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Forum Discussion
Astra03
Oct 05, 2025Apprentice
AntiVirus No Longer Updating
Since 30th September, I have been getting an email from my RN214 advising me that the "Antivirus scanner definition file update failed due to download failure. Check your Internet connection." I ...
Astra03
Oct 05, 2025Apprentice
Thanks for the reply - you have confirmed what I had already suspected.
"The ClamAV software on the NAS was built from source by Netgear, so only they can fix it."
Just a thought, but would it be possible for users the build an up-to-date version of ClamAV from the source code on the ClamAV website? I have no idea how to go about this, though as a desktop user of Linux I know that some people like to build their own apps from source.
Or is antivirus too embedded in the operating system for this to work?
I'm guessing that the only thing I can do is to disable AntiVirus in the ReadyNAS GUI, to stop the database update failure emails?
I don't think that there is any point in running antivirus with an out of date database - is there?
- StephenBOct 05, 2025Guru - Experienced User
Astra03 wrote:
Just a thought, but would it be possible for users the build an up-to-date version of ClamAV from the source code on the ClamAV website?
Netgear took their library repositories down, and you would probably need those to build the package yourself.
Their source is in their GPL
No idea what Netgear might have changed though, whoever takes this on might have to compare this version with the one on ClamAV's github.
Astra03 wrote:
I'm guessing that the only thing I can do is to disable AntiVirus in the ReadyNAS GUI, to stop the database update failure emails?
Yes.
- Astra03Oct 06, 2025Apprentice
I have been giving this some more thought:
Does anyone know if the virus definitions file that the ReadyNAS, (used to), downloads each day is exactly the same as the file used for more up-to-date versions of ClamAV?
If so, then I should be able to install the latest ClamAV on my Linux desktop PC and copy the database file across to the appropriate place in the ReadyNAS file structure.
Would that work - or is it too simplistic?
Can anyone tell me what the name of the ClamAV database file is and where it resides within the Linux / ReadyNAS file system?
Alternatively, ClamAV provide a tool called "cvdupdate" which is for organisations with multiple ClamAV installations to regularly update and mirror the datadase for their internal use which maybe could be used?
Thoughts anyone?
- SandsharkOct 06, 2025Sensei - Experienced User
Since it appears ClamAV has expressly disabled updates for the older version, there is most likely a reason for that. My guess would be that they made some sort of change in the format of the definitions file for later versions and don't want to have to keep distributing the old format one. If that's the case, a file designed for a newer version wouldn't work and at worst might stop your NAS from properly booting (though I think that's unlikely).
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