Kaspersky uninstalled itself and now I have "UltraAV". Is it any good?

By Mockingbird
in Smart Home, Network & Security

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Grand Master

Mockingbird

Posted
Posted

Like many other users with Kaspersky, I suddenly found "UltraAV" on my computer.

According to various articles, UltraAV is an antivirus software from Pango Group, so it appears legitimate.

That said, I can't seem to find any review of UltraAV.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/use-kaspersky-antivirus-software-youll-be-migrated-to-pangos-ultraav

https://www.securityweek.com/one-million-us-kaspersky-customers-transferred-to-pangos-ultraav/

https://hackerdose.com/security/kaspersky-forces-ultraav-after-us-ban/

https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/kaspersky-us-customers-migrate-to-pangos-ultraav-after-ban-a-26215

Mentor

Joe User

Posted
Posted

It takes years for AV products to build up trust and much less time to destroy that trust.

If you're not sure about them, look at some well respected AV companies like ESET or Malware Bytes.

 

 

The most important thing is to make your own final choice and not blindly trust anyone.

 

 

 

 

Grand Master

adrynalyne

Posted
Posted

Get rid of it imo. 
 

https://forum.kaspersky.com/topic/kav-ultraav-software-no-notification-automatically-installs-and-cant-remove-it-50628/

  • Carlisle R., devHead and Xahid
  • Like 3
Grand Master

Good Bot, Bad Bot

Posted
Posted
On 21/09/2024 at 18:25, Mockingbird said:

It auto install itself.

You had to ask if this was legitimate program? Really?

Worse, according to Adrynalyne's link is not being removed doing a normal uninstall. I would do a clean Windows install and skip the Russian AV.

Grand Master

goretsky Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted (edited)

Hello,

Neowin has written about Kaspersky Lab's exit of the US market here and here, and you can read the statements from both the US Government and Kaspersky Lab as well.

It is my understanding that Kaspersky Lab sold their US customers to either Pango, LLC, which I think is a holding company registered in Chantilly, VA or Intersections, LLC, which does business under the name "Pango Group" that is a private equity firm and is registered in Boston, MA.  I think Intersections, LLC owns Pango, LLC (as well as Pango GmbH in Switzerland), although it is not super clear from looking at the pango.co website, and there's no entries for any of these companies on Wikipedia, which is just weird.  Anyways, Pango offers VPN services, as well as partners with third-party advertising networks to track users.   Some of Pango's brands include BetterNet, Hotspot Shield, IdentityDefense, Intrusta, PassWatch (a password manager, I think?), PrivacyMate, RoboShield, UltraVPN, VPN360, and VPN In Touch.  Some of the advertising services they use for tracking their customers include Adcolony (Digital Turbine), InMobi, Ironsource, Kovhia, and Unity.  UltraAV appears to be Pango's entry into the antivirus space.

I found an article on PCMag.Com discussing Kaspersky Lab's sale of its US customers to Pango here, which mentions they will automatically be migrated to Pango's UltraAV.

I have not seen a lot of information about UltraAV, but a post on Reddit shows that the UltraAV software installer is digitally signed by Max Secure Software India Pvt. Ltd., headquartered in Pune, India, so that must be whom Pango licensed it from.  Maybe at some point Pango will set up a company for UltraAV and have it digtially sign the files.  I looked around the websites for AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, and Virus Bulletin's and did not see any tests mentioning them, although it is possible I could have missed them.  I did not see them listed as a member of AMTSO, either.  They do not seem to be a member of Microsoft's Microsoft Active Protection Porgram program, either.

The website for the company is www.maxpcsecure.com, but I couldn't go any further than that, as my antivirus software blocked it as containing potentially unwanted content.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky
 

Mentor

Joe User

Posted
Posted
On 21/09/2024 at 17:25, Mockingbird said:

It auto install itself.

Yikes! Without notice? If it were me, I would uninstall it.

/Well, if it were me I would do a lot of somewhat unnecessary, over the top, overly complicated things first. No need to go that route.

Grand Master

Mockingbird

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I found more information about this.

UltraAV identifies itself as "AURA" and said that its website is https://www.aura.com/

Reviews are somewhat mediocre.

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/aura

https://allaboutcookies.org/aura-antivirus-review

 

Grand Master

adrynalyne

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 22/09/2024 at 18:54, Mockingbird said:

I found more information about this.

UltraAV identifies itself as "AURA" and said that its website is https://www.aura.com/

Reviews are somewhat mediocre.

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/aura

https://allaboutcookies.org/aura-antivirus-review

 

Strange conclusion.

https://ultrasecureav.com/

  • goretsky, satukoro and Yonah
  • Like 3
Grand Master

adrynalyne

Posted
Posted
On 22/09/2024 at 19:12, Mockingbird said:

Aura bought Pango a while back.

Aura itself sells a security suite.

I am guessing that UltraAV is just the standalone antivirus.

Pango has been split from Aura. 
 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aura-splits-into-two-world-class-online-safety-companies-302236655.html

Grand Master

Mockingbird

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

  

On 21/09/2024 at 21:58, goretsky said:

Hello,

Neowin has written about Kaspersky Lab's exit of the US market here and here, and you can read the statements from both the US Government and Kaspersky Lab as well.

It is my understanding that Kaspersky Lab sold their US customers to either Pango, LLC, which I think is a holding company registered in Chantilly, VA or Intersections, LLC, which does business under the name "Pango Group" that is a private equity firm and is registered in Boston, MA.  I think Intersections, LLC owns Pango, LLC (as well as Pango GmbH in Switzerland), although it is not super clear from looking at the pango.co website, and there's no entries for any of these companies on Wikipedia, which is just weird.  Anyways, Pango offers VPN services, as well as partners with third-party advertising networks to track users.   Some of Pango's brands include BetterNet, Hotspot Shield, IdentityDefense, Intrusta, PassWatch (a password manager, I think?), PrivacyMate, RoboShield, UltraVPN, VPN360, and VPN In Touch.  Some of the advertising services they use for tracking their customers include Adcolony (Digital Turbine), InMobi, Ironsource, Kovhia, and Unity.  UltraAV appears to be Pango's entry into the antivirus space.

I found an article on PCMag.Com discussing Kaspersky Lab's sale of its US customers to Pango here, which mentions they will automatically be migrated to Pango's UltraAV.

I have not seen a lot of information about UltraAV, but a post on Reddit shows that the UltraAV software installer is digitally signed by Max Secure Software India Pvt. Ltd., headquartered in Pune, India, so that must be whom Pango licensed it from.  Maybe at some point Pango will set up a company for UltraAV and have it digtially sign the files.  I looked around the websites for AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, and Virus Bulletin's and did not see any tests mentioning them, although it is possible I could have missed them.  I did not see them listed as a member of AMTSO, either.  They do not seem to be a member of Microsoft's Microsoft Active Protection Porgram program, either.

The website for the company is www.maxpcsecure.com, but I couldn't go any further than that, as my antivirus software blocked it as containing potentially unwanted content.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky
 

Apparently, my entire Kaspersky account including Kaspersky subscription has been migrated over.

Grand Master

Xahid

Posted
Posted
On 22/09/2024 at 03:25, Mockingbird said:

It auto install itself.

wow, that's suspicious as hell.

Get rid if it ASAP using Geek/HiBit Uninstaller/ or any 3rd party uninstaller.

And keep eye on your connection (using Simplewall or similar firewall monitoring tool), observe which app trying to connect with UltraAV server. and block it in firewall.

Grand Master

goretsky Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted
On 23/09/2024 at 01:01, Danielx64 said:

So is this world wide thing?

Hello,

As far as I know it just in the United States, where Kaspersky Lab can no longer do business.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky
 

  • satukoro and Yonah
  • Like 2
Apprentice

Carlisle R.

Posted
Posted
On 23/09/2024 at 11:05, Xahid said:

So, after a little investigation, it appears that, UltraAV is Kaspersky in disguise

I don't think so, nothing in that FAQ leads me to believe they are the same at least, but we don't know anything about what "strategic partnership" entails.

However, I don't know how they'll work if the answer to that last question is really "No":

image.png.76f3650f5b110200a564c92e203bc479.png

For me at least, time to move to something else, no transparency and shenanigans from a security vendor, I'd rather get something known that has undergone some 3rd party testing at least.

Grand Master

Good Bot, Bad Bot

Posted
Posted
On 22/09/2024 at 22:25, Mockingbird said:

  

Apparently, my entire Kaspersky account including Kaspersky subscription has been migrated over.

To be clear... You never seen any emails prior about this? No prompt on your computer asking you do this? You said tried to uninstall this software and it came back?

This is all shady as hell. I would still suggest clean Windows install, ask for a refund, and find another AV solution.

Grand Master

Mockingbird

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
On 23/09/2024 at 05:49, Good Bot, Bad Bot said:

To be clear... You never seen any emails prior about this?

I got an email like this one about the same time UltraAV shown up.

kaspersky-beginning-transition-of-u-s-us

On 23/09/2024 at 05:49, Good Bot, Bad Bot said:

No prompt on your computer asking you do this?

No prompt. Kaspersky simply disappeared and UltraAV shows up.

On 23/09/2024 at 05:49, Good Bot, Bad Bot said:

You said tried to uninstall this software and it came back?

I didn't say that.

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