“McAfee Antivirus Detects C Executable as Virus (False Positive)

Question

My VSCode window with the code and error I'm encountering a false positive detection by McAfee's antivirus for my C program's executable. When I compile my code using MinGW, McAfee flags it as a virus.

• I've tried excluding the build directory from scanning, but the issue persists.
• Scanning with other antivirus tools (e.g., Malwarebytes) doesn't detect any issues.
• I've also checked the executable on VirusTotal, and some engines detect it as unsafe. Any suggestions on how to resolve this without compromising security? I attached the screenshot of the code in VSCode with the terminal.

I'm encountering a false positive detection by McAfee's antivirus for my C program's executable. When I compile my code using MinGW, McAfee flags it as a virus.

Here's what I've tried so far:

1. Exclusion from Scanning:

   • I excluded the build directory from scanning in McAfee settings, but the issue persists.
   • The antivirus didn't identifies the compiled executable as a threat but it's affecting my productivity as after recompiling the files for testing this issue persists and as a learner this causes me to slow my learning speed.

2. Scanning with Other Antivirus Tools:

   • I ran a scan using other antivirus tools (e.g., Malwarebytes), and they didn't detect any issues.
   • This suggests that the detection might be a false positive specific to McAfee.

3. VirusTotal Check:

   • I uploaded the executable to VirusTotal, and 17 security vendors and no sandboxes flagged this file as malicious.
   • However, most engines did not detect any problems.

I'd like to find a solution that doesn't compromise security while allowing me to run my program seamlessly. Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue or further troubleshoot it would be greatly appreciated.