do not visit www.Freewarepalm.com

[kidfixer]

Hi everyone:

I have just found out how the Free Search and Win spyware was installed to my computer: it was downloaded automatically (I did nothign ohther than just visit their site) by Internet Explorer as an Active X plugin. It later executed itself automatically, changed my Homepage,and started to send my info to their site.

This thing almost behaves like a virus, it will ot show up on the Programs folder until you go to the windows registry and delete some lines...

It can all be avoided by disabling your Active X controls in Internet Explorer->Tools->Internet Options->Security->Custom. Then disable the download of all Active X plugins.

To know if you already have their crap, download Spybot and execute it. It will give you a list of all spyware on your computer.

[wellsjs]

Yea, that's a nasty little site! :( Just goes as a reminder . . . nothing in life is free! :)

You can block that kind of stuff if you go (IE) to Tools/Internet Options/Security, scroll down and disable (or at least choose "warn me") about 3rd party cookies. Also recommend getting either Norton or McAfee's Internet Security for additional safteguards against "snooping" and messing with you as you surf the net. It's a wicked world out there! :eek:

[rcyphermd]

I am not very computer savy. If I disable the Active X, will it keep me from getting anything I need? When I use Norton Internet Security, many sites cannot be accessed.

[kidfixer]

I am not very good at PC issues either. All I know is that it tried to download itself after I switched of the controls and it could not do so. Now i get a warning from IE about the Active X security setting every time I go to a page that needs it, but I do not have any problems other than this. If you want active X for any reason, cona always recheck the appropriate button when necesary.

Now I go the freewarepalm now with the certainty that they are not hacking my PC.

[wellsjs]

I have Active X enabled for "signed" ones, and selected "prompt" for unsigned and unsafe sites. I rarely ever get prompted. But then, if you traverse the "dark" side of the Internet, i.e. porn, mp3 sharing (which is illegal), hacker sites, etc. you are guaranteed to be "messed with."

Spyware primarily operates off of "cookies." Disabling "Third party cookies" will prevent most if not all spyware activity on your PC.

I haven't used Norton Internet Security so I can't help much with that problem. I do know that after you "train" McAfee Internet Security it runs silent and effective. Good luck.

[kidfixer]

I just purchased McAffee, thanks for the tip. And yeah, -ER- I'll be sure to steer clear of the "dark side" ;)

PS
Morpheus, iMesh and Kazaa are also spyware. You definitely do get what you pay for.

[gabegarwick]

Originally posted by kidfixer
PS
Morpheus, iMesh and Kazaa are also spyware. You definitely do get what you pay for.

True, but kazaalite (www.kazaalite.com) isn't :) The spyware has been removed. (there are pop-ups though at the site for the software download)

[Medcat99]

What kind of info is being sent? I have visited freepalmware in the past without incident (to my knowledge).

[wellsjs]

Medcat,

Easy to find out. Download Ad-Aware (it's free), scan your hard drive(s). The first time I scanned I had 38 spyware germs. 3 were .exe files tucked into folders you never look in, the rest were cookies. That's when I got McAfee IS and turned 3rd party cookies off in IE. I run Ad-Aware once a week and haven't had a spyware germ in over a month - still go the same places I used to on the net.

As to info that can be "sniffed" while you serf, I'm no expert but I would imagine they can read your Outlook or Outlook express account info because I used to get a lot of spam and that has decreased dramatically also. And I have never given my email address out haphazardly.

[SamuraiCatJB]

Mcafee protects me, but adaware I don't use
I found something better, better to choose
TechTV taught me well, the screen savers show
Spybot Search and destroy is what I know.
It finds more spyware than adaware can
Can you tell? Can you tell that I am a fan?

[wellsjs]

Thanks Cat, I'll check it out. :)

[PurpleMD]

I use a different browser (Crazy Browser) which is free and automatically blocks all that kind of stuff!

www.crazybrowser.com

[wellsjs]

I would say send the code to Microsoft, but they would probably buy the company, patent the code, and then bury it! :eek:

[DigitalDeath]

Pop Ups and spyware should be outlawed. Shows the power of the porn industry.

[Beavis]

..."But then, if you traverse the "dark" side of the Internet, i.e. porn, mp3 sharing (which is illegal), hacker sites, etc. you are guaranteed to be "messed with.""

mp3 sharing is NOT illegal. Only sharing of copyrighted material is Illegal. There are lots of independant artists out there who distribute their works on mp3.

[cchan]

Well here we are
The whole Clie host
From near and from far
We jest and we boast.

But what do we say?
Of what do we speak?
Why, Sony's Clie
Of course! More stuff we do seek.

Spyware's bad and evil we know
Adaware's good and thorough, though.
Spybot's more fun, to use and to see
The trash sites put on our beloved PC's.

Fight back, my friends, and heed the call
To protect your privacy, let the hammer fall.
AdSubtract's power and price impress
It cleans Pop-ups, Ads, Spyware- the whole mess.

Anyways, thanks to Samurai Cat in the Hat for the inspiration.
Just too :cool:

[DigitalDeath]

:rolleyes:

[spradlinb]

Well, that sucks... I used to find some useful little programs on freewarepalm.com from time to time. I guess I'll just have to switch back to Handango and try to filter out all the shareware stuff again :( Thanks for the warning about it!

Cheers.

[SamuraiCatJB]

Thanks to cchan, for giving me a hand
we can do this, spread the word on the land
I still visit freeware sites, but caution is high
to keep spyware and viri from coming nigh.

[wellsjs]

Originally posted by Beavis
..."But then, if you traverse the "dark" side of the Internet, i.e. porn, mp3 sharing (which is illegal), hacker sites, etc. you are guaranteed to be "messed with.""

mp3 sharing is NOT illegal. Only sharing of copyrighted material is Illegal. There are lots of independant artists out there who distribute their works on mp3. I agree 100% and it's the illegal sites I was alluding to. Thanks for the clarification! ;)

[Baloo]

Another solution is to go to http://lavasoftusa.com and download the latest copy of AD-AWARE. This shoule be run regularly (I have it set to run twice a day).

It will identify and purge most if not all spyware for you.

The darkside is not the only places these lurk and turning off cookies is a pain for site, well....., like this one.

[wellsjs]

Baloo,

Backup to page 1. :)

[sebring]

Originally posted by wellsjs
Thanks Cat, I'll check it out. :)

I use both adaware and spybot S&D. They both catch things the other misses.

[wellsjs]

My thoughts exactly. Certainly won't hurt to run both!

[wellsjs]

Originally posted by Baloo
turning off cookies is a pain for site, well....., like this one. Earlier versions of IE do not have the feature I have mentioned several times. IE6 does and why would anyone still be using an older version at home (Corp policy and software lockdown may keep you on an older version at the workplace)? Just disable "3rd party cookies" which I did and have no problems with the ClieSource site. I have never had to log on since the first time. It doesn't affect local website cookies. ;) Third party cookies are generated from ads the website allows/uses. The web host may not always be aware of the nastiness of some of the ads they are hosting, especially the pop-up variety! :eek:

[MacClie]

behind a Norton fire wall, and I have cookies disabled. Have not (yet) had any problems with freewarepalm.com

I/E BTW

- MacClie

[timewaster77]

I use Opera, am in any threat of ActiveX worms? If so how do I disable them in Opera.

[hansschmucker]

No my son, thou art not. Neither Opera nor Mozilla/Netscape support ActiveX. And I don't think they will anytime soon, since ActiveX installs Spyware/Dialers and that's about it. During my years on the internet, I've only found one(!) "friendly" ActivX control, which was a tiny 3d engine.

What do we learn from that Mircrosoft (internetExploder) is eeeeeeviil, while OpenSource (Mozilla.org) is gooooooood.

[TheSpies]

i just use the Proxomitron. I dont know how i managed before.

http://www.proxomitron.org/

[sindu]

John and Cat,

Can you guys share the link of those software you had mentioned ?? Tks in advance. I would like to download those and check what sort of "germ" i have.

[sindu]

Sorry for the trouble there John and Cat...I manage to download Spybot and it is awsome program..2 questions though.. How much donation is appropriate ?? I plan to install this software to 6 notebooks we own at home running wireless. I am also in the lookout for software to block "the darkside" such as porn so that my kids won't be able to access it.

[SamuraiCatJB]

I haven't used any of the content blockers... though NetNanny is the name most toss around. Searching for and blocking pornography is difficult, how do you flag a picture? The anser is, you can't so you block sites... but a new site means it shows as clean, unless you check words which sometimes blocks real sites....

as for donation, it is whatever you think is appropriorate... if you want $2 per system, or $5, or just to send them a $10 check, they won't turn it away.

[wellsjs]

After using both for a while now, Spybot is more thorough than Ad-aware, and provides frequent updates. Ad-aware has not done an update in a while. How good a job can this type app do if it is not updated to reflect the latest known spy-ware?

[thenightfly42]

Originally posted by wellsjs
After using both for a while now, Spybot is more thorough than Ad-aware, and provides frequent updates. Ad-aware has not done an update in a while. How good a job can this type app do if it is not updated to reflect the latest known spy-ware?
Most people recommend to use both. But, Ad-Aware IS being updated, I just got the 3/20 reference file. You need to download the (still free) version 6.

And, of course, get a Mozilla-based browser. No popups, no spyware downloads, and I still visit freewarepalm daily.

[kstuart]

There is a new AdAware version 6.0.

The consensus in discussion forums is that AdAware 6.0 found some things that SpyBot did not, and SpyBot found some things that AdAware 6.0 did not.

One caution is that SpyBot has some false positives, ie it lists a few things which are simply part of legitimate PC programs - so don't delete everything reported without taking a closer look...

[Convert]

Great post with much USEFUL information.

[kstuart]

PopUps and other annoyances are very effectively dealt with by PopUpCop (www.popupcop.com ), one of the best software purchases that I have made.

The program is regularly updated to deal with new ad tricks, and technical support is very responsive.

[rprice54]

a free pop-up blocker is Pop-up stopper by panicware

I've set my cookies in IE6 to the next to highest setting and then used the "edit" function to specify which sites I want to use cookies on. It's a little more of a hassle to set up sites one by one, but once you do it it's easy surfing without the spyware cookies.

that being said I use spybot S&D on a regular basis anyways, a few seem to sneak by.

[Sideway]

I use Mozilla and I don't have to worry about pop-up and ActiveX junk. :)

[zipslack]

I check www.freewarepalm.com about every two days without incident....

For some reason, I just can't find any of those pesky ActiveX thingies in my linux browser settings.... ;-)

Phear the Penguin!

[rob_squared]

*whistles* Phoenix *whistles*

[sindu]

Originally posted by rob_squared
*whistles* Phoenix *whistles*

??????

Rob, what happen to the girl ??

[Tonguc Yumruk]

Here are my suggestions for your problem (They are all free like in free beer and free speech)

1-Use GNU/Linux

Sure it's the best thing to fight with spywares etc... but it may not fit in your needs...

2-Use Mozilla

Mozilla is not just a browser it is a set of tools with e-mail and nntp client, irc client, a wysiwyg html designer, kitchen sink, etc... But so much functionality makes it bloatware...

3-Use Phoenix

The correct answer for everyone. You may think phoenix as "Mozilla Light" Phoenix is based on mozilla but it only features a faast, light web browser... there are no kitchen sinks etc...

And a more general answer: Use Free Software. Free software (FS) and open source software (OSS) makes your life much more safer... There are tons of OSS and FS programs that will fit in an ordinary users needs...

[MrBook]

I have to agree with the folks pushing linux. But more importantly....

Isn't this just another example of the problems with IE? Is there any reason to still be using it? There must be since so many people are, but I can't figure it out. I freely admit that I have an active dislike of a certain company out on the West coast, but even if I didn't, most of the problems like this that I have heard about are due to IE.

(Well, ignoring the root cause of the web site that is pushing crap and spyware onto your machines)

[Unregistered]

Not being that well versed in the seamy underbelly of the internet, this thread was my first exposure to Spyware. I have downloaded the recomended software (Spybot and Ad-aware) with no problem, but how do I know which of the files they identify should be removed. Is there a useful Spyware database or information resource available anywhere?

Thanks!
Ted

[DreamCatcher]

KidFixer ,



Can you show us some Screen Shots of Exactly what happened while you where browsing FreeWarePalm.com ?