Points of Required Attention™
Please chime in on a proposed restructuring of the ROM hacking sections.
Views: 88,529,656
 Main | FAQ | Uploader | IRC chat | Radio | Memberlist | Active users | Latest posts | Calendar | Stats | Online users | Search 05-04-24 06:34 AM
Guest: Register | Login

0 users currently in General Chat | 3 guests | 3 bots

Main - General Chat - One less reason to use Norton Products New thread | New reply

Pages: 1 2

Ailure
Posted on 03-10-09 03:47 PM (rev. 2 of 03-10-09 03:52 PM) Link | Quote | ID: 102432

Hats
Steam Board2 group
Level: 121

Posts: 3225/3965
EXP: 19791430
Next: 265266

Since: 02-19-07
From: Sweden, Skåne

Last post: 3309 days
Last view: 2060 days
Gentlemen start your conspiracy theories.

TL;DR a mysterious program is found in a Norton Product. Norton itself removes any discussion in their forum related to said program...

____________________
AIM: gamefreak1337, MSN: Emil_sim@spray.se, XMPP: ailure@xmpp.kafuka.org

chungy
Posted on 03-10-09 08:39 PM Link | Quote | ID: 102451


Rex
Level: 51

Posts: 343/533
EXP: 960936
Next: 53002

Since: 08-23-07
From: Las Vegas

Last post: 4452 days
Last view: 4254 days 		*yawn*

What did I tell you last night about many, many proprietary programs containing hidden malicious features?

James Freeman
Posted on 03-10-09 08:45 PM Link | Quote | ID: 102452


Octoballoon
Level: 31

Posts: 124/177
EXP: 177475
Next: 7888

Since: 10-15-08
From: NERV 1

Last post: 4305 days
Last view: 4303 days 		Well, now, isn't THAT interesting. One more reason to get the hell away from Norton.

____________________
"That's your 'ultimate attack'? You're going to drop a *BLEEP*ing asteroid on me? ARE YOU *BLEEP*ING INSANE?! THAT THING IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!" - Bob, Bob and George

"Welcome to NERV; God's in his Heaven because He's scared of our superior firepower." - Dr. Yui Ikari, Neon Genisis Evangelion: Nobody Dies (Chapter 5)

chungy
Posted on 03-10-09 09:57 PM (rev. 2 of 03-10-09 10:01 PM) Link | Quote | ID: 102455


Rex
Level: 51

Posts: 344/533
EXP: 960936
Next: 53002

Since: 08-23-07
From: Las Vegas

Last post: 4452 days
Last view: 4254 days 		Points against Norton are very minor to the larger argument -- this is why you should only accept free software.

blackhole89
Posted on 03-10-09 10:38 PM Link | Quote | ID: 102456


The Guardian
Moloch whose eyes are a thousand blind windows!
Level: 124

Posts: 2312/4196
EXP: 21546351
Next: 290250

Since: 02-19-07
From: Ithaca, NY, US

Last post: 479 days
Last view: 92 days



Since I don't have my program myself, this only leaves me wondering how much of it is true and how much is only internet prank/conspiracy theory/scare, and, if it is true, what the actual story behind this is... it would be awfully comedic if one part of their program blew the cover of another that was supposed to stay hidden.

____________________

smkdan
Posted on 03-10-09 11:50 PM Link | Quote | ID: 102461


Ninji
Level: 36

Posts: 205/238
EXP: 288831
Next: 19279

Since: 05-26-07

Last post: 4070 days
Last view: 4019 days 		uh oh

1) The file itself is designed specifically to send usage history (In the form of Internet Explorer history files, Temporary Internet Files, and Google Desktop information) to 2 private servers: One owned by Microsoft and the other owned by a Washington-based corporation known as "SwapDrive". This in and of itself is a breach of our privacy and should be explained immediately.


and then later on in the thread a link to an analysis gets posted that shows PIFTS poking around temporary internet files so that's probably not a good look for norton.


blackhole89
Posted on 03-11-09 12:11 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102462


The Guardian
Moloch whose eyes are a thousand blind windows!
Level: 124

Posts: 2313/4196
EXP: 21546351
Next: 290250

Since: 02-19-07
From: Ithaca, NY, US

Last post: 479 days
Last view: 92 days



Here's an Anubis analysis report of PIFTS.exe:


http://anubis.iseclab.org/?action=result&task_id=19d7659347c3ebcd4a5ba7e9faa60fa14&format=html

Looks to be collecting information from cookies, temp files, Internet Explorer, and recording searches in google and google desktop. Norton doesn't need to use these folders to see how many installations there have been, so why it's mining your search data/history and phoning home is anyone's guess.

Nice try, but I don't see where in the report it does that.

The only notable activity I can discover is it trying to screw around with the RAS manager (dialup-related stuff) and network settings in general. If that post and the subsequent drama is based off that report, the research that took place probably wasn't much more advanced than "it says temporary internet files here? OMG IT READS MY TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES AND SENDS THEM TO NORTON!!!!1!!!...I'll say it sends them to Microsoft too, for good measure".

I'll dismiss what I've seen so far as conspiracy theories.

(I wouldn't be surprised at all if the supposedly rootkit-protected folder it resided in actually just was hidden and the user who reported it didn't have display of hidden files turned on...)

____________________

chungy
Posted on 03-11-09 12:19 AM (rev. 2 of 03-11-09 12:20 AM) Link | Quote | ID: 102464


Rex
Level: 51

Posts: 345/533
EXP: 960936
Next: 53002

Since: 08-23-07
From: Las Vegas

Last post: 4452 days
Last view: 4254 days 		Oh yes, because there's no possible evil reason behind sending your private data without your consent. Nope, none at all. </sarcasm>

blackhole89
Posted on 03-11-09 12:23 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102465


The Guardian
Moloch whose eyes are a thousand blind windows!
Level: 124

Posts: 2314/4196
EXP: 21546351
Next: 290250

Since: 02-19-07
From: Ithaca, NY, US

Last post: 479 days
Last view: 92 days



Sending private data without one's consent, sure, but I see too many sparkly-eyed kids thinking they've stumbled upon a massive-scale industrial conspiracy to share their secret porn links collection with Microsoft being involved here.

Without having actually looked into it - I find the explanation that Norton tried to get their hands on some statistical data about customers' OS/patches/internet connection/whatever without asking and performed clumsily quite plausible. If I can be bothered to download IDA later (don't have my desktop machine here...), I'll look into it myself.

____________________

nutman217
Posted on 03-11-09 05:12 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102471


Buster Beetle
Goddamn citrus!
Level: 47

Posts: 303/459
EXP: 740815
Next: 25388

Since: 10-20-08
From: The Bowels of Hell

Last post: 5516 days
Last view: 5413 days 		Oh shit, isn't Symantec made by Norton?!

But I haven't encountered any PIFTS.exe warnings, most likely because I'm using Firefox.

____________________
RAEG

chungy
Posted on 03-11-09 05:58 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102475


Rex
Level: 51

Posts: 346/533
EXP: 960936
Next: 53002

Since: 08-23-07
From: Las Vegas

Last post: 4452 days
Last view: 4254 days 		Actually it's the other way around, Norton is made by Symantec (or more specifically, Symantec bought Norton in the early 1990s and now it's just become a brand name).

Ailure
Posted on 03-11-09 07:17 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102479

Hats
Steam Board2 group
Level: 121

Posts: 3227/3965
EXP: 19791430
Next: 265266

Since: 02-19-07
From: Sweden, Skåne

Last post: 3309 days
Last view: 2060 days
Posted by blackhole89
Without having actually looked into it - I find the explanation that Norton tried to get their hands on some statistical data about customers' OS/patches/internet connection/whatever without asking and performed clumsily quite plausible. If I can be bothered to download IDA later (don't have my desktop machine here...), I'll look into it myself.
Possible, and while I don't mind hardware surveys... at least ask me about it first and make it clear what data you're sending.

____________________
AIM: gamefreak1337, MSN: Emil_sim@spray.se, XMPP: ailure@xmpp.kafuka.org

Devin
Posted on 03-11-09 08:20 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102481


Goomba
Level: 13

Posts: 10/22
EXP: 8145
Next: 2122

Since: 04-13-07

Last post: 3405 days
Last view: 3037 days
Avast is the best antivirus and everyone in this thread knows it.

____________________
Photo by Luc Viatour

Trapster
Posted on 03-11-09 08:32 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102482


Morton Koopa
Feel the pain of those inferior beings...as you burn in hell!
Level: 98

Posts: 1262/2410
EXP: 9378426
Next: 275927

Since: 02-19-07
From: Sweden

Last post: 4522 days
Last view: 4504 days
I use AVG 7.5 Internet Security Home Edition.

____________________
http://gh.ffshrine.org/?r=54532
http://gh.ffshrine.org/soundtracks.php?r=54532

Zem
Posted on 03-11-09 11:47 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102484


Panser
DOOM FOR VON DOOM
Level: 42

Posts: 338/343
EXP: 503461
Next: 17901

Since: 02-21-07

Last post: 5521 days
Last view: 5519 days
Posted by chungy
Oh yes, because there's no possible evil reason behind sending your private data without your consent. Nope, none at all.

It's nice of people to use these sarcasm tags, because I can't tell when you're being sarcastic otherwise. Also it's very funny, because it makes use of some xml syntax to denote something that is not normally marked up with xml.
Anyway, sorry for derailing, just wanted to show my appreciation for this posting style. Keep it up. It might seem like I'm being sarcastic but I'm not.

____________________
 

chungy
Posted on 03-12-09 03:23 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102531


Rex
Level: 51

Posts: 347/533
EXP: 960936
Next: 53002

Since: 08-23-07
From: Las Vegas

Last post: 4452 days
Last view: 4254 days 		Thank you Zem for your understanding.

Marzen
Posted on 03-13-09 03:00 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102717


Giant Koopa
I might be alive, but chances are that's not the case.
Level: 73

Posts: 335/1273
EXP: 3423125
Next: 62743

Since: 10-15-08
From: Lulzerland

Last post: 4596 days
Last view: 4502 days
Eurgh, I hate Norton. All paid-for virus things suck. Except Avast, but I don't really think you HAVE to pay for that. My thing didn't expire, and it had been 3 months ...

As for this file thing, probably another conspiracy theory. But who cares, I don't use Norton any more anyway.

____________________

NightKev
Posted on 03-13-09 03:03 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102720


Cape Luigi
Level: 131

Posts: 3424/4792
EXP: 26246427
Next: 178193

Since: 03-15-07

Last post: 3742 days
Last view: 3654 days
Avast! has both a free version and a paid version ("avast! Home" vs "avast! Professional" editions).

There are far better reasons not to use Norton, anyway...

____________________

Nebetsu
Posted on 03-14-09 03:56 AM Link | Quote | ID: 102819


Goomba
Level: 13

Posts: 15/23
EXP: 8236
Next: 2031

Since: 01-28-09

Last post: 5283 days
Last view: 4577 days
nebetsu@yajuu:~$ cat ./documents/post

I'm using ESET NOD32 and I'm pretty happy with it. Not too bulky and seems to get the job done. I always knew there was something wrong with Norton other than the massive bloat and the inferior products. I hope they go to jail or at least get sued for this. Makes me want to buy it, have my privacy rights messed with, and then sue them in one class action lawsuit.

____________________
Get Fluxbox

PSlugworth
Posted on 03-14-09 06:32 PM Link | Quote | ID: 102876


Cheep-cheep
Level: 32

Posts: 158/189
EXP: 205967
Next: 475

Since: 02-19-07
From: Brooklyn, NY

Last post: 5040 days
Last view: 2668 days 		I haven't used anti-virus software in about five years and haven't had any trouble, and I don't understand why anybody who's even an "intermediate computer user" should need any. Does everybody constantly go downloading files from anywhere, with no rhyme or reason, or what?

____________________
andrew sylvester dot com | retrogaming @ robot vaudeville
Pages: 1 2


Main - General Chat - One less reason to use Norton Products New thread | New reply

Acmlmboard 2.1+4δ (2023-01-15)
© 2005-2023 Acmlm, blackhole89, Xkeeper et al.

Page rendered in 0.026 seconds. (321KB of memory used)
MySQL - queries: 107, rows: 136/136, time: 0.012 seconds.