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@Jerry9335 Jerry9335 released this 07 Jul 22:06
v1.9.0
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๐Ÿ›ก Zack Defender v1.9.0 โ€” Release Notes

July 2026 | Visual Refresh & Experience Upgrade
First Official MSIX Release

๐Ÿ“ฆ What's in Zack-Defender-v1.9.0.zip

Unzip the file and you'll find exactly two things:

File What It Is
Zack-Defender-v1.9.0.msix The app installer (MSIX format)
ZackDefender_cert.pfx Code-signing certificate

That's it. No install scripts, no extra tools โ€” just the app and its certificate.

โš ๏ธ Important: You must import the certificate before installing the MSIX, otherwise Windows will reject the package. Follow the guide below. It takes about 2 minutes.

๐Ÿ—บ The Version Journey (Why v1.9.0?)

You might be wondering: where are v1.0 through v1.8?

Zack Defender didn't start as a polished product. It grew from a single-engine experiment into a four-engine security suite through many internal iterations:

Version Date What Happened
prototype Early 2026 Concept: "What if I built my own antivirus?"
v1.0 โ€“ v1.4 Marโ€“May 2026 Early prototypes โ€” too rough to release. Basic Defender wrapper, Qt experiments, lots of broken things.
v1.5.0 Internal First major scan refactor and UI overhaul.
v1.6.0 Internal SilverFox (้“ถ็‹) trojan specialized detection module.
v1.7.0 Internal Engine replacement: ClamAV + YARA local engines added. Now four engines, all on-device.
v1.8.0 Internal Complete UI restructure โ€” skipped public release to bundle into v1.9.0.
v1.9.0 Jul 2026 ๐ŸŽ‰ First public MSIX release! Visual polish, mascot system, one-click MSIX packaging.

v1.9.0 is the first version we're proud enough to share. ๐Ÿ’š

โœจ What's New in v1.9.0

๐Ÿ›ก Four-Engine Scanning Architecture

Every file goes through four detection layers, one after another:

         EngineManager (scan orchestrator)
                    โ”‚
    โ”Œโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ผโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”
    โ”‚               โ”‚               โ”‚
  Hash           ClamAV            YARA
(SHA-256)    (191MB+ sig DB)   (custom rules)
 Fastest       open-source       SilverFox
    โ”‚               โ”‚               โ”‚
    โ””โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”ผโ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”˜
                    โ”‚
                Defender
            (Windows built-in)
           system-level fallback
  • Hash Engine โ€” Instant SHA-256 blacklist matching. Zero false negatives for known hashes.
  • ClamAV Engine โ€” Open-source antivirus with 191MB+ of virus signatures, running locally.
  • YARA Engine โ€” Custom rules targeting SilverFox trojan, ransomware patterns, and crypto miners.
  • Defender Engine โ€” Wraps Windows Defender's MpCmdRun.exe as a final safety net.

๐ŸŽญ Mascot System

A cute fox stays with you throughout every scan. Security software doesn't have to feel cold and intimidating.

๐Ÿ“‹ Global Threat History

Threats discovered anywhere in the app are persisted globally. Switch between pages freely โ€” your threat history stays intact. Backed by QSettings for cross-session durability.

๐Ÿ”„ Progress Bar โ€” Now Actually Useful

v1.9.0 features a dual-layer progress indicator:

  • Top: Animated MD3 wave bar โ€” shows "work is happening" visually
  • Bottom: Thin 6px real-progress bar โ€” scanned / total ร— 100%, with smooth animation

Fixed a critical indeterminate bug that was silently hiding real progress.

โšก QuickScan Optimization

Reduced from 10 to 7 high-value directories:

Directory Why
Downloads #1 malware entry point
%TEMP% System temp
AppData/Local/Temp User temp
Windows/Temp Windows temp
AppData/Roaming Malware persistence hotspot
Desktop Common download landing zone
Startup Auto-run programs

ClamAV now uses file-list mode instead of directory scanning โ€” only executable/suspicious file types (18 extensions + archives + macro Office docs) are collected and scanned, dramatically cutting scan time.

๐ŸŽจ Visual Polish

  • Built with Qt 6.11 โ€” latest framework, better rendering
  • Emoji decorations for a friendlier, livelier feel
  • Refined MD3 (Material Design 3) components
  • Automatic light/dark theme following your Windows settings
  • Microsoft YaHei font for crisp CJK text

๐Ÿ”ง Installation Guide

You need to do two things, in this order:

  1. Import the certificate โ†’ so Windows trusts the package
  2. Install the MSIX โ†’ done!

Step 1: Import the Certificate

Windows requires MSIX packages to be signed. The ZackDefender_cert.pfx file is a self-signed certificate โ€” created by the developer, not purchased from a commercial Certificate Authority. It's perfectly safe, but Windows doesn't know that yet. You need to tell Windows to trust it.

๐Ÿ“œ Certificate Details

Property Value
File ZackDefender_cert.pfx
Format PKCS#12 (Personal Information Exchange)
Password password
Issued To Zack Defender
Valid Until Year 2126
Type Self-signed code-signing certificate

The password is literally password โ€” all lowercase, no spaces, no special characters. It's a development certificate, not a bank vault. ๐Ÿ˜„

๐Ÿ–ฑ๏ธ Step-by-Step (with screenshots in words)

1. Open Certificate Manager

Press Win + R on your keyboard. A small "Run" dialog pops up.
Type: certmgr.msc
Press Enter.

You'll see a window titled "certmgr" with a folder tree on the left side.

2. Find the right folder

In the left sidebar, click the little arrows to expand these folders in order:

๐Ÿ“ Trusted Root Certification Authorities
   โ””โ”€โ”€ ๐Ÿ“ Certificates

Click on the Certificates folder so it's highlighted. The right panel will show a list of certificates already trusted by your system (Microsoft, DigiCert, etc.).

3. Start the Import Wizard

Right-click on the Certificates folder โ†’ choose All Tasks โ†’ choose Import...

The "Certificate Import Wizard" window opens. Click Next.

4. Browse to the .pfx file

Click the Browse... button.
Navigate to the folder where you unzipped Zack-Defender-v1.9.0.zip.
At the bottom-right of the file picker, there's a dropdown that says "X.509 Certificate (*.cer; *.crt)". Change it to "Personal Information Exchange (*.pfx; *.p12)".
Now you'll see ZackDefender_cert.pfx โ€” select it and click Open.
Click Next.

5. Enter the password

A window asks for the password. Type: password

Then check these two boxes:

  • โ˜‘ Mark this key as exportable
  • โ˜‘ Include all extended properties

Click Next.

6. Choose the certificate store

Select: "Place all certificates in the following store"
The box next to it should say "Trusted Root Certification Authorities". If it doesn't, click Browse... and pick that one.
Click Next.

7. Finish

Click Finish.
A security warning pops up saying something like "You are about to install a certificate from a CA that is not verified..." โ€” this is normal for self-signed certificates. Click Yes.

You should see: โœ… "The import was successful."

Step 2: Install the App

Double-click Zack-Defender-v1.9.0.msix.
Click Install.
Done! ๐ŸŽ‰ Find "Zack Defender" in your Start Menu.

๐Ÿ†˜ Troubleshooting

Problem Solution
"Windows protected your PC" Click More info โ†’ Run anyway. Normal for self-signed apps.
"The certificate chain was issued by an authority that is not trusted" You didn't import the cert, or imported it to the wrong store. Make sure it's under Trusted Root Certification Authorities (not Personal or Intermediate).
"Either you need a new certificate installed..." Re-import the certificate following Step 1 carefully. Make sure the password is password (all lowercase).
MSIX won't install at all Make sure you're on Windows 10 21H2 (build 19044) or later. Press Win + R, type winver, press Enter to check.
App doesn't launch after install Try restarting your PC. Some certificate changes need a reboot to take effect.

๐Ÿ–ฅ System Requirements

Requirement Details
OS Windows 10 21H2 (build 19044) or later / Windows 11
Architecture x64 (64-bit) only
Windows Defender Recommended to keep enabled (4th engine)
Disk Space ~400 MB (includes ClamAV 191MB virus database)
Internet Not required โ€” all scanning is offline

๐Ÿ“‹ Full Changelog (v1.5 โ†’ v1.9.0)

v1.9.0 (Jul 2026) โ€” Visual Refresh & Experience Upgrade

  • ๐ŸŽจ Qt 6.11 build
  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ First MSIX packaging with self-signed certificate
  • ๐ŸŽญ Mascot system
  • ๐Ÿ“‹ Global ThreatHistory โ€” cross-page persistent records
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Dual-layer progress bar (wave animation + real progress)
  • โšก QuickScan: 7 directories (down from 10)
  • ๐Ÿš€ ClamAV: file-list mode for faster scanning
  • ๐ŸŽจ Emoji decorations for livelier UI
  • ๐Ÿ–ผ Refined MD3 visual components
  • ๐Ÿ› Fixed indeterminate progress bar bug
  • ๐Ÿ› Fixed ClamAV infinite directory loop
  • ๐Ÿ“œ One-click MSIX deployment

v1.8.0 โ€” UI Restructure (Internal, Unreleased)

  • ๐Ÿ— Navigation overhaul and QML reorganization

v1.7.0 โ€” Engine Replacement (Internal, Unreleased)

  • ๐Ÿ”ง ClamAV + YARA local engines added
  • ๐Ÿ”ง Four-engine pipeline: Hash โ†’ ClamAV โ†’ YARA โ†’ Defender
  • ๐Ÿ”ง 15 async C++ backends

v1.6.0 โ€” SilverFox Specialized (Internal, Unreleased)

  • ๐ŸฆŠ SilverFox trojan detection module

v1.5.0 โ€” Scan Refactor & UI Upgrade (Internal, Unreleased)

  • ๐ŸŽจ First MD3 integration and EngineManager abstraction

๐Ÿ”ฎ Roadmap

Timeline Feature
Short-term More YARA rules, ClamAV signature updates
Mid-term ML-based static PE detection, sandbox dynamic analysis
Long-term Cloud-based threat intelligence, community sharing

๐Ÿ™ Credits

Built by: Zack (Jerry9335)

Built with:

๐Ÿ”— Links

Stay safe. Stay Zack. ๐Ÿ›ก๐ŸฆŠ

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