Other:W32/Zone.Identifier

Classification

Category :

Malware

Type :

Other

Aliases :

Other:W32/Zone.Identifier, Zone.Identifier

Summary

A program which does not easily fit into any other malware category.

Removal

Based on the settings of your F-Secure security product, it will either move the file to the quarantine where it cannot spread or cause harm, or remove it.

A False Positive is when a file is incorrectly detected as harmful, usually because its code or behavior resembles known harmful programs. A False Positive will usually be fixed in a subsequent database update without any action needed on your part. If you wish, you may also:

  • Check for the latest database updates

    First check if your F-Secure security program is using the latest updates, then try scanning the file again.

  • Submit a sample

    After checking, if you still believe the file is incorrectly detected, you can submit a sample of it for re-analysis.

    Note: If the file was moved to quarantine, you need to collect the file from quarantine before you can submit it.

  • Exclude a file from further scanning

    If you are certain that the file is safe and want to continue using it, you can exclude it from further scanning by the F-Secure security product.

    Note: You need administrative rights to change the settings.

Technical Details

Other:W32/Zone.Identifier is a stream generated by Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook when saving files to the local disk from different security zones. It is not a malicious program.

We do get occasional enquiries about this issue as many Windows XP files have an invisible stream by this name. The typical content of such file would be:

  • [ZoneTransfer] ZoneId=3

Existence of Zone.Identifier stream on some files is normal, and as such is of not a cause for concern.