View Full Version : Advertiser's Trojan's
I just downloaded the free program, 'Ad aware' after reading a bit on Internet Eye about the advertisers equivalent of Trojans. I tried Ad-aware and it found 12 items, two were listed as GatorPlugin. log‘s, I have not knowingly downloaded them, most of the items were Gator
Ad Aware deletes them safely as they have entries in the registry. The dates all
preceded the installation of the Norton firewall and it maybe that they could not operate to send back information to Gator once it was in. The free graphics programs I have downloaded have been installed since I have had Norton Firewall and virus scan, prior to that I tended not to download free programs, so I have no reason to believe that was a method of access.
I think it stinks that advertisers are allowed to bug people’s computers to gain
information and it's time it was made illegal. It is almost certain that they were planted on the computer using some sort of Trojan horse method. I have been talking to UK Trading Standards office to put in an official complaint about Gator particularly, as they were the one that had plugins. I visited Gators site for an e-mail address but you have to email them on the site, as they don’t give one, not surprising of course. I took their postal address and shall be writing to them to ask for an explanation of the purpose of their files on my computer and why they are infringing my privacy rights by placing them without my knowledge of them being there.
I think the only way this sort of practice will be eradicated is by people getting on the backs of these sort of companys, we just have no way of knowing what information is extracted from computers by these methods, presuming that the plugin logs are information gatherers. Certainly Norton utilities listed all plugins even those that were onboard before it was installed, it obviously was unable to detect the Gator ones as they were not listed, that certainly suggests they are designed to be undetected. It's good that companys like Lavasoft are combating thse nasty practices and giving free software to do it.
Ad aware for anybody interested is, http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Dave
i hate Gator bonzi buddy has it in there downloads allso.
i think there should be a law about this crap.
I've had Gator "Spyware" on my computer too. It took me a long time to find and remove (manually) all of it. I don't like that kind of software, but the fact is that stopping it would be very hard to do. Thanks for the AdAware link DM! I'll have to give it a try. :)
Hey DM, you might want to check out www.grc.com (http://www.grc.com) also, test your shields and ports by clicking on "Shields up" or click this link (https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2) Lots of good info here!
::E
Thanks Evoken, I have had a look at the link's and there is a lot of useful info there. :tu:
Dave
First, let me thank DM for posting this link. Ad Aware has gotten rid of about 11 different things that don't belong on my computer. The only thing is, I still get emails from girls wanting to show me their you-know-whats. "Hi, this is Becky. I missed you at Lori's party last night. Here are some pictures of what you missed." etc. I never asked for these junk mails and don't know how to stop them. I get about 5 a day, both on my regular email and on AOL. Anyone know a good way to stop these?
Hey Slosh . . . :)
"Hi, this is Becky." Don't believe it Slosh, it's really a guy named Bruiser, he's about 6'5" tall, 245 lbs., & he's got a long thick beard!!! :D :D :D
Seriously though, I have been using "Ad-Aware", & another program called, "Privacy Guard", for over 2 years now. I haven't had any junk type e-mail in almost 2 years, & still counting. ;) You can do a "Google Search" for "Privacy Guard", & read up on it at their site, it's also free. ;) Good luck & you have a good one . . . :cool: Mark.
nightraven
09-24-02, 01:33 PM
There's a program you can get called MailWasher which is freeware, and allows you to view your mails before you download them, and to bounce them back, delete them or whatever.
mailwasher (http://www.mailwasher.net/)
I think it helps to not have an email address with one of the more common sites. Places like Hotmail and AOL, for example. I've had an account from a medium-sized 3D site for a while now, and have not had even a single email which I did not ask for!
Over the last weekend I have just learned that the firewall does not stop Gator intruding and it must have been pure coincidence that my original Gator files preceded the installation of the firewall. I had been searching the net when a popup ad caused a crash when I tried to click it off; I unfortunately don’t remember what the ad was. When I came off the net I ran an Ad-aware scan and found that Gator plugins and relevant files were once again planted on my computer, I deleted them with Ad-aware as I had done before. At no time was there any suggestion whilst on the net that a Gator download was taking place and I am suspicious that the popup that caused the crash may have been the source. I was wrong about Gator not having an e-mail address on its site, it is on their page ’About’ and not on the page ‘Contact us’ as I had expected it to be
As of yet I haven’t written to Gator as I am awaiting results of enquiries through government offices regarding this sort of intrusion onto people’s computers. If anybody has any information on any USA trading standards control body or anything similar I would be grateful for an address. Does the USA have any data protection laws as we do in the UK, if so I feel companies like Gator would be infringing these rules by acquiring data from plugin logs without the knowledge of the person whose computer it was being extracted from.
I must admit Slosh, I seem to have been lucky on BT Internet as far as unwanted e-mails go and don’t generally get any, friends on other servers have complained about the problem so I am not sure why it differs
At the weekend I picked up another small free program, ‘Spysites’ that is a database of 1,584 spyware sites and you can transfer any or all of them into the Internet Explorers restricted zone, Gator has more than one address. When clicking on the addresses in ’Spysites’ it tells you what they do. A lot just use tracking cookies to follow you around all the sites you visit, the worst try to download Gator, Bonzi Buddy etc onto your computer. I have blocked a lot of cookies now and just allow those that are strictly the site owner’s cookies on trusted sites the rest I use prompt for, it saves a lot of cleaning up later. Ad-aware is a must for anybody who doesn’t want spyware on their computer, even if just for the reason that these plugins could cause crashes by conflicting with other programs.
Thanks Kruzr and Nightraven for the added links.
Spysites database, http://camtech2000.net/
Dave
Flycatcher
10-02-02, 05:50 PM
Interesting post, DM. I shall have to download AdAware and give it a run on my PC.
I too get a lot of junk email. Worst of the lot is a flood of stuff (about 8 a day) from Korean sites - not porn sites (mostly): electronic equipment, ISPs, finance, food and clothing mail order stores etc. The biggets joke is that I can only tell this from the banner images, as they're all in Korean, which might as well be Martian to me. The other thing increasing in frequency is a selection of bogus scams from total strangers, usually from African or South American countries, who want to make me a millionaire by participating in money laundering. (Sorry guys - I've seen the TV documentaries, have discussed it with CID fraud investigators, and am anyway not that damn stupid.)
I've been using Mail Washer for a few months now and can certainly recommend it. If you go to download, you can get either the latest "stable" version or the current "beta". I chose the latter and have had no problems with it. It's very handy for quickly blacklisting and/or deleting unwanted mail, or previewing suspect messages without wasting time downloading them to your PC (further reducing the risk of virus infection). As I discovered last week, also very convenient when a user group goes haywire and floods your mailbox with multiple copies of the same post.
Something else I've noticed over the last month or so is a considerable increase in the nunmber of port scan attacks intercepted by my firewall. Used to be one every 3 months or so. Lately I get them every few days, often with a series of them every 10 minutes or so almost immediately after loggin on starting I'm while checking my email. As a user of a dial-up connection and therefore temporary address, I'd always imagined myself to be fairly unlikely to get many such attacks.
Flycatcher
10-05-02, 08:44 AM
Just to say thanks again for the tip DM. I downloaded AdAware and ran it this morning. It found 26 suspect registry entries, 4 folders and 10 files of spyware. These included two registry entries left over from my clearing up of a mild Trojan attack a few weeks ago.
I’m pleased Ad-aware proved useful Flycatcher, for both yourself and Slosh. As the enquiries I have made through relevant government offices are taking the length of time you would expect them to take, I tackled Gator Corporation myself by email. They responded and were not readily prepared to accept that I could have Gator files on my computer unless I had downloaded a free program containing their files. I pointed out that I had checked my computer on the day their last files appeared just prior to going on the web and it was clear, then checked again when I disconnected and found their files had downloaded again, possibly having caused the crash that had occurred. They sent me a list of free programs available that contained their files, asking which I had on my computer, I went back again and pointed out that I had none of the programs, nor had I ever had any of them.
Their next excuse was that my Internet security settings must be too low and that ActiveX must be automatically downloading to my computer. I replied that my settings for ActiveX are at prompt and I had no prompts on their file downloads or in fact any indication whatsoever that a Gator download was occurring. The last email asked me to send them the files if it should happen again, so they could try to decide what was happening, they must be the only ones that don’t know. I asked them more than once to explain to me what the Gator files I had found on my computer related to in relation to any program of their's, they just continually ignored that question. I tackled Gator because in my case they have been the biggest problem, but there are certainly many others.
Dave
I'm not a lawyer but I would think that secret installation of software without notification or approval might be covered by some kind of intrusion or vandalism laws, especially as a material change (magnetic encoding on the hard drive) has occurred
Mahlikus The Black
10-05-02, 05:28 PM
I agree!
Since my first 'power on' back in 1999, 114 components were placed on my computer.
Thank you DM for this enlightening post.
I was going to work on a halloween image this weekend but now I m going to do alittle more research into stuff like this.
Once again, thank you so much!
Flycatcher
10-10-02, 06:19 PM
My experience closely mirrors yours, DM. Only one of the files (Comet Cursor) was downloaded with a free program I had actually installed (a chess game), and that without my knowledge. I have had this one pop up on numerous occasions, but have always said no. The biggest offender in my case however was Aureate, accounting for over 90% of the components found.
I also have my Active X setting at prompt, and have never yet permitted one to proceed, so Gator raising that as the loophole is pure BS.
Good luck with your campaign against this scumware.
Thankyou Dave for informing us of the adware. I downloaded the program from your link a couple of days ago. When I ran it I was shocked that it detected 86 files of adware on my pc.
I've really been 'Ad'. :D I think it was mainly due to a recent full installation of Kazaar and not unchecking the promotional sofware components (pesky younger bruvs fault)
I'm running the program daily, but still can't get rid of a persistant Aureate registry link. :mad:
Well I’m glad a few more people are getting rid of these advertising hijackers, just this week I read in an internet magazine a letter from someone trying to get rid of Gator files and getting a cannot delete message. The magazine explained that these spyware program’s are running all the time, so when you start up the computer they start with your other start-up programs and said to delete them they would have to stop them running. They then went on to say the best solution was to get Ad-aware as that would deal with them, so maybe Ad-aware stops them running.
On your problem with Aureate registry key Grub, perhaps it might be worthwhile to go to the Lavasoft/Ad-aware site and put a question on their forum about this one sticking item, they may be able to solve it.
Dave
Frenchy Pilou
10-12-02, 07:36 AM
Hello Zbrusher of Horse Trojan :)
Cheval de Troie in french :)
You don't think that this marvelous programm who detect invasion is not also a very perfidious Trojan himself ?
You are very trustful and guileless !
We are dancing on the volcano :)
Pilou the paranoiac :)
When dancing on a volcano Frenchy, it always pays to have flame proof shoes. ;) :)
Dave
Frenchy Pilou
10-13-02, 04:27 AM
Your shoes will never enough heatproof ;)
Pilou the fireman of Vulcan :)
Another old saying that relates to this issue, “In the end it is not the shoe’s that save the feet when dancing on the volcano, it is the cautious person inside them“. : Confusedus.
Joking aside, If you have any serious doubts about Ad-aware go to this PC World link, http://www.pcworld.com/features/article/0,aid,97429,pg,4,00.asp they gave the program an award.
Of course you could choose to dispute their research and that of other reputable computer magazines. That of course is between you and them and for you to tell them what you think, based on whatever research you have done, or not as the case may be .
Dave
:)
Try the site below to check your firewall. I have also found ZoneAlarm to help a lot in reducing a lot of spyware, popups and banner adds. If you use filesharing programs they are notorious for spyware, and the most popular one K*****a is the worst.
I have used AdAware since version 3.X and have found it excellent, The pro version is even better. http://www.pcpitstop.com/internet/BandwidthResults.asp
DeeVee.
Thanks for that link DeeVee, there is a lot of useful content on the site. :tu:
Dave
DM here is another for you to try ! http://www.dslreports.com/stest.
A lot of useful information here also if you spend any time on the net.
DeeVee
Thanks for the added link DeeVee, I will take a look at that site today. Even with all the recomended precautions, I appreciate at times it is still possible to get a virus, Trojan or scumware, but it's always better to try all you can to stop it. I have had friends who have laughed at the chance that anything would affect their computers,using out of date virus scans if any and no firewall. Then something happens and they loose work of value to them, oh what a change of heart occurs then.
Dave
zerobugetgamemaker
10-19-02, 10:15 PM
That same program is on my computer, and I have no Idea where I got it from. You are absolutely right, it should be illegal. Nobody ever told me I was installing <i>that</i> on my computer.
and for those of you experiencing problems with Email, don't be fooled when the email says "reply a blank email to unsuscribe." If you don't reply, just delete them, the spammers have no way of knowing if your address is valid. Also, never give your email address to anyone who doesn't say they wont give it to someone else! At pixologic.com, for instance, when asking for a new demo password, the page specifically says "we wont give your email address to anybody." ( :tu: Pixologic! ) If you need to give a web site your email address say, to download some freewhare, you can give them an address that is only for strangers to contact you by. For me, for example, whenever a web page asks me for my email address, I say davidofqls@hotmail.com. It is a real address, and it is mine, however, nobody I really want to talk to emails me there, because that's npot the email address I tell them. Also, all of these email filters are excellent ideas, but tend to delete some things that you might not want to get rid of. Most spam-blocking programs use two strategies to stop crap mail from getting to you.
1. read the email and look for key words such as "sexy", "$", and "buy." My friends send me emails with those words in them all the time, so this would prevent me from getting some emails that I would want to receive.
2. Blocking mail from certain addresses. VERY effective. If you receive some junk mail, just add the sender to your list of blocked addresses.
If you want a good email filter, you should use one that only uses the latter.
One final comment about keeping your computer safe from malicious email is beeing carefull of your attachments. Only open attachments sent to you by friends, and if your friend says "look at this pic," and the file is a .bat, than beware, cuz that attachment is most likely a virus.
David
Flycatcher
10-22-02, 07:29 PM
... and now for the bad news. Far from making this sort of scumware illegal, I read in last months .net Magazine that there are currently attempts in the USA to push through legislation that would make it illegal for consumers to try and remove adware from their systems! The commercial interests behind this are trying to make out that it is an infringement of copyright to do so.
This is on top of other legislation under consideration to allow big media corporations to hack into user's PCs if they suspect that they may be using filesharing software to copy protected material illegally. There is also the suggestion that they might use virsu attacks to bring the PCs down. In one sense that doesn't bother me, as I have never used such software nor am ever likely to. What does worry me more is that they are trying to tie it up so that any innocent party so targeted has no right of come-back against them!
Flycatcher
10-22-02, 07:33 PM
... Oh and I forgot to mention, these same corporate giants would like it made illegal for users to switch graphics off in their browsers, as this means the page wouldn't be viewed as the originators intended - translation: you wouldn't see their adverts.
Ain't life grand?
Thanks for that information FC, not good news as you say. Will they make it illegal to reformat as that is the ultimate way to get rid of garbage on the computer? Perhaps there will be a clause in the law that says you have to copy their spyware to CD so that after a reformat you can reinstall it for them. This would probably need to be backed up with a note, giving your excuses as to why they were unable to extract information from your computer for a short while. If anybody doesn’t believe big brother has arrived, then they are not looking closely enough.
On the media thing, whilst fully supporting the rights of companies to protect their products copyright, it must be carried out under proper legal restraints with official bodies investigating where there is evidence of products being pirated. If they give companies the right to hack computers, you can imagine the abuse a law like that would create. I think if we value justice and democracy, then it is down to all of us to make sure that we are heard.
The most recent experience for me on the spyware front came last week when my wife bought PCFormat magazine, which had Mahjongg Masters which she wanted, on the free CD. Shortly after it was installed I ran one of my now regular Ad-aware scans which discovered Timesink/conducent spyware on my hardisk, I deleted it with Ad-aware and wondered where I had got it from. The next time we tried to open Mahjongg we found out, the Timesink/conducent file, tsad.dll, was part of the program.
I rang PCFormat editorial office on Monday morning, asked them if it was shareware, they said no they had bought it, so I advised them of the problem and they took my phone number saying they would investigate. In the meantime I went to the Egames site, they are the games producer and found some information on their privacy page. It stated that some of their software carried Timesink advertising files, followed by info about how Timesink used your hard disk to organize advertising on the net. I thought it was nicely blurred, so that you might believe this was for your benefit and of no gain to Time sink. Well for those that didn’t want this wonderful addition, (Egames sell their products outright, they are not shareware), there is this magic patch that uninstalls Timesink and replaces it.
I downloaded the patch, reinstalled Mahjong, followed instructions like make sure you are disconnected from the net, make sure background programs are shut down, I couldn’t shut down Timesink of course, as it doesn’t appear on close programs. I then watched the wonderful display as the patch searched for timesink, then it was all over, a mystical Dos screen came up to tell me all was clear. The instructions told me to check the Mahjongg folders in program files and make sure no advertisers files were left, Yippee all clear. Well just to be on the safe side I ran Ad-aware again, you will never guess what I found, well maybe you will, Timesink tsad. dll, resting comfortably in C\Windows. My research into Timesink suggested that their files remained even after you uninstalled the program they came with, I tested that and sure enough the game went but the file stayed, it now included a buddy, the Timesink patch that I had downloaded.
Well cheers for Ad-aware it got rid of them, maybe Egames should ditch the patch and get Ad-aware, their games would not work of course, but is that a loss. I emailed them with my feelings on the matter, no reply yet, I forwarded the email to PCFormat and rang them again today, they again took my phone number, no reply yet. So far Gator have proved they are the only ones with an email facility that emails out, even if their replies are pathetic.
Dave
Frenchy Pilou
10-24-02, 01:52 AM
There is a simple solution for all of that !
Have 2 computers !
One connected for for the Net. A
One without connection for the rest. B
And never transmission A -> B
B -> A possible but just with CD or disk (on protected mod)
Some cost indeed :'(
Pilou
I think that’s an excellent idea Frenchy, one computer to keep for all you important work program’s not connected to the Internet, and another one to use mainly for the Internet and anything of little importance. It would certainly stop the garbage input, interfering with your settings for things that you don’t want disruption with, I may well do that when the finances allow.
Dave
KingSalami
10-24-02, 08:03 AM
Frenchy, will you be sending out the new second computers?
Thanks, send me a nice one, with a big monitor.
Frenchy Pilou
10-24-02, 10:54 AM
Hi King Y king
Of course !
This beautiful image is for you :)
Connected on your big TV that will work fine !
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1035478425szc.jpg
Pilou
Mentat7
10-24-02, 12:16 PM
lol Frenchy!! :D :D :D
Flycatcher
10-24-02, 05:05 PM
You're right, DM - George Orwell just got his dates wrong by about 20 years! I know who I'd like to consign to Room 101 though.
I guess the real killer will be when they do a deal with the likes of Intel and have their spies built into the chip. I shouldn't joke. One of them might read this and think hey, that's a great idea...
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