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Antivirus detected malware in the Dropbox cache folder

Antivirus detected malware in the Dropbox cache folder

dreemsnake
New member | Level 2
Go to solution

I don't know if this is the right category.  Also, I tried searching here for a solution first, but the posts were all locked.

 

I just started using Dropbox.  I don't have many files in it.  Since May 10, my virus software has found Gen:Variant.Kazy 512414 in my \.dropbox.cache.  The file is ~834b6cda.tmp.  The only thing I added on 5/10 is a pdf file from a trusted source.  Could this be the problem?  This has happened on 5/10, 5/15, 5/21 and 3 times today.  

I read that the cache is automatically deleted every three days so it wouldn't be something that's staying in the cache.  How should I deal with this because this has been a very easy and convenient way to share files between my i-things and my pc.  Thanks.

 

(also, i tried using the malware and cache as tags, but it would not allow it)

11 Replies 11

Walter
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

If you're sure it's not malware you should be safe to do this @HiroMarketing

In regards to your query now, note that our file infrastructure is comprised of the following components:

1. Block servers

Block servers process files from the Dropbox applications by splitting each file into blocks, encrypting each block using a strong cipher and synchronising only blocks that have been modified between revisions. When a change is made, new or modified blocks are processed and transferred to the storage servers.

2. Metadata servers

Basic information about user data (including file names and types), called metadata, is kept in its own discrete storage service separate from file blocks. Metadata acts as an index for data in users’ accounts, and is sharded and replicated as needed to meet performance and high availability requirements.

3. Storage servers

The actual contents of users’ files are stored in encrypted blocks with this service. Each individual encrypted file block is retrieved based on its hash value, and an additional layer of encryption is provided for all file blocks at rest using a strong cipher.

4. Notification service

This is a separate service dedicated to monitoring if changes have been made to Dropbox accounts. No file data or metadata is stored or transferred here. Instead, clients establish a long poll connection to this service and wait for a change, which then signals a change to the relevant clients.

In any case, if you'd like account specific assistance with this, please let me know here and I'll send you an email to your Dropbox associated address to have a further look into this with all of my tools at my disposal.

Thanks!


Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Stabledog
New member | Level 2
Go to solution

After reading this, I went to Windows Defender and added an Exclude directory for my Dropbox/.dropbox.cache and everything seems to behave itself now.

 

[This thread is now closed by moderators due to inactivity. If you're experiencing a similar behavior or have a question, feel free to Ask for help from the Community here.]

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    Stabledog New member | Level 2
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