McAfee Scan Engine 6.1.xx can now unpack and scan the contents inside the ISO and 7Z file types without any size limitations. The scanning of these file types is treated the same as any other archive scanning before them.
Limitations on 7Z and ISO file types scanning before Scan Engine 6.1.xx:
- The unpacking for ISO files was limited to a file size smaller than 32 MB.
- The unpacking for 7Z files was limited to a file size smaller than 500 KB.
- There was a limit on the maximum number of files and folders to be traversed inside these file types.
NOTE: By default the unpacking of these archives only occurs during an on-demand scan (ODS) through McAfee products.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is there any performance impact by enabling scanning of 7Z and ISO archive files during on-access scan (OAS)?
With size limitations removed, these files can impact performance and can affect normal functioning if continued to be scanned during OAS. So, OAS does not involve scanning inside archives by default.
For more information about configuring and collecting statistics on OAS of a product, see
KB69683.
Can you bypass detection by putting files in 7Z and ISO archives?
Although 7Z and ISO files are not unpacked during an OAS, the content is scanned for any threats if extracted manually.
Is there any performance impact with scanning 7Z and ISO archive files during ODS?
ISO files can be large (GBs) and scanning for malicious content inside them can increase system scan time. But, scanning improves the detection efficacy.
Can I prevent an ISO file from being scanned?
Yes, by using either of the following methods:
- Create a file or folder exclusion for the ISO file.
- Exclude files or the file type (*.iso).
