2002.03.10:

Daryl Manning has taken over work on this script and has released a new version. Thanks to his effort it should continue to work -- and there is the promise of new features (beginning with the ability to CC and BCC additional recipients when an updated DAT is detected).

All updated versions and new information is available at his website here, and all questions and comments should be directed his way as well.

2001.10.09:

I am no longer using this script and as such development has ceased. I can no longer support updating the script as necessary. I am quite willing to link to any modified versions of the script, so feel welcome to get in touch with me if this interests you.

A simple PERL script that can be run through cron or manually to detect, download, and notify by email when new DATs are present for McAfee antivirus software.

Emails sent contain the location where the DAT file can be retrieved (both locally and remotely), as well as a list of the changes from the previous to the newest DAT. If any viruses on the Top Threats list or the Virus Alerts pages have been addressed by the new DAT, this information will also be noted in the email (example mailing).

The script does its job through the use of a simple regex on various web pages from McAfee's site. As such, changes to their site layout may result in unforeseen results. To help combat this, if any unusual layout is detected, an email will be sent to the designated admin noting the problem.

• Most recent version is available from the current maintainers page at http://www.wakatara.com/virdat/index.html.

• virusNotification-1.12.tar.gz
• virusNotification-1.11.0.2.tar.gz
• virusNotification-1.11.0.1.tar.gz
• virusNotification-1.11.tar.gz
• virusNotification-1.10.tar.gz
• virusNotification-1.9.tar.gz
  
• virusNotification-1.8.tar.gz
  

Requires PERL and either wget or LWP::Simple.

Can use package Mailer::Mail.

• Checks that directories defined for DAT and state file storage are terminated with a '/'.

• McAfee page changed layout, fixed regex.

• McAfee page changed layout, fixed regex.

• option of downloading through either wget or using the LWP::Simple package
• State files and DAT files can now be kept in seperate directories

• added ability to get tarred DAT files (Thanks to Rudy Zijlstra rudy @ edsons.demon.nl)
• restructured code for composing message
• can specify mail command or use the Mail::Mailer package
• mail using mail command improved
• added fromAdress option

• "Top Threats" is broken. Is there any interst is getting this to work again?
• added documentation
• added ability to get zipped DAT files
• added options to get either/both/neither the exe or the zipped DAT
• improved packaging

• Initial public release