Is MalwareByte Anti-Rootkit still a good tool?

MBAR is in beta status, and was last updated in 2017. My wife got some spam, and I want to do a rootkit scan, just in case. Norton security, Norton Power Eraser, and MalwareBytes anti-Malware all come up clean.

x509

x509 said:

MBAR is in beta status, and was last updated in 2017. My wife got some spam, and I want to do a rootkit scan, just in case. Norton security, Norton Power Eraser, and MalwareBytes anti-Malware all come up clean.

x509

What kind of spam and what was it about?

x509 said:

MBAR is in beta status, and was last updated in 2017. My wife got some spam, and I want to do a rootkit scan, just in case. Norton security, Norton Power Eraser, and MalwareBytes anti-Malware all come up clean.

Hi.

Assuming that you have a decent, updated AV...

Ordinary email SPAM by itself really does not cause a problem unless you click/run something that they ask you to.

Questions -

1) Was a Rootkit scan enabled for Norton and MBAM?
2) When was the last time that you performed a full image backup of your system?

A correctly verified backup is the most important thing you can do, especially if Norton and MBAM did not detect anything and the answer to Question 1 is Yes.

Don't do the MBAM AR Beta without a backup!



P.S. IMO, you will probably not need the MBAM AR if the above scans were done right and nothing was found. Just purge the unopened spam.

Compumind said:

Hi.

Assuming that you have a decent, updated AV...

Ordinary email SPAM by itself really does not cause a problem unless you click/run something that they ask you to.

Questions -

1) Was a Rootkit scan enabled for Norton and MBAM?
2) When was the last time that you performed a full image backup of your system?

A correctly verified backup is the most important thing you can do, especially if Norton and MBAM did not detect anything and the answer to Question 1 is Yes.

Don't do the MBAM AR Beta without a backup!



P.S. IMO, you will probably not need the MBAM AR if the above scans were done right and nothing was found. Just purge the unopened spam.

OK. Let me answer in order.

My wife DID NOT click on any links. She is too smart for that.

Rootkit scan was enabled (by default) for MBAM.

I have backup system that does incremental backups and can do a full system restore if needed.

I'm going to assume (whistling past the graveyard ?) that since she did not click on any links and the scans detected nothing, that all is OK. I also downloaded MalwareBytes AdwCleaner, and it found some "optional" PUP issues, but nothing alarming.

Thanks guys.

Rootkit scan was enabled (by default) for MBAM.

Rootkit scan is not by default in MB.

And was the spam similar to this?
Has a Hacker Really Hacked My Email Account? - Ask Leo!

Porthos said:

Rootkit scan is not by default in MB.

I stand corrected. I have rootkit scan enabled. (why not?)

x509 said:

I stand corrected. I have rootkit scan enabled. (why not?)

I don't work for them I only sell it. I think I read that on some systems it makes the scans extra long and in the old days it used to crash some systems I don't remember for sure. You would have to ask at MB forums.
Was the spam like the link I posted??

Porthos said:

I don't work for them I only sell it. I think I read that on some systems it makes the scans extra long and in the old days it used to crash some systems I don't remember for sure. You would have to ask at MB forums.
Was the spam like the link I posted??

I don't think my wife actually picked up any spam.