# Win32:Agent-ABNZ possible false alarm?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win32-agent-abnz-possible-false-alarm/463957>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 17, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win32-agent-abnz-possible-false-alarm/463957 "2008-09-17T05:23:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win32-agent-abnz-possible-false-alarm/463957/1 "2008-09-17T05:23:11Z")

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Running avast on windows vista.

I clicked on a game earlier tonight, 5-card slingo, to be precise. Avast on access came up and told me a virus was detected. Win32:Agent-ABNZ, when it put it in the chest, it was the .exe file that opens 5-card slingo. This is a file I put onto disk backup in 04 and have reloaded it onto my computer whenever we get a new one.

I feel that it is probably just a false alarm, could it be, someone over the internet somehow put a trojan into an existing .exe file? Help me please!

Thank you.

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**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win32-agent-abnz-possible-false-alarm/463957/2 "2008-09-17T14:39:41Z")

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I have googled for Win32:Agent-ABNZ and get no direct hits on it. At least nothing I can understand.  
I suppose my question is a little confusing, I will try again.

1. Is it possible for a trojan or other virus to take over an existing file, In this case, the .exe file for the game.

2. If not, how do I report this to avast to get the problem fixed?

3. This particular game was purchased from real arcade in 2004, and burned to a disk for backup, It isn’t a pirate version.

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**Author:** ![Collaborator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Collaborator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Collaborator)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win32-agent-abnz-possible-false-alarm/463957/3 "2008-09-17T19:05:09Z")

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1. No, it is not possible for it to “add” itself to the exe and have the game still work normally. It could however, take the place of the exe with the same name.

2. I would check their website or otherwise see if there is some way of ignoring it or excluding it from scans in the future.

3. Mistakes do happen, though unlikely. I’d say it’s probably just your av software being retarded. Real’s business practices in the past have been fairly flaky, but I don’t think i’ve ever heard of anything along virus lines.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win32-agent-abnz-possible-false-alarm/463957/4 "2008-09-17T20:21:21Z")

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Back in the 80s, the most common form of virus would infect .exe files, adding a few bytes of virus code. The executables would often function normally with the added feature of spreading the virus. So it is possible.

However, it’s more likely to be a false alarm. If you’re using old software, it’s possible that new virus definitions identify parts of the software as virus code without realizing that the software is legit. If it’s not commonly used, it’s easy to miss similar code.