Antivirus trouble (with Norton) while downloading and trying to run Supervertaler

[Pilgrimatic]

Hi there,
I've experienced trouble with the antivirus while downloading and trying to run Supervertaler. My PC runs Norton 360.

At first, Norton didn't like me downloading files from "release-assets.githubusercontent.com", as it meant it was "infected with Win64:Malware-gen", so it stopped the download the minute it recognized the process (and that was very quickly). To solve this, I had to create an exception in the antivirus program.

That worked, and I could download the .zip file (of the windows .exe version) without a problem. So that was that, or so I thought.

But when I tried to run it, I got the same message from the AV: the program seems to be "infectect with Win64:Malware-gen". So the exe file got quarantined. I had to unquarantine it by restoring it and creating an exception in the program.

Has anyone experienced this kind of trouble? Does it have to do with (my version of) Norton 360 or is it a common issue with AV programs?

[michaelbeijer]

Hi @Pilgrimatic,

Thanks for reporting this! This is a known false positive that affects many applications built with PyInstaller (the tool used to create the Windows EXE).

Why this happens

PyInstaller bundles Python + all libraries into a single package. This creates a binary pattern that some antivirus programs (especially Norton 360) flag with generic heuristic detections like "Win64:Malware-gen". It's not detecting actual malware - it's a pattern match.

This affects many legitimate Python applications distributed as EXEs. The executable is not signed with a code-signing certificate (which costs ~$300/year), so AV software treats it with suspicion.

Solutions

Option 1: Use pip install (Recommended)
If you have Python installed, you can avoid this entirely by installing from PyPI:

1. Install: pip install supervertaler
2. Run: supervertaler

No AV warnings because it runs directly from Python source - no bundled EXE involved.

Option 2: Whitelist (what you did)
Your solution of creating exceptions in Norton is correct. The application is safe - you can verify by:

• Checking the source code on GitHub (it's fully open source)
• Scanning with VirusTotal (most engines show clean, a few may flag it due to the same heuristic)

Option 3: Report to Norton
You can help future users by submitting a false positive report:
https://submit.norton.com/

This is common

Many PyInstaller-built applications face this issue. Some references:

• PyInstaller FAQ on AV false positives

This affects tools like Calibre, many game mods, and scientific software.

I'll add a note about this to the FAQ. Thanks for bringing it up!

Michael

[Pilgrimatic]

Hi Michael,
Thanks for this great explanation! I've got the program running now and it looks very good.
Best,
P.

[michaelbeijer]

Hey Pilgrimatic, if you're finding Supervertaler useful, would you mind starring the repo on GitHub? It really helps other translators discover the tool when they're searching for CAT alternatives.

https://github.com/michaelbeijer/Supervertaler

[michaelbeijer]

https://supervertaler.gitbook.io/superdocs/reference/faq#why-is-my-antivirus-flagging-supervertaler-as-malware