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Spyware in Audio Galaxy

Posted by michael on Sun Jan 27, 2002 01:21 AM
from the private-eyes-are-watching-you dept.
Privacy
LintMan and a zillion other people wrote in about the story on Portal of Evil discussing spyware bundled with Audio Galaxy that seems to be even more nasty than usual. Others have written about it as well - there's Counterexploitation and Wired stories. Frankly, we're kind of bored by all these spyware/shareware stories (don't people learn?) so we let it sit around in the submissions bin for a few days, until, say, a slow Saturday night.
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  • No Problem by epsalon (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:25AM

    • Re:No Problem (Score:5, Insightful)

      by reaper20 (23396) on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:35AM (#2908787) Homepage
      Agreed, this is a huge advantage that the linux desktop has that no one seems to mention. In Linux, apps don't generally take over my mime types, install spyware, or my personal favorite, insist on putting "neatpp" in C:\progra~1\company name\neatapp\neatapp.exe.

      Sometimes I sit there and tell myself, "Good thing your company puts all its products in a folder named after your company, that way I can easily manage the multitude of apps that you guys provide." After a while, my Program files looks like a freaking billboard ....

      I HATE software that does this. Especially when 90% of windows applications believe that they deserve and absolutely must have an icon in the system tray. Even better is when they don't put the icon in the startup folder, so you have to go Registry hunting. Anything by Real does this. "By closing MemoryLeakLauncher Plus, you could lose some of the great features of the Real Player." Fuck off and die Real.

      The Linux desktop may not have some of the "great applications" that you see in windows, but I have yet to see a linux app that maximizes its install, hiding my taskbar with that dumb blue screen, and insisting on stealing focus. This is the desktop that people think we should emulate? No thanks.

      Good thing my Windows bozen have ad-aware.
      [ Parent ]
    • Re:No Problem by sharkman67 (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:44AM
    • Just to be on the safe side by XNormal (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:08AM
    • No Problem - really? by loraksus (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:09AM
    • Re:No Problem by a0m0y (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @07:14AM
    • Re:No Problem by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @07:54AM
    • Re:No Problem by BiggyP (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @09:10AM
    • Re:No Problem by LintMan (Score:1) Monday January 28 2002, @01:44AM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.

  • License? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Phroggy (441) <slashdot3@NOSpam.phroggy.com> on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:25AM (#2908746) Homepage
    Does AudioGalaxy's EULA have anything interesting to say about this? Like the license in Windows Media Player that says Microsoft has the right to erase your hard drive if they want?
    • Re:License? by epsalon (Score:3) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:34AM
      • Re:License? by epsalon (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:07AM
      • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
    • 2 replies beneath your current threshold.

  • No surprise to me... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by MiTEG (234467) <miteg1@gmail.com> on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:27AM (#2908751) Homepage Journal
    It isn't really a surprise to me about the spyware in Audio Galaxy, I've heard people talk about how it should be classified as a trojan rather than a piece of software. MusicCity's Morpheus [musiccity.com] is by far the best spyware free program, but unfortunately there is no linux version. The best part is that it runs on the same network as Kazaa, without the spyware (which doesn't matter since Kazaa has halted downloads of their software anyway). You can find any file you want on it, and I think it is even better than Audio Galaxy.
  • VX2 - Devious by Tony.Tang (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:30AM
  • Not all versions of AG, it seems. by AdamJ (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:31AM

  • Remove it easily (Score:5, Informative)

    by DiveX (322721) <slashdotcontact@oasisofficepark.com> on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:31AM (#2908766) Homepage
    Hopefully Ad Aware (http://www.lsfileserv.com/index.html) will include it in their list soon, but until then it is an easy remove (http://www.vx2.cc/uninstall.html)

    The VX2 software is a single program file in the system directory called VX2.dll.

    To remove VX2:

    1) From the Control Panel select ADD/REMOVE programs. Select "VX2 RespondMiter" and "Remove".

    If VX2 RespondMiter is not present:
    2) Close all internet explorer browsers.
    3) Search your "C" drive for VX2.dll
    4) Delete VX2.dll

    If the system does not permit the file to be deleted proceed as follows.
    5) Select "Start" and then "Run" and type "regedit"
    6) Find the and delete the entry named "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
    CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{00000000-5eb9-11d5-9d45-009027c14662}".
    7) delete the {00000000-5eb9-11d5-9d45-009027c14662}entry.
    8) Reboot computer.
    9) Search your "C" drive for VX2.dll
    10) Delete VX2.dll

    It seems to just plug itself in IE, so as usualy Netscapers are pretty safe from this one....for now.

  • Isn't it interesting . . . (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Pituritus Ani (247728) on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:33AM (#2908772) Homepage
    ... that if J. Random Hax0r writes and distributes a piece of software that collects information clandestinely from computers on which it's installed, he gets his door kicked down and everything with a byte of RAM or potential for magnetic storage confiscated, his life ruined, and possibly sent to prison
    but
    when a barely legitimate distributor of file sharing apps produces a "product" with these same attributes, there doesn't seem to be a great presence of Federal law enforcement at its place of business?
  • Re:Isn't it interesting . . . by ahfoo (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @04:18AM
  • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.

  • A bit late on the story (Score:5, Informative)

    by Trepidity (597) <delirium-slashdo ... minus herbivore> on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:33AM (#2908774) Homepage
    This story is not very timely, as the entire issue has been resolved for at least a week now. Audiogalaxy did include the VX2 spyware in their application, was thoroughly lambasted for it, and finally gave in to user complaints and removed it. The current version of audiogalaxy available on their website has no spyware in it (or at least no VX2 spyware, and no mandatory-install spyware; it might still include Gator or something as an optional install, I haven't checked).

  • Other coverage not mentioned in story precis (Score:3, Informative)

    by RareHeintz (244414) on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:33AM (#2908775) Homepage Journal
    This has also been covered in a story at Kuro5hin [kuro5hin.org], and in slightly more depth.

    OK,
    - B

    • Re:obviously by moonbender (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @12:02PM
    • 2 replies beneath your current threshold.

  • This is an excellent case for free software (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Kiwi (5214) on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:42AM (#2908800) Homepage Journal
    Spyware is a natural consequence of the gratis (free beer) approach of proprietary software. While there is no monetary charge for downloading the software, the gratis software can have features which the end user considers undesirable; such as violating their privacy.

    A system based on software libre (free speech software), on the other hand, is much less likely to have spyware. First of all, since there are "more eyeballs" looking at the source code, people who make libre software are less likely to add features to the software which the end user may not like. Second of all, the mindset behind making libre software is different than the mindset behind gratis software; there is more desire to give people features they want and less desire to make software which has undesirable features to increase one's bottom line.

    While I do feel that propritary software works better than libre software for many things, such as video games, I am glad that I have a system that is over 90% libre software; this minimizes the chances that there is undesirable spyware on my system.

    This may be why the editors are reluctant to post spyware stories; people using software libre instead of proprietary software do not need to worry about this kind of thing.

    - Sam

  • one more reason why open source is a good thing. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by bluelarva (185170) on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:43AM (#2908802)
    I prefer Open Source because of this sort of trojan/spyware apps on closed source. I admit I don't examine every line of the source code before I compile it but I tend to trust it more just because everything is out in the open. I'm sure there has been cases where even open source app had some questionable hidden code but I bet it's exposed fairly quickly. I just think it's one more positive aspect of Open Source.
  • A staid and steadfast comment. by rice_burners_suck (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:43AM

  • Well hmmm (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Palapatine (208816) on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:44AM (#2908806) Homepage Journal
    This is interesting.... For a site dedicated to "news for nerds" and" stuff that matters" they hold a story back untill a slow newsday(night) to post it. Now as a Windows/linux/Beos user the Windows third of me wants to know when some program is installing what amounts to a data harvester on my machine, whether or not a story which followes the same path as this one has already been posted, I still would like to know what new programs are out there taking my info.
    perhaps Slashdot should put up a bi-weekly "security update" in order to address these issues which do not warrent a full post.

  • spyware/shareware? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by istartedi (132515) on Sunday January 27 2002, @01:56AM (#2908843) Journal

    spyware/shareware

    Spyware has nothing to do with shareware. You may not like the shareware business model but please do not associate it with spyware. Spyware can be distributed under all business models. Yes. Spyware could even be distributed as Open Source on a mass-market Linux distro since many users never recompile. If Linux is ever mass-marketed on the desktop by AOL, I expect to see such things happen. It will work because most users don't read security journals and won't bother to recompile.

  • typical by boojit (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:57AM
    • Re:typical by Ether Trogg (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:17AM
    • Re:typical by VAXGeek (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:11AM
    • Re:typical by diadem (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @04:01PM
    • Re:typical by Graemee (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @07:32PM

  • And to get vx2 to disassociate your personal data (Score:3, Interesting)

    by jesterzog (189797) on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:07AM (#2908872) Homepage Journal

    ..from you, you can fill in this online form [vx2.cc]. Any volunteers? By the look of it, I don't think I'll personally be filling in that form anytime soon. :)

    This thing was really nasty with how much it spies on a user's everyday activities, and I was surprised that slashdot didn't report it sooner. There's the word of a very dubious company's word that they'll purge any bank account numbers that they accidently collect from keylogging your online forms to get them before you submit over an SSL connection, but they might as well be storing and mining all of the email you write to people.

  • Shouldn't this be illegal? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Rayonic (462789) on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:11AM (#2908885) Homepage Journal
    Spyware aside, shouldn't it be illegal to infect^H^H^H^H^H^H install software on someone's computer without their knowledge? My computer is MY private property, and sneaking little programs onto it is tantamount to trespassing.

    I mean, would anyone put up with someone putting little "Buy Hood(tm) milk" ads in their refrigerator all the time? Or how about little spycams hidden away on your bookshelf? This case isn't much different.

  • Who's behind "VX2 Corporation" (Score:5, Informative)

    by Animats (122034) on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:17AM (#2908900) Homepage
    After searching state corporation records [state.nv.us], we find "VX2 Corporation" in Nevada. Address is "PO Box 21703, Las Vegas, NV, 89107", which isn't too helpful. The company president is listed as "Maurice O'Bannon".

    Looking up "Maurice O'Bannon" in Google, we find that name associated with a major Internet fraud case [ftc.gov] in Nevada and California involving $37 million of phony credit card charges which resulted in jail time [keytlaw.com] for some of the participants.

    Uh oh. Spyware from people involved with credit card fraud is big trouble. This needs to be followed up with law enforcement.

    • Re:Who's behind "VX2 Corporation" by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:01AM

    • Re:Who's behind "VX2 Corporation" (Score:5, Informative)

      by theancient2 (527101) on Sunday January 27 2002, @03:38AM (#2909020)
      This one seems to be a lot worse than the other spyware programs I've read about. Most just track things like the URLs you've seen. This one "collects some information from online forms that you fill out. This information is automatically sent to VX2 in order to save you the time and trouble of submitting such information to us yourself." (I love the way they word this thing. Save me the time and trouble. Thanks guys.)

      The spyware doesn't even stop collecting data when you're on a secure (SSL) site -- they'll just encrpt the data they collect. (Is their no end to VX2's thoughtfulness?) We're told to look for the "secure" icon before giving away personal information, and to deal only with reputable companies... but what good does that do when a very popular software program has installed a trojan which may or may not be sending credit card numbers to someone who may or may not be a convicted criminal?

      Adding popups to any random site you visit is along the lines of those programs that replace ad banners with their own, hijacking the site's revenue stream and making it appear that the site owner supports an advertiser they have no relationship with.

      To top it all off, they have the right to update their software in the background, and possibly install third-party applications without the user being aware. Does accepting this licence agreement mean I accept the licence agreements of any third-party software that may be installed at a later time?
      [ Parent ]
    • Re:Who's behind "VX2 Corporation" by torklugnutz (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:48AM
    • Re:Who's behind "VX2 Corporation" by Barbarian (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:56AM
    • Re:Who's behind "VX2 Corporation" by Ilgaz (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @05:05AM
    • Re:Who's behind "VX2 Corporation" by greenrd (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:13PM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • music industry by BigBir3d (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:17AM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • NOT an issue here... by nycdewd (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:19AM

  • Slashdot says to michael stfu (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Graymalkin (13732) on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:22AM (#2908913) Homepage
    The whiny bitching about when will people learn is ludicrous. Wah wah Windows users ought to use Linux because it is a million times more better than everything. Fuck that. Alot of these shareware/spyware schemes are complete asshole tactics and could affect Linux users too if anyone gave a shit about them.

    I recently rant into a nice little spyware program called winad (wnad.exe) which somehow ended up on the machine (nothing has been installed on the system in eight months) and would hook into IE and launch pop under windows at random when IE was sitting idle viewing a web page. My only guess is some ActiveX program loaded it onto the system from a website somewhere. This program disturbed me a bit because it got onto the system and though didn't do any damage it had the potential to. For elitist Linux users who think they're hot shit, the same thing can be done (though limited to a user's access privileges). It would annoy the piss out of alot of people to have $HOME rm -rf'ed. The whole invasion of privacy in the name of advertising crap is a blow to the whole freedom to roam thing the web is all about. Thinking you're a badass because you can compile a kernel doesn't mean you're somehow better than somebody else who doesn't compile their kernel. It gets real old real fast.
  • I'm sure that this idea is floating around....... by Dr_Marvin_Monroe (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:31AM

  • The guy doesn't know how to do a whois lookup... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Mustang Matt (133426) on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:33AM (#2908932)
    I got much more info back than him. Just have to use the correct whois server.

    Registrant:
    vx2 (VX52-DOM)
    po box 27103
    Las Vegas, NV 89126
    US

    Domain Name: VX2.CC

    Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Billing Contact:
    vx2 (D25000-OR) vx2org@hotmail.com
    vx2
    po box 27103
    Las Vegas, NV 89126
    US
    212 255 1008 fax: 123 123 1234

    Record last updated on 05-Oct-2001.
    Record expires on 31-Jul-2003.
    Record created on 31-Jul-2001.
    Database last updated on 26-Jan-2002 12:04:00 EST.

    Domain servers in listed order:

    NS1.VX2.CC207.246.124.6
    NS2.VX2.CC207.246.124.7

  • I've got a plan (HELLO LAWYERS) (Score:4, Interesting)

    by sam_handelman (519767) <skh2003 AT columbia DOT edu> on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:39AM (#2908943) Homepage Journal
    And this time, it isn't "Let's get him!"

    Okay, I was just chatting with my teenage cousin on Kazaa, and that got me thinking. Her father is a lawyer (a defense attorney). She doesn't have Audio Galaxy, but I bet some lawyer, somewhere, has a kid who installed Audio Galaxy on their home machine; and I bet they sent work related web-based E-mail.

    If I'm right and if this person can be found, surely you can subpoena Mindset to get logs of what they did with the information. IANAL myself, could you do anything else to them? The guy at www.cexx.org evidently spraypainted Blackstone's entire server pink - is that evidence that your legal communications could have been compromised? Is this stuff that cexx found utterly inadmissable?

    Failing that, there are lawyers here. Set up a scheme to make Mindset/whoever they actually are defend themselves in court - if 100,000+ people really installed this software, they have to have something they're not remotely supposed to have.

    Anyway - read the last bottom of the cexx story - it has the missing pieces of the story on HellPortal.

  • onflow (Score:4, Informative)

    by kz45 (175825) <http://www.whenpenguinsattack.com> on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:52AM (#2908964) Homepage Journal
    We know nothing about VX2," Merhej said. The VX2 program file (called vx2.dll) was part of an advertising graphics enhancer made by the Onflow Corporation, he said. Audio Galaxy offered the Onflow program as part of its software package from Oct. 1 through Nov. 4, 2001, Merhej said. The partnership was cancelled due to unpaid bills.

    Onflow is the worst company I have ever dealt with.

    Our company (which shall remain nameless) used onflow technologies in our product for about 2 years. They paid us for the first few months of operation, but when they owed us a total of about $30,000, we received a letter claiming they had lost overseas investments, and they couldn't pay us.

    Funny enough, it look like they are still in business.......
  • heh by smatthew (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:56AM
    • Re:heh by Genghis Troll (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @04:19AM
  • Hmmm... by elite lamer (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:09AM
  • vx2org@hotmail.com by footility (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:12AM

  • here's the slime. (Score:3, Informative)

    by footility (541226) on Sunday January 27 2002, @03:35AM (#2909017) Homepage
    There is a reference to joshua@abram.com on the
    "contact" page at vx2.cc. This is the whois
    from vx2.org. coincidence? I think not.
    go get him ;-)

    Registrant:
    Abram, Joshua (VX54-DOM)
    444 east 57th street
    New York, NY 10022
    US

    Domain Name: VX2.ORG

    Administrative Contact, Billing Contact:
    Abram, Joshua (FSQYHRRZLI) joshua@abram.com
    444 east 57th street
    New York, NY 10022
    US
    212 255 1008

  • Boring? (Score:3)

    by DarkZero (516460) on Sunday January 27 2002, @03:54AM (#2909047)

    Spyware that transmits anything you put into a form (web-based e-mail, credit card information, address information) back to its parent company, as well as the usual tricks of recording every webpage you visit and adding banner ads to webpages you visit bores you?

    I would've thought that a program attached to a major P2P program that records your credit card data and sends it to a shady company that no one knows anything about would be sort of important. If it were a group of self-described crackers that did this, it would probably be really big news. But because it's a corporation, just like all the others, it gets passed over?

    Every small Microsoft security hole that no one has even exploited yet is big news, but corporations stealing credit card numbers and reading every bit of a person's e-mail apparently does not mean much. It wasn't even mentioned in the /. blurb.

  • sit around in the submission bin? by jark (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @03:56AM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • The worst is yet to come... by g00z (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @04:18AM
  • Having worked at Audiogalaxy this past summer, I can assure you its not the case that they meant to bundle this, it had to have happened by accident.
    Its bundling goes against their views of making all bundled software opt-in, meaning the user must check a little box to opt-in otherwise the default setting is to not install bundled stuff.

    After reading the wired article, I think its pretty understandable how this slipped past the guys at Audiogalaxy. The spyware mentioned is just one little file vx2.dll. Since it came with onflows advertising software, To the guys at AG it must of looked like it was a dll that onflow dynamically linked their code to. It just goes to show you how sneaky companies like vx2 are. I bet spyware companys just try and sumberse themselves further like the parasite they are, and just go tag their BS onto legit dll's.

    Knowing how the folks at AG are they'll be taking a fine comb thorough their bundleware to maintain that opt-in philosophy.

  • Norton will have to extend its product line (Score:3, Insightful)

    by jeti (105266) on Sunday January 27 2002, @05:41AM (#2909204) Homepage
    I've just run Ad-aware on my Windows configuration,
    and I'm just glad that I don't seem to have caught
    anything.

    This kind of spyware is at least as dangerous as
    any worm or virus I've heard about. I think Norton
    and McAffe will have to extend their products /
    product lines.
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.

  • My ad hell (Score:5, Informative)

    by hyrdra (260687) on Sunday January 27 2002, @06:04AM (#2909234) Homepage Journal
    It may be bad popping up ads when you're surfing the web, but what about just whenever. That's what happened on my system.

    I, like Chet & Eric of the linked article do support programs having internal ads to support themselves as free software. However, monitoring users behavoirs is another story -- that's your computer and most contracts (as I have heard from a lawyer friend) cannot "sign" that away; for example your landlord cannot include a clause stating he has the right to monitor your mail, who you talk to, etc. and by living in the property he owns, you forfeit those rights, and if you do not agree with them you cannot live there. Well, folks, this is exactly what most of these programs are having you agree to. The fact is, they're illegal contracts. You cannot gather personally identifiable information (it's identifiable because they are able to deliver targeted advertisement thus they must have a system to know who you are) if you signed the rights away or not.

    I have accepted that companies do this and there really isn't a way of getting around it (heck, I don't really care what they do with the info, I'm not going to buy something from any ads they use and that'll be my contribution). So I have tolerated these commercial bombardments. That is until something strange happened.

    All of a sudden while I would be at my desk in the same room (this is at work mind you), I would notice activity on the monitor. Going over to look at it, I would notice an ad window had mysteriously popped up, when no programs were running and I hadn't been using the computer for hours. In the morning I typically had several windows to close after the nights ad-popping fun.

    Thinking it was a web site which some how introduced a popup delay, I dismised it at first. But it got worse. It was impossible to work on a Word document without having an ad popup and steal focus from my document. I also came to the realization when you close a browser window, its process ends and thus a delay javascript wouldn't work.

    I finally decided that it must be some program launching these ad windows. Searching the running process list, I noticed an interesting program happily running. Savenow was the culprit. This program was actually popping up windows on my personal desktop, on my computer (yes, I do own it) and collecting web browsing data in the background, even when its associated product wasn't running! Deleting the savenow executable, I was free of the ads yet outraged of how this company violated my privacy and my computer, and also comprimised the security of my employer. What if they could learn something about our project based upon my web browsing habits and sell that to another company?

    After that incident, I went in with a resource editor on every single ad-supported program on my computer and removed the ad resources. I also installed ad-blocking software. Still though, I do occassionaly get ads and various brandings. I have since persuaded my boss to let me put my Linux box on the network, but still, how long until we see these ads and tactics on Linux? How long until these ad programs start embedding ads in your paid for software, or interfacing with your printer driver to print a banner ad out on every page?

    The point I'm trying to make is I am all for advertising and realize it does support free products quite nicely, but when it invades my privacy and makes me sign illegal contracts, I get angry. Anyone would. And something should be done about it. I don't have the resources, I can only not buy the products they force on me and put a dent in their success rate thus no ads. But someone with the resources and time should go after these bastards.

    • Re:My ad hell (Score:4, Insightful)

      by sholton (85051) on Sunday January 27 2002, @09:32AM (#2909457)
      This program was actually popping up windows on my personal desktop, on my computer (yes, I do own it)...

      No, you don't.

      Get that fact through your head and you'll understand everything much more clearly.

      Computers are not like oil or steel or cotton. Computers have loyalty. A comupter is owned by whoever wrote the software making it run. You can only trust a computer as far as you can trust the person (or people) who wrote the software that runs on it.

      This is one of the reasons why allowing a single, for profit corporation to own a monopoly on proprietary software is orders of magnitude worse than allowing a single, for profit corporation to own a monopoly on something like oil or steel.

      You purchased the hardware, you pay for the electricity to run it, you provide the real estate where it sits, you pay for the air conditioning to keep it cool, and you pay the parts and labor when it breaks. But as soon as it starts running someone elses software, it will start doing what that other person want it to do. There's no reason for them to respect your wishes once they own your computer.

      So ask yourself: Who wrote this software? What was their motivation for writing it? Was it about money? And where is that money coming from? What is their cause? And do you want to contribute to their cause?

      Then choose your friends carefully.

      [ Parent ]
      • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.

  • Someone PLEASE... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by cwm9 (167296) on Sunday January 27 2002, @07:33AM (#2909310)
    Someone PLEASE sue these jerks for wiretapping.

    It's defined as someone who:

    Knowingly intercepts, endeavors to intercept, or procures any other person to intercept or endeavor to intercept, any wire communication

    Since the information they are aquiring is information which is sent out over the web, (I.E. a URL, albeit represented in a slightly different form) this kind of suit should stick.

    This kind of behaviour sticks of wiretapping to me. Please sue.

    -me
  • Imagine how much GPL development could be funded? by BitMan (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @07:37AM
  • Just say no!! by debber (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @08:42AM
  • Private, Encrypted? by phagstrom (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @09:14AM

  • quality (Score:5, Insightful)

    by spoonyfork (23307) <spoonyforkNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Sunday January 27 2002, @09:57AM (#2909497) Journal
    Frankly, we're kind of bored by all these spyware/shareware stories (don't people learn?) so we let it sit around in the submissions bin for a few days, until, say, a slow Saturday night.

    Now THAT'S quality journalism.

    • Re:quality by startled (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @04:51PM
    • Re:quality by mati (Score:1) Monday January 28 2002, @04:11PM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • I like Gator! by genka (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @09:59AM
  • Ad-aware must be nice - if it works by baptiste (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @10:23AM
  • I hate to say I told you so... by Krelnik (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @10:58AM

  • No surprise, as long as windows is the way it is.. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Kjella (173770) on Sunday January 27 2002, @10:58AM (#2909643) Homepage
    I mean, any program I run will have right to do pretty much *everything* (Since I'm lazy I usually run as admin too, shoot me). The problem is there's an all-or-nothing mentality in Windows that creeps me out. I wish Windows had some kind of "learning mode" just like my firewall, not just a run/don't run program. I know I could create a unique user for that program, with mostly the rights I want, but it's not nearly enough.

    I want to control what directories it can act on (I.e. limit them to C:\Program Files\, limit their registry options (deny takeover of extensions, allow changing other programs' editions) etc etc., if it can steal focus, talk to other programs, go fullscreen, how it can talk to other machines on the net (ok the winxp firewall might be a start). And I mean in real-time, not having to set up all in advance and have the program crash on me if it's not enough. And this doesn't have to be default or anything, I just wish that us powerusers could assist windows in not getting fucked up.

    Kjella
  • P2P + Win + GPL !!! by haukex (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @11:27AM
  • how long has this been part of AG? by elmegil (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @11:38AM

  • AG: "We didn't know!" (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Legion303 (97901) on Sunday January 27 2002, @12:14PM (#2909850) Homepage
    People have been bitching about VX2 on AG's forums for at least 4 months now. If you still think AG didn't know about it, I have some wonderful waterfront property in Florida you should buy.

    -Legion

    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • KazAa is even worse ! by clarkie.mg (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @12:21PM
  • Spyware? What spyware? by Robotech_Master (Score:2) Sunday January 27 2002, @12:53PM
  • Here's an idea to fix this by rhizome (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @01:20PM
  • Google Says they are going to take a stand by SplatFileGoo (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:02PM

  • VX2 Corporation Info followup (Score:5, Informative)

    by Animats (122034) on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:10PM (#2910237) Homepage
    OK, let's recap what we now know about VX2 Corporation. Some of this info is corrected from the last posting.

    The Nevada Secretary of State Corporation Search [state.nv.us] gives us.

    • President:MAURICE O'BANNON

    • Address: PO BOX 27103
      LAS VEGAS NV 89126
    Checking "vx2.cc" with Network Solutions WHOIS: [netsol.com]
    • vx2 (VX52-DOM)

    • po box 27103
      Las Vegas, NV 89126
      US

      Domain Name: VX2.CC

      212 255 1008 fax: 123 123 1234

    The post office box addresses match, so the Nevada VX2 Corporation is the correct business.

    "Maurice O'Bannon" is mentioned in several legal documents related to the J.K. Publications [ftc.gov] scam. In that case, O'Bannon was on paper an officer or director of several dummy Nevada corporations which were fronting for a multimillion dollar phony credit card billing scam operated by Kenneth Taves of Malibu, CA. (Mr. Taves is currently Inmate #12289-112 [bop.gov] at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center). O'Bannon, though, appears to be some guy in Nevada who just signed whatever was put in front of him. In the judge's words [ftc.gov] [large .PDF] "Maurice O'Bannon had an informal agreement with Nevada Corporate Headquarters, Inc., an incorporator, to act as a nominee for their client-corporations and sign whatever documents Nevada Corp wanted him to sign." The judge was bothered by O'Bannon's actions, but the FTC didn't have enough evidence that he had control of or profited from the scam to put him away.

    The J.K. publications scam [ecommercetimes.com] involved obtaining a database of 3.6 million valid credit card numbers and charging them small amounts each, supposedly for use of a porno site. The mess involved offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands and Vanatu [robbevans.com], but much of the money has been recovered. Company names involved were JK Publications, Inc., MJD Service Corp., Netfill, N-Bill, Webtel, Billing On Line, Fun On Line, and Discreet Bill.

    We're not at the bottom of this yet, but it looks very suspicious.

  • AGstreme (Score:4, Informative)

    by eries (71365) <slashdot-eric@sneakem a i l . com> on Sunday January 27 2002, @03:36PM (#2910552) Homepage
    Here's a plug for AGstreme, which I switched to after I heard about this latest round of spyware nonsense. It's a GPL AudioGalaxy client replacement, which a boatload more features. My favorite: it can read CDDB entries and then request download of one or more tracks from a given CD. Pretty darn cool:

    http://www.ractive.ch/gpl/AGStreme.html
  • what version of the satellite are you using? by kurokaze (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @06:31PM
  • Mindset Interactive, Blackstone Data involvement by Animats (Score:2) Monday January 28 2002, @01:22PM
  • Benefits of crap by Snover (Score:1) Monday January 28 2002, @07:39PM
  • Mod parent -1, Troll... by SlashChick (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:08AM
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • Re:I love slashdot by lightPhoenix (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @02:41AM

  • There's an obvious reason for this: (Score:3, Insightful)

    by jezerbel (256675) on Sunday January 27 2002, @02:54AM (#2908971) Homepage
    What controls 90% of the desktop market?

    I don't mean what do you think should control 90% of the market but what actually controls it? Like it or not Windows is out there. The average Windows user doesn't understand what is running on their machine.

    Also, following the purchase of a MS product (!!!), it is far easier to develop for Windows than other platforms like Linux and Beos. If you disagree then build a full Visual Basic program from scratch on Windows and the same program on Beos/Linux etc... If you think it's easier on other platforms then you have never built a reliable and properly bugtested program using VB. I'm not trolling - it's very much the truth - Microsoft have done some great things with their API and in my opinion its very very sharp HOWEVER I am not ofcourse dismissing the shortcomings that are inherent in an MS operating system.

    MS have very useful features available for Spyware programs. Every part of the PC, be it data, configuration or otherwise is easily accessable (which would be forbidden in the case Linux's more stringent - and more mature - permissions system - this is a GOOD thing!!).

    You have to think like a competitor - if you aim to target the majority of your user base who are you going to develop your spyware for? Linux users? Beos? MacOS? Be realisitic. You are trying to MAKE money. I'm not saying that money can't be made out of the others but Windows HAS a large established user base - which ofcourse is why they are scared of any alternatives. If you are a major contender in the OS business then sure - Linux support is important - but if you are a services provider etc.. where is YOUR market?

    This is some food for thought - think about why Windows has more spyware... think about operating as a true commercial entity. Again - I'm not trolling - I'm being realisitic. If I direct my company to make software for large distribution my choices are clear and simple - PostgreSQL/MySQL Linux backend OR comparable other product/OS and VB Client frontend - there is no way my frontend at this moment will be written in anything else (except maybe Java - but that depends on the user base).

    User base is virtually EVERYTHING if you are trying to EAT.
    [ Parent ]
  • Ah... that explains it. by The Rizz (Score:1) Sunday January 27 2002, @05:46AM
  • 26 replies beneath your current threshold.

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