vulnerability.
Added automatic disabling of the Hitman Pro LNK Exploit Protection when Windows is not vulnerable for attacks abusing the LNK vulnerability. Ex. when Security Update KB2286198 (MS10-046) is installed.
Note: Since Microsoft no longer supports Windows 2000 and Windows XP RTM, SP1 and SP2, the Hitman Pro LNK Exploit Protection remains available for these operating systems.
Added WinHTTP prerequisite check.
A message is displayed on computers running Windows 2000 pre-SP3 and Windows XP RTM.
Fixed a problem on computers receiving the message:
"The procedure entry point EncodePointer could not be located in the dynamic link library kernel32.dll"
Added Czech language
Added Swedish language
Added option to protect the computer against Windows shortcut vulnerability. Read more about our solution against this high risk vulnerability here: Protection against LNK vulnerability
Added Chinese (Traditional) language.
Updated Polish language.
Added detection and removal of the Stuxnet malware.
Added MS-DOS COM file format support.
Added /nocookies command line switch.
Fixed a problem with the 64-bit updater.
Fixed support for Sophos SafeGuard.
Fixed French language.
Added Chinese (Simplified) language.
Added compatibility with TrueCrypt full disk encrytion (thanks BoerenkoolMetWorst).
Fixed a problem in the driver that caused a BSOD on some systems.
Fixed a problem with the right-click scan on non-NTFS drives (thanks Avinash).
Fixed a problem with the right-click scan under Compatible Disk Access.
Fixed a problem with the activation on Korean or Japanese systems (thanks Jun).
Updated internal white lists.
Updated several languages.
Fixed a problem related to the removal of specific versions of the TDL3 rootkit.
Latest TDL3 (aka Alureon) Rootkit detection and removal. Also works in Early Warning Scoring mode (ex. when the computer does not have an Internet connection to consult the Scan Cloud).
Added a sticky TDL3 Rootkit detection message. This message appears when the hard disk stack contains a reference to a hidden driver, typical TDL3 behavior.
Improved removal of Trojans and Rootkits that are protected by a Kernel thread.
Added removal of adware and adult related Tracking Cookies in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome. Removal of these Tracking Cookies is of course free, does NOT require a license.
Improved Internet connection detection. I.e., when the connection is ex. hijacked by a local proxy, Hitman Pro will now attempt to bypass it.
Authenticode certificates are now handled on a separate thread.
Improved handling of files that contain resources with specially crafted data to make Anti-Virus software crash.
Small improvement in the hash classifier when performing a right-click scan.
New Anti-Virus Ballot Screen which appears when the computer is not protected by an Anti-Virus program, or when the computer is using an AV program that is not compatible with the Windows Security Center. This screen does not appear when you purchased a Hitman Pro license.
Return of the AV Scan Cloud vendor icons on the Welcome page.
Improved the Intelligent removal of malware related remnants.
Updated the French language strings.
Updated graphics. More color and detail.
Updated internal Whitelists.
Several other minor improvements.

Changes for v3.5 build 92 - v3.5 build 97

Added Quick scan which only scans load point locations and in memory objects.
You typically use the Quick scan when you just want to check whether malware is active on the computer.
You can choose Quick scan from the split button on the Welcome dialog or specify the /quick command line switch.
Improved the overall scan performance on systems protected by an active on-access AV scanner.
Fixed a memory leak reducing memory consumption by 20-40MB compared to previous versions.
Replaced WinInet by WinHTTP network stack for internet communication. This allows more proxy options and also allows Hitman Pro to run under different accounts like SYSTEM. This is particularly useful in corporate situations.
Improved the Scan-at-startup by postponing the scan until the computer has started up (hard disk activity is near idle).
Postponing the startup scan improves the overall computer startup speed. Hitman Pro monitors the "Avg. Disks Queue Length" Performance Counter to determine whether the computer finished starting applications. Hitman Pro postpones the startup scan up to a maximum of 5 minutes. After that, the scan is started, despite hard disk activity.
Changed the Scan-at-startup from default normal scan to Quick Scan.
Fixed a problem with the Winsock repair functionality on 64-bit platforms. Thanks Rein.
Added Advanced tab under Settings allowing proxy configurations:
Use Internet Explorer settings (default)
Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD)
Proxy Automatic Configuration URL (PAC)
Manual proxy configuration
Proxy authentication
Added Compatible Disk Access mode.
This mode uses the Windows API for accessing the disk. This makes Hitman Pro compatible with hard disk snapshoting tools like Rollback RX and AyRecovery. Note that this mode reduces the chance of finding complex rootkits. You can change the Disk Access mode on the Advanced tab under Settings.
Added License tab under Settings.
Added Apply to all to the drop down action menu of a detected item.
Added hyperlink to the finish page allowing the scan log to be exported as XML.
Added /ews command line switch.
Added /noupload command line switch.
Added /quick command line switch.
Added /debug and /debug:full command line switch. Use this switch to generate a mini dump if the program crashes.
Updated internal white lists.
Lots of minor internal changes.
Added Arabic language
Added Polish language
Built using Visual Studio 2010.

Changes for v3.5 build 89 - v3.5 build 92

Fixed removal of malware related jobs configured in the Windows Task Scheduler.
Updated Italian, French and Portuguese-Brazilian language strings.
Detects and removes TDL3 rootkit version 3.27 (actively spreading since Feb. 23).
TDL3.27 rootkit authors solved a bug that allowed disk access through SPTI. TDL3.27 (or newer) now monitors SPTI and serves the uninfected bytes when trying to read the hard disk driver from disk. Hitman Pro now uses different methods to detect this highly advanced rootkit.
The rootkit's authors are actively watching the security industry, monitoring which tools can detect and remove their creation. Each update shakes off a few tools making this rootkit one of the most resilient malware to date.
Improved removal on files with specific permissions.
Added XML logging.
Watch our Blog as a post on Logging will appear shortly.
Added command line switches:
/log=C:\Folder\ (make sure the path ends with a backslash)
/log=C:\File.xml
/noinstall
Added registry value LogPath which behaves the same as the /log= command line switch.
Added Hungarian strings.
Updated Russian, Estonian, and Greek strings.
Detects and removes TDL3 rootkit version 3.273
Added detection and repair for rogues changing .exe file assignment
Updated language strings

Changes for v3.5 build 88 - v3.5 build 89

Fixed removal of malware related jobs configured in the Windows Task Scheduler.
Updated Italian, French and Portuguese-Brazilian language strings.

Changes for v3.5 build 87 - v3.5 build 88

Added Force Breach. When holding the left Ctrl-key while starting Hitman Pro (hold until its window appears) will terminate all non-essential processes that run in the user's context. This is particularly useful when a fake/rogue anti-malware application is killing every process you want to start. See movie.
Added resolution changer. In Safe Mode scenario's where the computer boots in 640x480 the resolution is automatically increased by Hitman Pro to 800x600.
Added browser history crawler to correlate possible malware to visited (black listed) sites. The crawler currently supports Firefox and Internet Explorer.
Added ability to restore Desktop Wallpaper when repairing the Desktop Wallpaper policy.
Improved Early Warning Scoring.
Improved detection of remnants.
Several minor bug fixes.

Changes for v3.5 build 86 - v3.5 build 87

Updated removal technology to handle TDL rootkit version 3.24 (updated variant of the Google Redirect Virus)
Added initial support for keyboard commands
Some minor fixes
Updated internal whitelists

Changes for v3.5 build 85 - v3.5 build 86

Ability to fix the Google Redirect Virus (TDL)
Some minor fixes.

Changes for v3.5 build 84 - v3.5 build 85

Added removal of TDL3 rootkit version 3.2 (aka TDL3+).
This rootkit infects the hard disk driver (usually atapi.sys or iaStor.sys) and redirects Google search results.
Improved detection and removal of fake/rogue anti-malwares (scareware).
Fixed a occasional crash while scanning on Windows 7.
Fixed a crash related to DEP/NX.
Fixed a rare crash when user closes the window.
Added a reminder panel when the removal license has expired.
Remembers Do Not Repair actions.
Added Destop Wallpaper policy repair.
Added Portuguese-Brazilian language.
Updated several language strings.
Several minor bug fixes.

Changes for v3.5 build 82 - v3.5 build 84

Added caching to the Gossip classifier.
Fixed a problem relating the Winlogon Shell registry value to a threat. The Shell value is reset upon removal of the threat.
Fixed the empty result view which is related to the 'Report this file as Safe' functionality.

Changes for v3.5 build 81 - v3.5 build 82

Fixed a problem reading data from encrypted hard drives.
Early Warning Scoring (EWS) is no longer on the Settings screen. Also, it is no longer remembered as a default scan. It now needs to be selected manually from the new split button "Next" on the Welcome screen. Note that EWS is not meant to run on a daily basis. It is intended for experts only as it potentially lists non-malware files. EWS can also be used when the Internet connection is disabled or unavailable.

Changes for v3.5 build 80 - v3.5 build 81

Added Quarantine and History functionality under Settings.
Changed the default action to Quarantine on malware items that are recognized by just one AV partner.
Malware items are excluded from the scan result list when the item was reported by the user as safe and the item was recognized as malware by just one AV partner. The reported as safe item will reappear when the item is classified as malware by two or more AV partners.
Fixed a problem handling ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad items.
Vista laptop computers running Intel(R) Turbo Memory Driver iaNvStor.sys cannot use the new disk access mode to detect and remove TDL3 rootkit. This is due to iaNvStor.sys incorrect implementation of specific I/O control codes. Users who suspect a TDL3 infection should disable this specific Intel driver (the iaNvStor.sys is non-essential) and run Hitman Pro again.
Hitman Pro build 79 and 80 stopped working when this driver was present.
Removed the Windows 7 Task Bar integration as it causes random program stops. The issue is still under investigation.
Updated internal whitelists.

Changes for v3.5 build 79 - v3.5 build 80

Fixed a problem removing TDL3 rootkit infection from systems with specific third party drivers.
As of build 79, Hitman Pro is digitally signed with a new Microsoft Authenticode certificate.

Changes for v3.5 build 78 - v3.5 build 79

Detects AND removes the TDL3 rootkit.
Hitman Pro 3.5 is one of the first applications that can remove the TDL3 rootkit.
Detailed information about TDL3 can be read here.
Improved alternate disk access mode.
Improved removal engine.
Improved behavioral scan engine.
Fixed a problem with 'Scan with Hitman Pro' checkbox under Settings.
Updated internal whitelists.
Added Turkisch language.

Changes for v3.5 build 76 - v3.5 build 78

Version 3.5.3
Added the Compatible with Windows 7 logo. Hitman Pro 3.5 successfully completed Microsoft's testing regime to prove it can be readily installed and run reliably on Windows 7.
Fixed a problem in handling the $MFT bitmaps.
Added alternate disk access mode when the default mode (kernel driver) is blocked by a rootkit (some variants of TDSS/Alureon).
Added detection and removal of malicious autorun files on removable drives.
Improved scan speed on files that have an authenticode certificate.
Improved detection and removal of fake/rogue anti-malwares (scareware).
Improved removal of fake/rogue anti-malware collaterals.
Used a different counter to determine the total scan time (more accurate).
Added a timer on the scan window that indicates the scan time.
Small improvements in screen updates.
Fixed several translation typos.
Added Catalan language.

Changes for v3.5 build 75 - v3.5 build 76

Version 3.5.2
Added Winsock repair functionality.
When Hitman Pro deleted a malicious Winsock LSP protocol driver it now repairs the LSP chain.
With previous versions, this problem resulted in having Internet connection problems.
Fixed a problem where specifc directories where not scanned due to non-resident $I30 NTFS-indexes (index fragmentation).
Improved detection of malicious Mozilla Firefox extensions and plugins.
Improved detection of malware that starts through a scheduled task (Windows Task Scheduler).
Fixed a problem with the network enumerator (port scan).
Added Windows 7 taskbar integration. The progress bar is now also displayed in the Taskbar button.
This feature works for Windows 7 build 7600 (RTM) or newer only.

Changes for v3.5 build 73 - v3.5 build 75

Added the "Show 'Scan with Hitman Pro' on files and folders in Windows Explorer" option under Settings.
This feature is also known as the much requested 'right-click scan'.
Note: Scanning a folder does not scan recursively due to volume reasons.
Updated the internal whitelist.

Changes for v3.5 build 72 - v3.5 build 73

Added Macedonian language texts to the user interface.

Changes for v3.5 build 70 - v3.5 build 72

Fixed a problem reading a specific fragmented $MFT table which caused a scan to complete under 10 seconds.
Fixed the inability to disable daily scanning on certain computers in Settings. Thanks to firzen771.
Fixed determining the initial state of the 'Create restore point' checkbox in Settings.
Fixed handling high DPI font sizes.
Added Greek language texts to the user interface. Thanks to Ippokratis.

Changes for v3.5 build 69 - v3.5 build 70

Improved detection of zero-day malware.
Improved detection of auto starting malware.
Fixed a problem in handling authenticode certificates when malware infected a code signed PE-file.
64-bit: Updated the internal whitelist.

Changes for v3.5 build 68 - v3.5 build 69

Fixed a problem when scanning during boot.

Changes for v3.5 build 67 - v3.5 build 68

Changed Crusader removal tactics to handle specific new rootkits.
Updated the internal whitelist.

Changes for v3.5 build 66 - v3.5 build 67

Added option to report a file as safe. This will also set the default action on that file to "Do not delete" (locally).
Improved dynamic detection and removal of fake/rogue anti-malware traces.
Fixed a potential issue which could cause the removal engine not to timeout when removing a particular malicious driver.
Updated the internal whitelist.

Changes for v3.5.1.65 - v3.5 build 66

Fixed a problem in handling cloud responses resulting in files not being uploaded.
Improved detection and removal of fake/rogue anti-malwares (scareware).
Fixed a typo in the Estonian language file.
Added Spanish language to the user interface.

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