Java Super Cookies MUST READ !

[MAGNES]

Java Super Cookies are being installed by malicious ware on here. (http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?54572-Virus-on-GSUS&p=464530&viewfull=1#post464530)

These are hidden cookies that are mini programs.

Clearing cookies does not get rid of them.

I have used this for quite a while, very easy to use,
first time use may shock you.

FREE , works great !

Download MAXA Cookie Manager Standard
http://www.maxa-tools.com/cookiedown.php?lang=en


http://www.maxa-tools.com/cookie.php?lang=en

CNN: You Deleted Your Cookies? Think Again (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/12/deleting.cookies.privacy/index.html)

PCWorld: Study: Adobe Flash Cookies Pose Vexing Privacy Questions (http://www.pcworld.com/article/169985/study_adobe_flash_cookies_pose_vexing_privacy_ques tions.html?tk=nl_bdx_h_crawl)


Don't thank me, this is a public service announcement.
Just do it and make sure your buddy sees this.

[MAGNES]

I don't want to alarm people too much, but these cookies can follow
you around, report, read your drive, they can do whatever they are
programmed to do, they may be able to identify information on your
drive, your reading habits online, target you for advertising that follows you
around, or if some programmer wanted they could target you for a
scam. Read this thread. We got 2 serious very believable reports on here.
http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?54572-Virus-on-GSUS

People here are aware. Myself , I manually input all passes to all sites,
and I never use email from my computer, always off site email. I use
FireFox old version 2.0.0.20 , No Script, which is a must. Free Malwarebytes
and Avira free, both saved my butt once, so I got rid of everything else and
kept them, Avira has gotten no hits but my system is clean. Once I think I
got a virus from a pdf book, made my hard drive look like it was failing,
easily dealt with, once I got some malware using my computer to hijack others,
I cut off the port but it took forever to remove it, it was hidden in system volume
information. Malwarebytes did the best job, and Avira did a good one too.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free

[mamboni]

Java Super Cookies are being installed by malicious ware on here. (http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?54572-Virus-on-GSUS&p=464530&viewfull=1#post464530)

These are hidden cookies that are mini programs.

Clearing cookies does not get rid of them.

I have used this for quite a while, very easy to use,
first time use may shock you.

FREE , works great !

Download MAXA Cookie Manager Standard
http://www.maxa-tools.com/cookiedown.php?lang=en


http://www.maxa-tools.com/cookie.php?lang=en

CNN: You Deleted Your Cookies? Think Again (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/12/deleting.cookies.privacy/index.html)

PCWorld: Study: Adobe Flash Cookies Pose Vexing Privacy Questions (http://www.pcworld.com/article/169985/study_adobe_flash_cookies_pose_vexing_privacy_ques tions.html?tk=nl_bdx_h_crawl)

Great Caesar's Ghost!!!! That program found cooties I didn't know I had!!! Thanks MAGNES!!!!

Once more, a Greek shows us the way ahead!

[General of Darkness]

Magnes, when I saw the virus thread and did some searching found that today, I was too busy to post on it. I will say this Magnes, Avast kick it in the nuts before it had a chance to latch on and when I ran Malwarebytes in a full scan nothing showed up.

I'm going to down load the maxa tools and see how it goes. FYI - I'm on a 2 month old monster laptop with little data on it that I really don't care if I have to reformat the drive should something happen.

[MAGNES]

Good find Libertytree.


congressmen blast "supercookies" aka java cookies as privacy menace


http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/n...acy-menace.ars (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/09/congressmen-blast-supercookies-as-privacy-menace.ars)

in a monday letter to the federal trade commission, two prominent members of the house of representatives raised alarm about the use of "supercookies" by popular websites such as msn.com and hulu.com. Citing an august wall street journal article, they urged the ftc to investigate the growing use of supercookies as a potential "unfair and deceptive act or practice."

rep. Joe barton (r-tx) and rep. Edward markey (d-ma) are co-chairs of the bipartisan privacy caucus. In their letter to ftc chairman jon leibowitz, they wrote that "we believe the usage of supercookies takes away consumer control over their own personal information, presents a greater opportunity for misuse of personal information, and provides another way for consumers to be tracked online."

so what's a supercookie? Ars asked ashkan soltani, an independent privacy researcher who has assisted the wall street journal with its privacy reporting. He told us that the term doesn't have a precise definition. Rather, it's "more of a marketing term" for cookie-like strategies for tracking users across browser sessions. Supercookies are typically difficult for users to delete, and soltani said that's precisely why some less-scrupulous advertisers use them.

In july soltani was part of a team that uncovered a tracking method using etags that worked even when the user was in private browsing mode. One of the sites using the technology, hulu, quickly dropped it and severed ties with kissmetrics, the company that provided it. Kissmetrics, along with clients such as spotify and aol, are now embroiled in a lawsuit arguing that the technology violates privacy laws.

Soltani pointed to evercookie, a research prototype that demonstrates just how powerful supercookies can be. It stores information about itself in up to a dozen places in the user's browser. And any time information stored in one place disappears (for example, when a user clears his cookies), it is "respawned" using information stored elsewhere. Such "zombie cookies" are extraordinarily difficult for ordinary users to delete.

Browser vendors have tried to keep up with these increasingly aggressive tracking schemes by adding additional user controls. Earlier this year, google added the capability to delete flash cookies using the same interface as traditional cookies. And an add-on called betterprivacy helps users manage flash cookies on firefox.

But soltani thinks this is a losing battle. "it's this constant game of whac-a-mole," he said. "if there's anywhere to store persistent data, companies are incentivized to do so."

he said that as soon as browsers started creating user preferences to control flash cookies, ad networks started moving to other mechanisms that were harder for users to control. Indeed, he said that some vendors explicitly advertise the fact that their user-tracking technologies are impervious to user cookie deletions.

"i think supercookies should be outlawed because their existence eats away at consumer choice and privacy," barton said in a statement. "how can you protect yourself from unwanted online tracking or your browsing history when you don’t even know your information is at risk?"

markey agreed. "companies should not be behaving like supercookie monsters, gobbling up personal, sensitive information without users’ knowledge," he said.

But jim harper, a privacy scholar at the cato institute (where i am an unpaid adjunct scholar), isn't convinced action by the ftc is warranted. He expressed skepticism that "a few experts in washington" were qualified to "figure out the appropriate uses" for web technology. That game of whac-a-mole, he said, is "part of an ongoing, inarticulate conversation about how these things are going to work." he said policymakers should trust market competition to produce the best outcome.

Harper also noted that few ordinary consumers seem concerned about the issue. "there just isn't a problem here, unless consumers show there is by acting as if there is," he said. And if they do start to care, they can demonstrate their displeasure by refusing to use sites caught using the technique. So far, he said, that hasn't happened.

[mamboni]

Magnes, when I saw the virus thread and did some searching found that today, I was too busy to post on it. I will say this Magnes, Avast kick it in the nuts before it had a chance to latch on and when I ran Malwarebytes in a full scan nothing showed up.

I'm going to down load the maxa tools and see how it goes. FYI - I'm on a 2 month old monster laptop with little data on it that I really don't care if I have to reformat the drive should something happen.

Yep, I run AVAST on my home PC and have zero issues - all spyware gets dickstabbed instantly! But on my work PC provided by the hospital I must use NORTON which sucks big sweaty low-hanging balls - figuratively speaking. I am regularly having to deal with virus and trojan attacks at work. IT department cleans the mess but doesn't fix the problem: get rid of NORTON!

[MAGNES]

Great Caesar's Ghost!!!! That program found cooties I didn't know I had!!! Thanks MAGNES!!!!


To give credit where it is due someone on gim posted about this, don't know who.

Thanks for the thanks, I don't really care for that as much as I care about people
getting rid of this crap from their drives, it is an eye opener for everyone, let's turn
off the thanks somehow and sticky this for all to read.

Feedurbain was putting a supercookie on my drive, this is not the case anymore
even though Joe King is reporting it is still showing up somehow in links.

[Joe King]

As for Flash cookies, use the Flash player settings manager to change the storage settings to 0MBs for websites you visit. Also you'd probably want to disallow access to cameras and mics too.

Adobe Website Storage Settings Panel (http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager07.html).

1182

[JDRock]

i wonder where has mayhem been lately?.......

[PatColo]

thanks for the thread Magnes. Maxa... installed, several long expiry cookies deleted, including the GOOG's...

google is insidious this way, they stick you with a persistent cookie for tracking & profiling. From that supercookie article,


Browser vendors have tried to keep up with these increasingly aggressive tracking schemes by adding additional user controls. Earlier this year, google added the capability to delete flash cookies using the same interface as traditional cookies. And an add-on called betterprivacy helps users manage flash cookies on firefox.funny the article portrays GOOG so benevolently, without mentioning that they're one of the prime supercookie offenders... above paragraph note's GOOG's measure against "flash cookies" but surely they don't delete their own supercookie!

scroogle is another measure which ought to be on a browser, following is from another thread, tells how to add scroogle as default search engine in firefox,


One of the first things I did was add "scroogle (http://www.scroogle.org/)" (allegedly facilitates anonymous/proxy google searches) to firefox's search engine options- very easy to do, one or two clicks:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...le-ssl-search/ (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/scroogle-ssl-search/)
or see more options here
http://mycroft.mozdev.org/search-eng...?name=scroogle (http://mycroft.mozdev.org/search-engines.html?name=scroogle)Once you've installed scroogle to that firefox list of default options, in the drop-down list select "Manage Search Engines", then select scroogle, and "Move Up" until it's at the top of the list.

Also CCleaner seems like another worthwhile, free utility,
CCleaner - Optimization and Cleaning - Free Download (http://www.piriform.com/CCLEANER)

[MAGNES]

Betterprivacy as an addon to firefox does not work as well, I have them both.

Betterprivacy shows you the directory, Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player .

But Maxa does a much better job, you see them all including whatever other
browsers like IE are putting on your drive.

Betterprivacy and Maxa actually conflict it has been reported.
I don't have Maxa working in tray all the time, I turn it on from
desktop and remove everything when I want, this strategy also allows
you to see who is installing what on your drive. Logs of everywhere
you have been online have been amassed so be good and be
smart. Those little spies report no matter if you use proxies.

Sygate Personal Free Firewall is simple and great too, that is JDR's pick.
That too is an eye opener to see what is hitting you at time, helped me
remove the serious virus I had taking over my computer, it was connecting
to a website for instructions.
http://www.tucows.com/preview/213160

[PatColo]

Okay I've lived with this MAXA cookie eater thing for < 1 hr, initially ran CCleaner & deleted all cache & cookies in firefox & IE (the latter I've had reason to launch a few times lately), so that I could be sure that what MAXA found were indeed persistent cookies and not the simple ones which are deleted easily. Firefox & IE were closed during this. Then I ran MAXA, and it deleted 4 dubious cookies, google and a couple others.

So I launched firefox and I've been surfing GSUS the past 1/2 hour or so. Twice now, MAXA has launched a dialog box saying "Web bugs found!" and lists them. First instance said 28 found, current one says 14 found. I select "show web bug domains" and this most recent one lists,
revsci.net
revsci.net
apmebf.com
mediaplex.com
ad.yieldmanager.com

Like I said I've only been surfing GSUS! so who or what is writing these "web bugs" (are these the same as cookies?) to my box?

[Joe King]

I did the same as you described, but I do not get anything like what you mentioned when only hitting GSUS.
All I see is a google cookie and a gold-silver cookie.
...and a kitco cookie too.
...and one from youtube after watching joboos owl video.

[MAGNES]

Pat, when only on GSUS , I get only one, GSUS super cookie, even that I
wonder about, it might be a VB thing. Java cookies will be installed in their
folders if you serf the web, close all browsers, remove all using Maxa, come
on just to GSUS, that is the only one you should see. Stuff might come up if
there are certain types of links in pages, if you go to other sites with ads you
will get a few of them, not just the site. This is why I have it off and use it
manually, you can see who is doing what.

The GSUS Java Cookies expire one year from now, lol .
Some from some sites expire in 20 years, lol . They are
still alive after the computer is dead.

Edit add, Pat, I just watched a video on here, youtube added one,
going to betterprivacy they have 3 funny lines there now related to
that video, ytimg X2 and a sys one, many of these are temporary.

[joboo]

Another option is to get the "Better Privacy" addon for firefox. Does it on open or close, or at specified intervals.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/betterprivacy/

[MAGNES]

Another option is to get the "Better Privacy" addon for firefox. Does it on open or close, or at specified intervals.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/betterprivacy/

Better Privacy does a few other things, I have both, but MAXA is much better
for Java Cookies, gives you better information, gets rid of other cookes from IE, etc.
People should have both.

[MAGNES]

Imagine the potential for important people being blackmailed.

The police know who is surfing what, etc , and they have their faces and contacts.

'We didn't mean to track you' says Facebook as social network giant admits to 'bugs' in new privacy row

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2042573/Facebook-privacy-row-Social-network-giant-admits-bugs.html

Facebook has admitted that it has been watching the web pages its members visit – even when they have logged out.

In its latest privacy blunder, the social networking site was forced to confirm that it has been constantly tracking its 750million users, even when they are using other sites.

The social networking giant says the huge privacy breach was simply a mistake - that software automatically downloaded to users' computers when they logged in to Facebook 'inadvertently' sent information to the company, whether or not they were logged in at the time.

Most would assume that Facebook stops monitoring them after they leave its site, but technology bloggers discovered this was not the case.

In fact, data has been regularly sent back to the social network’s servers – data that could be worth billions when creating 'targeted' advertising based on the sites users visit.

The website’s practices were exposed by Australian technology blogger Nik Cubrilovic and have provoked a furious response across the internet.

Facebook claims to have 'fixed' the issue - and 'thanked' Mr Cubrilovic for pointing it out - while simultaneously claiming that it wasn't really an issue in the first place.

Mr Cubrilovic found that when you sign up to Facebook it automatically puts files known as ‘cookies’ on your computer which monitor your browsing history.

This is still the case. But Facebook claims the cookies no longer send information while you are logged out of its site. If you are logged in to Facebook, the cookies will still send the information, and they remain on
your computer unless you manually delete them.

[optionT]

I ran the MAXA and it says there are 3 web bugs that it cant remove unless I upgrade. They are highlighted in red meaning its a web bug or tracking cookie. Any ideas on how to remove it?

[PatColo]

Pat, when only on GSUS , I get only one, GSUS super cookie, even that I
wonder about, it might be a VB thing. Java cookies will be installed in their
folders if you serf the web, close all browsers, remove all using Maxa, come
on just to GSUS, that is the only one you should see. Stuff might come up if
there are certain types of links in pages, if you go to other sites with ads you
will get a few of them, not just the site. This is why I have it off and use it
manually, you can see who is doing what.

The GSUS Java Cookies expire one year from now, lol .
Some from some sites expire in 20 years, lol . They are
still alive after the computer is dead.

Edit add, Pat, I just watched a video on here, youtube added one,
going to betterprivacy they have 3 funny lines there now related to
that video, ytimg X2 and a sys one, many of these are temporary.

well I fergot, my firefox homepage is set to the FF default which is sort of a FF/GOOG combo page, so they likely add some junk, then GSUS has the kitco bug, & I've watched a few YT vids here now... still impressed with MAXA overall to enhance privacy- it's something which concerns me, see this loosely related thread:
Thread: google, scroogle, and search query privacy (http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?54054-google-scroogle-and-search-query-privacy)



I might check out the NOSCRIPT add-on, as long as it allows a whitelist for sites I frequent where I want whatever functionality the scripts give, IE youtube, maybe beforeitsnews.com (http://beforeitsnews.com/) which updates that homepage continuously without reloading, I imagine using a script?

[MAGNES]

Sometimes there is NoScript conflicts, my FireFox is old so it might be that,
sometimes there are so many scripts, when you turn off NoScript everything
slows down, all these are little programs doing something. Since you have FF,
make sure to get Better Privacy, have a look at the options page, ping tracking
is disabled, dom storage as well, have a look. A couple of websites out there
hang bigtime for me when I allow all scripts, like that redacted website linked
by WRH, it stops my system, beforeitsnews might be one that I have issues
with too. Web page creators should keep it simple but don't.

[MAGNES]

I ran the MAXA and it says there are 3 web bugs that it cant remove unless I upgrade. They are highlighted in red meaning its a web bug or tracking cookie. Any ideas on how to remove it?

These might be the IE ones that are hard to remove, I had this too,
eventually they disappeared, LOL . It should tell you what they are,
see above, the folder I gave from better privacy, this is usually for
adobe flash, firefox, but IE permanent cookies are a little harder to
identify on your drive for manual deletion, now you know what MSFT
is doing to you, LOL . Try some other programs that remove MSFT
garbage, KMCS Deluxe Suite , freeware, does a good job of toasting
all sorts of MSFT .dat files and other files. It is a very simple program,
scans your drive and removes all your garbage. Reboot necessary.
Be careful with registry cleaners, that's a different animal.

[Joe King]

I ran the MAXA and it says there are 3 web bugs that it cant remove unless I upgrade. They are highlighted in red meaning its a web bug or tracking cookie. Any ideas on how to remove it?Did you try CCleaner? It's supposed to remove all the super cookies.

[MAGNES]

Did you try CCleaner? It's supposed to remove all the super cookies.

I have CCleaner, my version doesn't do this, it works fine so I left it alone,
if newer versions do this that is great, people are more aware, Max is good
for everyone to see in a window the information, what there is, there are ways
if someone wanted, you might know it seems, to get into the hidden folders
and remove those stubborn IE super cookies. I was getting into researching
that and noticed one day they were gone somehow.
CCleaner 3.06.1433 , KMCS I like better, same type of simple program.

[PatColo]

So I launched firefox and I've been surfing GSUS the past 1/2 hour or so. Twice now, MAXA has launched a dialog box saying "Web bugs found!" and lists them. First instance said 28 found, current one says 14 found. I select "show web bug domains" and this most recent one lists,
revsci.net
revsci.net
apmebf.com
mediaplex.com
ad.yieldmanager.com

Like I said I've only been surfing GSUS! so who or what is writing these "web bugs" (are these the same as cookies?) to my box?

okay since that post (when I deleted the latest 14 bugs it found), this report just popped up, 34 new bugs found, domains:
casalemedia.com
casalemedia.com
mathtag.com
turn.com
scorecardresearch.com
doubleclick.net
tag.admeld.com
abmr.net
ad.yieldmanager.com
revsci.net
adnxs.com
imrworldwide.com/cgi-bin
tynt.com

I've mostly remained on GSUS, but additionally I opened this latest Facebook scandal article,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2042573/Facebook-privacy-row-Social-network-giant-admits-bugs.html

...which Magnes linked to above, and also opened the beforeitsnews.com (http://beforeitsnews.com/) homepage. Point being I guess, this cookie/web-bug thing is just off the rails! thanks again Magnes for pointing to MAXA. And speaking of "off the rails", so is F'n Facebook! Are they ever NOT scheming & deceiving, then feigning "mistakes", "benign intentions" etc when busted? Onion's Facebook CIA Project (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqggW08BWO0) "spoof" is obviously not a spoof at all!

One thing I don't understand yet though, MAXA has been making these occasional "ding-cuckoo" audibles, with no accompanying msg. It's often been while I haven't changed a page in several minutes, as I'm just sitting reading something. Don't know if that's a new bug being written in the background or what. Granted I haven't yet read whatever user-guide info came with MAXA. I did see the option to turn the audible off when I installed it, default option was audible-on; I may still go back and change that.

[MAGNES]

One thing I don't understand yet though, MAXA has been making these occasional "ding-cuckoo" audibles, with no accompanying msg.

One of the bugs got zapped, makes me laugh sometimes, the count goes higher, lol .
I don't have it on all the time in tray. Go to settings, you can turn it off.

[PatColo]

Imagine the potential for important people being blackmailed.

The police know who is surfing what, etc , and they have their faces and contacts.

'We didn't mean to track you' says Facebook as social network giant admits to 'bugs' in new privacy row

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2042573/Facebook-privacy-row-Social-network-giant-admits-bugs.html

Facebook has admitted that it has been watching the web pages its members visit – even when they have logged out.

[...]

noteworthy: Magnes you only reposted about half of that article, check the site for the full article, which is dated 9/28/11 ;)

[mick silver]

magnes does this work with mcafee ?

[Twisted Titan]

Tasg........

[Libertytree]

Anyone with a Mac checked for these things? If so, what did you use to clean them out? Maxa doesn't have a Mac version. TIA.

[DMac]

magnes does this work with mcafee ?

I'm using McAfee on work related machines and I have MAXA installed there as well with no conflict.

[PatColo]

It's funny, my 'net connection went down for about 30 mins, and I had maybe a dozen browser tabs open. So early in the outage, MAXA popped up so I reviewed all the cookies which had been written, and deleted most of them, except for pages where I was "logged on" in some way and didn't want to log in again when the connection returned.

So I deleted everything else which I didn't recognize or otherwise care about, all the while offline. Well refreshing the MAXA cookie page, half of those cookies were re-wrtitten immediately! OFFLINE! apparently just by having the page loaded in a browser tab, they are (guessing) continually running some script, independent of having a live 'net connection, which places a cookie on your box if it's not there already! Some sites open in tabs which immediately rewrote their cookie were:
beforeitsnews
collapsenet (cookie also called "rubiconproject.com")
guardian.co.uk
veteranstoday
pakalertpress
cnet - this one seems particularly persistent, as I was at cnet earlier to download something, but that tab has long since been closed, and deleting their (several) cookies just results in them being re-written!

Also, I've noticed MAXA is designed with the free version a tease to upgrade, teasing the user with such desireable features as the black & white lists, and deleting the tougher, long or "never" expiring cookies. I thought the first time I ran it, it deleted everything, but some of those cookies have been re-written (the GOOG beast...), and MAXA now tells me that only the upgraded version can delete them!

[Ash_Williams]

Don't install anything made by Adobe and stay away from Sun's Java and your computer will remain a hundred times cleaner.

Foxit makes a pdf reader that is far superior to Adobe. There's no real alternatives for flash yet, so I just disable it totally on my 'important' computer. Same with Java. If you want to stay clean you can't have those incredibly vulnerable programs on your system. It's like locking up the house but having some retarded kid at home that will open the door for any robber that says he's a cop.

[MAGNES]

It's funny, my 'net connection went down for about 30 mins,

Pat, your experience is my experience, sometimes they are stubborn, get written again.
MAXA cannot get rid of them so fast for some reason, but eventually they do get toasted.
My theory is they are running something and you cannot delete cause of that, similar to other programs.
You don't need to pay for anything, I don't get any popups or nagging crap like that like
other freeware, like Avira, which actually did save me in the past. I had a few of those
free programs running. Avira and Malwarebytes actually do amazing root searches and
they also have false positives at times, their ears are too perky.

My system is totally clean through all this, I never got a hot hit though.



Don't install anything made by Adobe and stay away from Sun's Java and your computer will remain a hundred times cleaner.

Foxit makes a pdf reader that is far superior to Adobe. There's no real alternatives for flash yet, so I just disable it totally on my 'important' computer. Same with Java. If you want to stay clean you can't have those incredibly vulnerable programs on your system. It's like locking up the house but having some retarded kid at home that will open the door for any robber that says he's a cop.

Excellent point here, notice JRE notices above, folders.

I have no Java installed on my system now, new drive built up, I have not needed it at all.

Notice above it is using Java it seems, which may be why I got no hot hits.

Adobe full I was using, pull pages, make Jpeg, I agree people need to avoid Adobe where they can,
so much crap and all their programs do things in background and mess with registry big time, hogs.

I love my new PDF reader, Sumatra, using the portable version, it is very basic, I tried a few, threw them away, including Foxit. Sumatra PDF Portable V1.06 . Why install the full version.
http://portableapps.com/apps/office/sumatra_pdf_portable

What I do need now is another PDF program that I can do some basic editing.
I am not installing full Adobe again, nor any of their programs, flash, have no choice.

[SLV^GLD]

After reading some of the posts in this thread I'm wondering if some of you have ever bothered to edit your HOSTS file and acquaint some of the more dubious domains with local host.

[Ash_Williams]

I have no Java installed on my system now, new drive built up, I have not needed it at all.

Notice above it is using Java it seems, which may be why I got no hot hits.

Java has been a known vulnerability in the past. A few versions ago it allowed the worst kind of exploit - simply having it running and having your PC connected to the internet would open you up to viruses sent to your ip address. Java's been such a security hole in the past that I can't imagine trusting it now.


Adobe full I was using, pull pages, make Jpeg, I agree people need to avoid Adobe where they can,
so much crap and all their programs do things in background and mess with registry big time, hogs.

I love my new PDF reader, Sumatra, using the portable version, it is very basic, I tried a few, threw them away, including Foxit. Sumatra PDF Portable V1.06 . Why install the full version.
http://portableapps.com/apps/office/...a_pdf_portable

What I do need now is another PDF program that I can do some basic editing.
I am not installing full Adobe again, nor any of their programs, flash, have no choice.

Foxit makes a PDF editor as well. Older version is just called "foxit PDF Editor". Newer one is Foxit Phantom. It's the only one I've found that works the way it should.

Edit: The avira nag screen is easy to disable. You can find instructions online for your operating system, just google it.

[Down1]

Anyone here surf in a sandbox as I do ?

http://www.sandboxie.com/

[osoab]

I have 7 cookies that MAXA cannot not get rid of. All are IE based. Some are 4 years old. What to do?

[mamboni]

I have 7 cookies that MAXA cannot not get rid of. All are IE based. Some are 4 years old. What to do?

Close IE then delete the cookies - they should disppear. BTW CCleaner appears as effective as MAXA at cleaning cookies with the advantage that it is free and lets you designate which cookies to keep so you can logon here at GSUS without reentering username and password. Only the pay version of MAXA provides for this "white list" of cookies to keep.

[osoab]

Close IE then delete the cookies - they should disppear. BTW CCleaner appears as effective as MAXA at cleaning cookies with the advantage that it is free and lets you designate which cookies to keep so you can logon here at GSUS without reentering username and password. Only the pay version of MAXA provides for this "white list" of cookies to keep.


I am not using IE. They are special types of cookies that MAXA standard version cannot get rid of. CCleaner did nothing either. I ran that after I cleared a boatload off with MAXA.

[mamboni]

I am not using IE. They are special types of cookies that MAXA standard version cannot get rid of. CCleaner did nothing either. I ran that after I cleared a boatload off with MAXA.

My dearly departed cousin used to format his hard drive and reinstall WINDOWS every 4 months no matter the need. He claimed the OS got stale no matter how careful he was. Immortal cookies sound like one good reason to reformat and start clean, though it is a pain in the ass.

[Joe King]

If you don't run IE, can the IE cookies actually do anything?

Also, if you know their location, can you manually delete them? Also, did you try running CCleaner as Administrator? That might help.

[osoab]

My dearly departed cousin used to format his hard drive and reinstall WINDOWS every 4 months no matter the need. He claimed the OS got stale no matter how careful he was. Immortal cookies sound like one good reason to reformat and start clean, though it is a pain in the ass.


If you don't run IE, can the IE cookies actually do anything?

Also, if you know their location, can you manually delete them? Also, did you try running CCleaner as Administrator? That might help.

Got them with CCleaner. I didn't have IE cookies checked off. MAXA didn't pick them up after the run of CCleaner. I will see what it looks like after a reboot.

[osoab]

I just got a cookie from maxa-tools.com

[PatColo]

I just got a cookie from maxa-tools.com

as a result of reading this thread, I downloaded & installed Avast yesterday. Avast.com's download link pointed to cnet.com -

http://download.cnet.com/Avast-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10019223.html?part=dl-85737&subj=dl&tag=button

so as I said b4, in listing the especially persistent cookies which would just rewrite themselves the second I'd delete them, while I'm OFFLINE,
"cnet - this one seems particularly persistent, as I was at cnet earlier to download something, but that tab has long since been closed, and deleting their (several) cookies just results in them being re-written!"

Well Avast is running in the background, and I wonder, is Avast the culprit in constantly (re)writing cnet cookies to my box, even when I've long since closed all cnet & avast pages? There are also Avast cookies there, which are also quite persistent. Does Avast need to have cookies (including cnet...) present on your box to work properly? I hope it's not a case of the fox (Avast) watching the hen house, IE tracking your every click from behind the guise of providing "protection" from all the internet evildoers!

Separately, a few other cookies MAXA indicates are now on my box with "NEVER" expirations, include:
nytimes.com
56.com
youtube.com

MAXA wants me to pay up ("upgrade") in order to delete these suckers.

[MAGNES]

Separately, a few other cookies MAXA indicates are now on my box with "NEVER" expirations, include:
nytimes.com
56.com
youtube.com

MAXA wants me to pay up ("upgrade") in order to delete these suckers.

Pat, I ain't paying for anything, those will be gone, only IE ones were stubborn,
somehow I got rid of them and one day they were just gone. You visit a website,
they put something on your system, it is that simple, links will do it too, whatever
scripts are running, etc.

I also have a little program called unlocker, it removes things windows protects.

Yes IE, even if you don't use it tracks you and sends info out, I have Sygate
and block certain actions, some are local and necessary, but some go out and
I block those. Very easy to use this old free simple program and see what is
operating. If you are hit with a virus this is 100% necessary to solve a problem.
Which site is your computer connecting to, etc, what is running, sending, etc.

JDR on here has referenced the windows .dat files a few times.
Search for these, they are in more than one place, see the dat files updating,
I have a SHORTS folder on my desktop and have a shortcut to all,
Search these folders, these folders are favorites for malicious installs,
Temporary Internet Files
Temp
History
Cookies
Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\History\History.IE5
My Recent Documents
Recent
Documents and Settings\All Users\Favorites
Documents and Settings\ ... \Favorites

USING UNLOCKER , they come back later, lol
Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5


Here is a good article. I always try to surf with Java off, javascript off, in FF, etc,
even though I do not have the java engine installed now.

Firefox devs mull dumping Java to stop BEAST attacks

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/29/firefox_killing_java/

[MAGNES]

I went to download MAXA and it says (2.3 mb) but tries to download 4.1 mb

What's up with that?

At the very least this is a learning experience for everyone,
I am going to update CCleaner myself, I don't like doing that
with many programs cause many of them work great as is.
The download is clean and very easy to install and use.
Nobody here is reporting anything. I just downloaded it
and will install it, as update I guess.

[MAGNES]

Just a reminder, we ain't that paranoid, a lot of these running processes hurt your system,
privacy issues, resource issues, conflicts/crashes and serious security issues, etc .

We got some hot hits on here on gsus, and this virus and website associated with it put
it's own java super cookies on my drive, who knows what else it tried on other people,
many got different experiences. Read this, read what Mamboni and WRS reported.
This is why I opened this thread.
http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?54572-Virus-on-GSUS&p=464890&viewfull=1#post464890


If you are doing something illegal, nothing posted in this thread will help you.
They are reading hardware, mac addresses, motherboard info, etc,

You want to be an information warrior on the edge, buy a laptop anonymously,
use it and throw it away, even cleaning it won't help you, free wifi connection, etc,
if you want to totally be anonymous, posting video, information, online, etc .

Even pen drives put data on your system, I use U3 pen drive from Sandisk,
it writes shit to my drive, many people think they are safe, lol, wait till your
wife catches you surfing porn from reading some of the above files, lol .

[PatColo]

Yes IE, even if you don't use it tracks you and sends info out

that's diabolical shit right there. I'm running the factory installed Win-7 on laptop, had MS IE installed of course but I initially just used it long enough to download firefox, and IE has mostly sat dormant since. I always figured windoze in general, & IE in particular were all in bed with NSA, as they're "closed source-code" (unlike "open-source" firefox) so no one gets to deconstruct these msft programs and find all the NSA friendly holes. But I gave MS IE the benefit of the doubt that it's at least minding it's business, not monitoring my firefox surfing & sending data who knows where - but U say IE is doing that? Got links? Or is that your sygate FW sounding alarms?

Trusting anything MSFT, and frankly I expect AAPL too (recall how it was learned your iPhone tracks your movements & saves to a secret file?)--- you may as well trust FACEBOOK to respect your privacy... it seems these are all spook fronts!

[MAGNES]

You can do what I did and create a shorts folder and put all those folders in it.
You can see these files update right away and get fat. And they are stored in
more than one place, which is why I gave you some searches. Many of these
programs like CCleaner and the KMCS I have remove a lot of this junk, but
it comes back, also Sygate shows you what is going out, it notifies you, you
can stop the pop ups and look at the logs, this program is a must too if you get
a bug. When you use FireFox, windows does a whole bunch of things, IE is part
of the operating system. I just upgraded to SP3 under duress, no doubt a lot of
these patches have updates to their devious hidden system operations.

[Glass]

You can do what I did and create a shorts folder and put all those folders in it.
You can see these files update right away and get fat. And they are stored in
more than one place, which is why I gave you some searches. Many of these
programs like CCleaner and the KMCS I have remove a lot of this junk, but
it comes back, also Sygate shows you what is going out, it notifies you, you
can stop the pop ups and look at the logs, this program is a must too if you get
a bug. When you use FireFox, windows does a whole bunch of things, IE is part
of the operating system. I just upgraded to SP3 under duress, no doubt a lot of
these patches have updates to their devious hidden system operations.

Thanks for the heads up MAGNES I think. I've only got this Maxa thing and it's working overtime. As soon as it deletes stuff the folders just fill up again. Amazing. yeah and I'm running ghostery and ad blocker plus a good AV. Firewalls always the tough one. I'm using windows f/wall on V. can't find anything else half useful. Still so much stuff gets dumped. I'm not sure if I got it setup right yet.

[osoab]

as a result of reading this thread, I downloaded & installed Avast yesterday. Avast.com's download link pointed to cnet.com -

http://download.cnet.com/Avast-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10019223.html?part=dl-85737&subj=dl&tag=button

so as I said b4, in listing the especially persistent cookies which would just rewrite themselves the second I'd delete them, while I'm OFFLINE,
"cnet - this one seems particularly persistent, as I was at cnet earlier to download something, but that tab has long since been closed, and deleting their (several) cookies just results in them being re-written!"

Well Avast is running in the background, and I wonder, is Avast the culprit in constantly (re)writing cnet cookies to my box, even when I've long since closed all cnet & avast pages? There are also Avast cookies there, which are also quite persistent. Does Avast need to have cookies (including cnet...) present on your box to work properly? I hope it's not a case of the fox (Avast) watching the hen house, IE tracking your every click from behind the guise of providing "protection" from all the internet evildoers!

Separately, a few other cookies MAXA indicates are now on my box with "NEVER" expirations, include:
nytimes.com
56.com
youtube.com

MAXA wants me to pay up ("upgrade") in order to delete these suckers.


I was able to remove the "never" ones from MAXA with CCleaner. I'm with you guys, I am not buying the full product.

[PatColo]

I was able to remove the "never" ones from MAXA with CCleaner. I'm with you guys, I am not buying the full product.

not sure I get this: does CCleaner remove "never" cookies with or without MAXA? or does MAXA have something to do with CCleaner's ability to then remove the "nevers", which it would not otherwise be able to do?

As it is, I'm not sure MAXA removes anything which can't be removed with a "remove all cookies" command from the firefox Tools>Options>Privacy>Remove Individual Cookies>Remove All Cookies menu- which doesn't remove (all of) the "never" cookies (it does seem to remove some/many of them though).

[osoab]

not sure I get this: does CCleaner remove "never" cookies with or without MAXA? or does MAXA have something to do with CCleaner's ability to then remove the "nevers", which it would not otherwise be able to do? As it is, I'm not sure MAXA removes anything which can't be removed with a "remove all cookies" command from the firefox Tools>Options>Privacy>Remove Individual Cookies>Remove All Cookies menu- which doesn't remove the "never" cookies.

The cookies that were listed as "never" by maxa were knocked out by CCleaner. I did a another run of MAXA after using CCleaner to cleanup up the "never" cookies and MAXA did not find the same cookies again.

[PatColo]

Thanks osoab, guess I'll try that. CCleaner needs browsers closed to clean though, so not this second.

Funny thing just happened, tried an experiment:
1. refreshed MAXA cookie list for very latest
2. ran firefox "Remove All Cookies" command
3. immediately closed FF, so it hopefully wouldn't start writing new cookies
4. refreshed MAXA cookie list, it showed only 4 "never" cookies, down from dozens previously, most of them from just a few domain names which had many cookies written with their same name, all of them "nevers".
5. selected all cookies in MAXA, tried to delete, it didn't delete them, gave me the upgrade nag
6. relaunched FF, all old tabs opened including GSUS, where I expected I'd be logged out since I'd just deleted all cookies I could.
7. I WASN'T LOGGED OUT OF GSUS! I even edited my last post above a bit, and sent along the change!
8. A few mins later, I refreshed a GSUS page, and I WAS LOGGED OUT THEN!

so is there some kind of delay in deleting cookies? This could account for why I've messed around in MAXA with deleting a selection of cookies, then immediately I click the refresh list button, and most of what I just "deleted" is still there on the list, like nothing happened! This was especially odd, since I ran 2 "delete all cookies" commands, first from within FF and then from MAXA with FF closed...

Separately, I looked up what a "web bug" is, since I probably ok 4-5 MAXA web bug FYIs an hour, deleting a dozen or so each time... wiki:


A web bug is an object that is embedded in a web page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_page) or e-mail (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail) and is usually invisible to the user but allows checking that a user has viewed the page or e-mail.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#cite_note-0) One common use is in e-mail tracking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail_tracking). Alternative names are web beacon, tracking bug, and tag or page tag. Common names for web bugs implemented through an embedded image include tracking pixel, pixel tag, 1×1 gif, and clear gif (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF).[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#cite_note-1)
Contents




1 Overview (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#Overview)

1.1 On web pages (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#On_web_pages)
1.2 In e-mail (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#In_e-mail)


2 Implementation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#Implementation)
3 E-mail web bugs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#E-mail_web_bugs)
4 See also (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#See_also)
5 References (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#References)
6 External links (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_bug#External_links)

[Joe King]

Pat, after reading your last post I deleted all my cookies including the one for GSUS and I'm still logged in. The only cookie I have that I can see with any of these software packages is one google cookie.

Why isn't it logging me out?

Last night it was logging me out even with the GSUS cookie.

Weird.

[DMac]

Folks,

Within the MAXA app, after you click evaluate (and can now see the red labelled cookies), right click on one of the cookies you want to delete (be it flash or other).

Right click and select view details.

The line "Located in file:" will give the path to the cookie MAXA won't delete w/o paying for the full version. Browse to that specified path and delete the offending cookie.

Slower than having an application do it for you but it works.

[Joe King]

It just logged me out a minute ago, but when I looked, there was a cookie for GSUS that wasn't there before or after I made my previous post.
No cookie, I don't get logged out, but with a cookie I did. Isn't that backwards from the way it's supposed to work? ???

[PatColo]

Pat, after reading your last post I deleted all my cookies including the one for GSUS and I'm still logged in. The only cookie I have that I can see with any of these software packages is one google cookie.

Why isn't it logging me out?

Last night it was logging me out even with the GSUS cookie.

Weird.

My first guess is it's GSUS server-side, maybe it's happy if it's seen your log-in cookie within the last 5-10 mins, even though it's gone now?

Were you suddenly logged out of GSUS a few mins later?

Remote host can tell many unique things about you besides your cookie, check this:
http://www.maxa-tools.com/cookie-privacy.php

but I'd hate to think that another box could open GSUS from behind your same router IE they have same external IP addy, & they're also running same OS & browser, GSUS server "doesn't check login cookie on their HD" (if that's what's happening!), and that box appears to be logged into GSUS as you?

That can't be what's going on... but what IS going on with that, I don't know. Anyone?

[Joe King]

It was at least 30, maybe an hour before I got logged out. But again, I had a cookie when it logged me out and I had the "remember me" box checked at log-in. When I didn't have a cookie I was able to post and send a PM.

Edit to add: In fact, just before I posted this above, I deleted the cookie and it still posted. Now I'm editing without a cookie. Weird.

Edited to also add: There apparently is still a bad iframe on the site too. Whatever someone did to fix them got rid of 4 of them, but not the fifth one.
...and still no cookie.

[mamboni]

MAXA gives out a "mosquito buzz" every time a cookie is written to your PC, if you leave it running in your taskbar. I have been logged on this AM only about 90 minutes and have visited only 4 sites: GSUS, Drudge, ZerHedge and Kitco Live and MAXA periodically reports cookies while I'm away from and not even using my PC!!! Presently, I have 100 cookies!!!!! It's as if a thousand eyes are watching you whenever you surf. Maybe we should all spend a day surfing hither and thither at high speed, collecting thousands of cookies each and see if we can;t overload the central databank. LOL.

[Joe King]

Do you allow 3rd party cookies? Sounds like it.

[mamboni]

Do you allow 3rd party cookies? Sounds like it.

Yes I do. I'm in the habit of running CCleaner every few minutes too, believe it or not. But this Am I wanted to see how many cookies will accumulate if uncleaned. Thus will simulate the average PC user who is unaware of cookies and tracking.

Present status: 112 cookies

[SLV^GLD]

All this talk of cookies is making me hungry.

[mamboni]

Present status: 135 cookies

I'm very busy at work and hardly using my PC and not surfing much at all. Yet I am covered with cooties.

[Libertytree]

For those of you who have Macs.

http://osxdaily.com/2010/04/13/the-easiest-way-to-delete-flash-cookies-on-the-mac/

http://forum.addonsmirror.net/index.php?showtopic=6599 Cookie Monster

Update: Cookie Monster works very well but the jury's still out on the other one.

[mamboni]

Present status: 151 cookies

[Buddha]

I just ran CCleaner for the first time and it removed 764mb worth of stuff, Jesus.

[mamboni]

I just ran CCleaner for the first time and it removed 764mb worth of stuff, Jesus.

Ha ha ha!!! Yo Buddha, you just gave your PC a high colonic!!!!! LOL

[Buddha]

Ha ha ha!!! Yo Buddha, you just gave your PC a high colonic!!!!! LOL

LOL, I appreciate the imagery. I'm very surprised that there was so much on it, 3/4 of a GIG I would have never imagined. This comp is less than a year old.

[JDRock]

checked mine...no cookies. nada..none zero. use ccleaner slim set to 34gutman ; )

[PatColo]

Ha ha ha!!! Yo Buddha, you just gave your PC a high colonic!!!!! LOL

don't know if you realize, CCleaner cleaned up their own product name a few years ago, formerly it was "Crap Cleaner".

So I recently closed everything, used MAXA to delete all cookies but it left half a dozen "nevers" there, ran CCleaner and that wiped it all, clingons, dingo-balls, everything. :D

But get this: several hours ago I launched IE, and went to a site of ill repute, to do some routine academic research (http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?33035-Explosion-of-free-internet-pron-amp-the-lluminati-Let-Them-Eat-Pron). You know these sites are full of the latest cutting edge creepy crawlies... so using a different browser, you figure you'll sort of "compartmentalize" the nasties in the short term, until your next history/cookie masacre, CCleaner etc. FF was also running at the time, with a bunch of "respectable" sites open in tabs.

So after my walk on the wild side, I closed IE, and ran CCleaner only targetting everything in IE for high colonic cleansing. Fine & good, then I'm back in FF surfing, and I check the latest FF cookie list with MAXA.

Let's imagine my little IE side trip to the seedy side of the internet involved a site called, SiteOfIllRepute.com. Well there, in my FIREFOX list of cookies, was a cookie from SiteOfIllRepute.COM !!!! Expiry: NEVER. And I hadn't gone there in FF at all! :o:o:o

Cookies jumping browsers in whole different program directories?!?! This junk is out of control folks! And yes, one of the never-cookies in FF which MAXA wouldn't remove, was indeed the one from SiteOfIllRepute.COM. It's gone now after CCleaner, but aaaah,..... ::)

Separately, since I installed NOSCRIPT yesterday, the MAXA alerts of web bugs have dropped maybe 80-90%. All my most commonly visited sites have been manually cleared to accept scripts now, so they work same as before, but I'm guessing NOSCRIPT is preventing a lot of rotating ads and what not from infecting me with their cooties. So thumbs up for NOSCRIPT, :p

[Buddha]

don't know if you realize, CCleaner cleaned up their own product name a few years ago, formerly it was "Crap Cleaner".

So I recently closed everything, used MAXA to delete all cookies but it left half a dozen "nevers" there, ran CCleaner and that wiped it all, clingons, dingo-balls, everything. :D

But get this: several hours ago I launched IE, and went to a site of ill repute, to do some routine academic research (http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?33035-Explosion-of-free-internet-pron-amp-the-lluminati-Let-Them-Eat-Pron). You know these sites are full of the latest cutting edge creepy crawlies... so using a different browser, you figure you'll sort of "compartmentalize" the nasties in the short term, until your next history/cookie masacre, CCleaner etc. FF was also running at the time, with a bunch of "respectable" sites open in tabs.

So after my walk on the wild side, I closed IE, and ran CCleaner only targetting everything in IE for high colonic cleansing. Fine & good, then I'm back in FF surfing, and I check the latest FF cookie list with MAXA.

Let's imagine my little IE side trip to the seedy side of the internet involved a site called, SiteOfIllRepute.com. Well there, in my FIREFOX list of cookies, was a cookie from SiteOfIllRepute.COM !!!! Expiry: NEVER. And I hadn't gone there in FF at all! :o:o:o

Cookies jumping browsers in whole different program directories?!?! This junk is out of control folks! And yes, one of the never-cookies in FF which MAXA wouldn't remove, was indeed the one from SiteOfIllRepute.COM. It's gone now after CCleaner, but aaaah,..... ::)

Separately, since I installed NOSCRIPT yesterday, the MAXA alerts of web bugs have dropped maybe 80-90%. All my most commonly visited sites have been manually cleared to accept scripts now, so they work same as before, but I'm guessing NOSCRIPT is preventing a lot of rotating ads and what not from infecting me with their cooties. So thumbs up for NOSCRIPT, :p

Yes, I've been using NOSCRIPT since I've had this comp, and still I removed 764mbs of cookies today. It is a good tool and really helps to block unwanted shit, but it still gets in there, somehow.

[MNeagle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L1jAr466DJc

[mamboni]

don't know if you realize, CCleaner cleaned up their own product name a few years ago, formerly it was "Crap Cleaner".

So I recently closed everything, used MAXA to delete all cookies but it left half a dozen "nevers" there, ran CCleaner and that wiped it all, clingons, dingo-balls, everything. :D

But get this: several hours ago I launched IE, and went to a site of ill repute, to do some routine academic research (http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?33035-Explosion-of-free-internet-pron-amp-the-lluminati-Let-Them-Eat-Pron). You know these sites are full of the latest cutting edge creepy crawlies... so using a different browser, you figure you'll sort of "compartmentalize" the nasties in the short term, until your next history/cookie masacre, CCleaner etc. FF was also running at the time, with a bunch of "respectable" sites open in tabs.

So after my walk on the wild side, I closed IE, and ran CCleaner only targetting everything in IE for high colonic cleansing. Fine & good, then I'm back in FF surfing, and I check the latest FF cookie list with MAXA.

Let's imagine my little IE side trip to the seedy side of the internet involved a site called, SiteOfIllRepute.com. Well there, in my FIREFOX list of cookies, was a cookie from SiteOfIllRepute.COM !!!! Expiry: NEVER. And I hadn't gone there in FF at all! :o:o:o

Cookies jumping browsers in whole different program directories?!?! This junk is out of control folks! And yes, one of the never-cookies in FF which MAXA wouldn't remove, was indeed the one from SiteOfIllRepute.COM. It's gone now after CCleaner, but aaaah,..... ::)

Separately, since I installed NOSCRIPT yesterday, the MAXA alerts of web bugs have dropped maybe 80-90%. All my most commonly visited sites have been manually cleared to accept scripts now, so they work same as before, but I'm guessing NOSCRIPT is preventing a lot of rotating ads and what not from infecting me with their cooties. So thumbs up for NOSCRIPT, :p

PatColo:

Yep, I was aware that the original long name was Crap Cleaner. I will make a bold statement that CCleaner is the single best system utility program ever written. I have tried many and CCleaner is by far the best: it is fast, rock solid stable, has never caused the slightest harm, has never removed a file or dll it shouldn't have, and includes some excellent tools in addition to the cookie and history cleaners, such as registry repair, startup manager and a program uninstaller tool that is far superior to the one built into Windows OS. I even sent the author a contribution through PayPal, something I infrequently do. But, I felt I was morally obligated to reward the CCleaner people for a wonderful wonderful piece of software.

[TheNocturnalEgyptian]

It has reached the point where there is no way to really be sure by running blocking programs alone. I posit that the next step in computer protection is running EVERYTHING in a virtual machine. This means, you boot your OS, then you start a program which runs another OS inside of that. With the viritual OS, you can download any virus, explore any file, and simply kill the session when you are done. You can pull data backwards out of the virtual OS if you want to but nothing will ever randomly make that jump to your OS-prime.

Think about it, most of our web use is consumption anyway.

[JDRock]

if your surfing questionable sites,either politically incorrect or others, run SEPERATE windows and use cc cleaner after every search ,and CLOSE the page . Start a new one and they cant follow your trail ;)
restarting erases everyrthing.

[PatColo]

if your surfing questionable sites,either politically incorrect or others, run SEPERATE windows and use cc cleaner after every search ,and CLOSE the page . Start a new one and they cant follow your trail ;)
restarting erases everyrthing.

by "separate windows", you mean browser windows instead of having many tabs open within one browser window? Is deleting cookies alone enough in the short term (vs also history, cache, etc)? For CCleaner to delete cache they require the targeted browser be closed, whereas with just cookies I think you can have the browser running.

also, by "close the page and start a new one", you're saying don't click on a new link from within the page you want to delete your tracks of- coz their referral logs keep track of that, both the page you're departing logs where you went after their page, and the page you're arriving at logs where you came from? U suggest instead, maybe right-click/copy-link-location, kill that browser window/tab, start a new tab where u paste in the url-- that way the page you're going to has no referring site to log? Don't you accomplish the same thing by, instead of "clicking through" from a page, instead pasting the url into your browser address field and hitting GO? Or is there some additional magic to pasting the url into a NEW browser window, rather than one with a page already loaded?

[mick silver]

is CCleaner free are do you have to buy it later ?

[willie pete]

is CCleaner free are do you have to buy it later ?

there is a free version, I've used it for a long time now....

[Dogman]

is CCleaner free are do you have to buy it later ? Top right corner


http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner


Download
Latest Version (http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/download/ce249f99b3580f02cc9c606041116cf6/)
3.33MB

[Libertytree]

As for Macs I've tried Flush and Cookie Monster but this one is very much superior to both of them...Better Privacy is the one I finally settled on.

http://betterprivacy.en.softonic.com/mac/download

[ximmy]

As for Macs I've tried Flush and Cookie Monster but this one is very much superior to both of them...Better Privacy is the one I finally settled on.

http://betterprivacy.en.softonic.com/mac/download

Libertytree, my mac says it has no application to open the file... How do I get or download an application... :(

[Libertytree]

Libertytree, my mac says it has no application to open the file... How do I get or download an application... :(

Are you using FF? If so, after you've down loaded it look at the top menu bar under tools, it'll be the last one on the list.

[ximmy]

Are you using FF? If so, after you've down loaded it look at the top menu bar under tools, it'll be the last one on the list.

It has safari, I just tried to download firefox... same problem.. Oh well :(

"Safari can’t open the file “Firefox Setup 3.6.23.exe” because no available application can open it"

[Santa]

As for Macs I've tried Flush and Cookie Monster but this one is very much superior to both of them...Better Privacy is the one I finally settled on.

http://betterprivacy.en.softonic.com/mac/download

Thanks. That was simple.

[Libertytree]

It has safari, I just tried to download firefox... same problem.. Oh well :(

"Safari can’t open the file “Firefox Setup 3.6.23.exe” because no available application can open it"

I think you're trying to open up the windows version because of the exe extension you listed, make sure you're DL'ing the Mac versions.

[Joe King]

It has safari, I just tried to download firefox... same problem.. Oh well :(

"Safari can’t open the file “Firefox Setup 3.6.23.exe” because no available application can open it"There's your problem. Try downloading the dmg instead.

http://dw.com.com/redir?edId=3&siteId=4&oId=3000-2356_4-10208569&ontId=2356_4&spi=ff7d8932d1ab8b2deab180a2e511cb7a&lop=link&tag=tdw_dltext&ltype=dl_dlnow&pid=12178861&mfgId=61635&merId=61635&pguid=Todw3AoOYI8AABOEak8AAAFa&destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.cnet.com%2F3001-2356_4-10208569.html%3Fspi%3Dff7d8932d1ab8b2deab180a2e511 cb7a <---- click here to get it.

Download the disk image (dmg file) to your desktop. Once the download has completed, the disk image may open by itself and mount a new volume which contains the Firefox application. If you do not see the new volume, double-click the Firefox dmg icon to open it.
A Finder window appears, containing the Firefox application. Drag the Firefox Icon into the Applications folder.
http://support.mozilla.com/media/uploads/gallery/images/65f85207065f2ba75e39c54c95331253-1246340499-303-1.jpg


After Firefox has been dragged into the Applications folder you can eject the disk image by selecting it in a Finder window and pressing the command+E keys or by using the Finder's File menu, and selecting Eject as shown below.

If you find that the Firefox disk image will not eject, it is probably because of a Leopard bug, that prevents disk ejection, after you've copied files from one drive to another. Ejecting the disk via the Disk Utility should still work.
http://support.mozilla.com/media/uploads/gallery/images/65f85207065f2ba75e39c54c95331253-1246340499-303-2.jpg


Firefox is now ready for use. Open the Applications folder and double-click on Firefox to start it.

(Leopard) If you're using Leopard, you will be warned that you downloaded Firefox from the internet. Because you download Firefox from the official site, you can click Open.

http://support.mozilla.com/media/uploads/gallery/images/installingonmac-5-jpg60.jpg
When you first start up Firefox, it will not be your default browser and you'll be told about that. That means that when you open a link in your mail application, an Internet shortcut, or HTML document, it will not open in Firefox. If you want Firefox to do the above, click Yes to set it as your default browser. If not or you are just trying out Firefox, click No.
http://support.mozilla.com/media/uploads/gallery/images/installingonmac-6-jpg60.jpg

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Installing%20Firefox%20on%20Mac


I hope this can be of help, Ximmy. :)

[PatColo]

this article mentions a few other utilities & pay services,

How To Erase Your Digital Footprint (http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/how_erase_your_digital_footprint?page=0,0)

[wrs]

I figured out where the Java Super Cookies are and what they are. They are just objects that get created and stored in the Java cache. Just delete your cache directory and then recreate it and you are good to go.

I did get royally fucked by this thing. Someone did get my Wells Fargo user id and password and then all my account info. I had to close all my accounts that could be seen from the web and then reopen them. I thought I had cleaned this thing out without damage but apparently not. I am not sure yet if I am free and clear but this was one bad motherfucking virus that got put on this site. Delete the 6.0 directory and recreate it. Java will refill it as needed and you don't really need whats in there so it's OK to delete it regularly.

c:\Users\xxxxxxxx\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java\Deploy ment\cache\6.0>

[MAGNES]

I figured out where the Java Super Cookies are and what they are. They are just objects that get created and stored in the Java cache. Just delete your cache directory and then recreate it and you are good to go.

I did get royally fucked by this thing. Someone did get my Wells Fargo user id and password and then all my account info. I had to close all my accounts that could be seen from the web and then reopen them. I thought I had cleaned this thing out without damage but apparently not. I am not sure yet if I am free and clear but this was one bad motherfucking virus that got put on this site. Delete the 6.0 directory and recreate it. Java will refill it as needed and you don't really need whats in there so it's OK to delete it regularly.

c:\Users\xxxxxxxx\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java\Deploy ment\cache\6.0>

That is pretty incredible WRS, mamboni reported something similar, you guys are why
I opened this thread. How did they get your passwords ?
I don't store anything like that on my computer, no automatic log ins
for me.

I don't think you are entirely correct on the folders.
Here is one BetterPrivacy gives me. Using Maxa there may be others, IE related, etc .
C:\Documents and Settings\ computer name \Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player

[wrs]

I have no automatic logins either. There must have been a keystroke logger associated with the pop up that I described earlier in the thread. That is what tipped me off to look for the original virus that probably got downloaded by the Java cookie. I was told by WF to change my uid and password about two weeks after the virus because there had been a suspicious log on. I did that but about a week later they said all my info had been compromised and that is when I had to change accounts. Apparently even though your account is hidden on the screen, your online statements display it just as do the paper ones sent to your home. If someone does log in successfully, they can read your statements and get your info.

[joboo]

I have no automatic logins either. There must have been a keystroke logger associated with the pop up that I described earlier in the thread. That is what tipped me off to look for the original virus that probably got downloaded by the Java cookie. I was told by WF to change my uid and password about two weeks after the virus because there had been a suspicious log on. I did that but about a week later they said all my info had been compromised and that is when I had to change accounts. Apparently even though your account is hidden on the screen, your online statements display it just as do the paper ones sent to your home. If someone does log in successfully, they can read your statements and get your info.

I would nuke, and reinstall my O/S over that. At the very least download combofix, copy it to your desktop, disable system restore (very important!), then reboot your computer in safe mode with networking. Disable your existing antivirus for the scan, then run combofix.

I'd probably run install and run adaware, super antispyware, malware bytes, and hitman pro from download.com after that. Install them all, scan, uninstall them. Hitman pro has been doing me well lately. It's all in the cloud in real time, and uploads suspicious files. Great program. Can give you a link to get the full version.

I deal with viruses all the time at work, and I have extremely high success ratio, have only accepted defeat 6 or 7 times in hundreds of infections.

Some of the fake antivirus programs create a new boot partition that calls up the O/S partition, so it hooks as a stealth root kit right under the OS. Solution is rewrite the master boot record via Windows recovery mode (fixmbr), which doesn't always work, or boot up a linux partition utility from a CD, and nuke it from orbit then start over.

[lapis]

I just tried to go to the Gold-silver.us link in Chrome and got this message:



Warning: Something's Not Right Here!

gold-silver.us contains content from v-------.orge.pl, a site known to distribute malware. Your computer might catch a virus if you visit this site.

Google has found malicious software may be installed onto your computer if you proceed. If you've visited this site in the past or you trust this site, it's possible that it has just recently been compromised by a hacker. You should not proceed, and perhaps try again tomorrow or go somewhere else.

We have already notified v---------.orge.pl that we found malware on the site. For more about the problems found on vsereshaemo.orge.pl, visit the Google Safe Browsing diagnostic page.

I decided to use FF instead which has NoScript installed, and it also detected something from orge.pl, feedurbrain.com and newdvdebay.com.

[Cebu_4_2]

Probably a ploy by the establishment. I don't find anything going on secretly here... well, you know what I mean.


I just tried to go to the Gold-silver.us link in Chrome and got this message:



Warning: Something's Not Right Here!

gold-silver.us contains content from v------.orge.pl, a site known to distribute malware. Your computer might catch a virus if you visit this site.

Google has found malicious software may be installed onto your computer if you proceed. If you've visited this site in the past or you trust this site, it's possible that it has just recently been compromised by a hacker. You should not proceed, and perhaps try again tomorrow or go somewhere else.

We have already notified v------.orge.pl that we found malware on the site. For more about the problems found on vsereshaemo.orge.pl, visit the Google Safe Browsing diagnostic page.

I decided to use FF instead which has NoScript installed, and it also detected something from orge.pl, feedurbrain.com and newdvdebay.com.

[lapis]

So would it be okay to go to the site using a browser without NoScripts installed?

[Cebu_4_2]

So would it be okay to go to the site using a browser without NoScripts installed?

Maybe?

[lapis]

LOL. Well, I'll just hang out here in FF for a while anyway.

[Book]

I would nuke, and reinstall my O/S over that.



Me too.

[PatColo]

mozilla add-on, gonna install and letcha know.....


Introducing Collusion

Discover who’s tracking you online

http://mozorg.cdn.mozilla.net/media/img/collusion/nodes.png

Collusion is an experimental add-on for Firefox and allows you to see all the third parties that are tracking your movements across the Web. It will show, in real time, how that data creates a spider-web of interaction between companies and other trackers.

View Our Demo see how you’re being tracked (http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/collusion/demo/)
Download the Collusion add-on for Firefox (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/collusion/)

Take control of your data

We recognize the importance of transparency and our mission is all about empowering users — both with tools and with information. The Ford Foundation is supporting Mozilla to develop the Collusion add-on so it will enable users to not only see who is tracking them across the Web, but also to turn that tracking off when they want to.

Telling the global tracking story

Your data can be part of the larger story. When we launch the full version of Collusion, it will allow you to opt-in to sharing your anonymous data in a global database of web tracker data. We’ll combine all that information and make it available to help researchers, journalists, and others analyze and explain how data is tracked on the web.

Building user awareness

Through our work with the Ford Foundation, we’ll be building outreach campaigns to help people understand online data tracking — both the benefits and the issues — so they can make their own choices about how they want to be tracked (or choose not to be tracked at all).

Collusion is about choice

Not all tracking is bad. Many services rely on user data to provide relevant content and enhance your online experience. But most tracking happens without users' consent and without their knowledge. That’s not okay. It should be you who decides when, how and if you want to be tracked. Collusion will be a powerful tool to help you do that.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhjj5K28Rw4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhjj5K28Rw4


chrome users may want to check
Collusion for Chrome (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP79Iwm0xbA)

[JDRock]

Libertytree, my mac says it has no application to open the file... How do I get or download an application... :(
this post should put to rest any notion that ximmy was book. book was the savviest guerilla computer guy ever.

[Ponce]

Interesting that in 16 years I never gotten any bugs.....is either afraid of me or maybe because my drive is 78% empty....I never download much and only whe I am sure of whom they are.....and my email? never downloaded anything.....soon I'll be going from 1. one to 3. in my download FOR FREE :)

V

[joboo]

mozilla add-on, gonna install and letcha know.....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhjj5K28Rw4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhjj5K28Rw4


chrome users may want to check
Collusion for Chrome (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP79Iwm0xbA)



I tried it a while back for firefox. If you have noscript, adblock plus, or ghostery, they already prevent it. The addon didn't produce any results for me due to those plugins.

Another multi browser addon worth having:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/clickclean/

[PatColo]

This guy O'Hallahan has been doing 'amatuer podcasts' the past couple months, and posting them to Mami's shit (http://grizzom.blogspot.com/). This recent one, he mostly talks 'puters, with emphasis on security. He's a fan of building your own box (so u know what's in it!), and running Ubuntu Linux (http://www.ubuntu.com/). He disses both the Windoze & Mac OS'es for their virus/spyware vulnerability & closed-source-code NSA backdoor riddled compromises. Talks about freeware for nuking your HD periodically, and other security tips like password/credit card safety even in the event your box has a keystroke-logger (prolly OEM in the brand name boxes these days...). It's 1 hour, good stuff. Jump to the middle and just listen to the 2nd half if you want to skip the 1st half reviewing the week's favorite podcasts & building your own 'puter.


Ohalahan's Observations podcast 9 - 2013.09.11 (http://grizzom.blogspot.com/2013/09/ohalahans-observations-podcast-9.html)



https://lh3.ggpht.com/-cAvGsYJoxUA/T2t1BQDFOQI/AAAAAAAABtE/Q7rDQe5cQ5o/s1600/A_Radio_Announcer_Talking_on_a_Headset_Royalty_Fre e_Clipart_Picture_110119-138327-697053.jpeg (https://lh3.ggpht.com/-cAvGsYJoxUA/T2t1BQDFOQI/AAAAAAAABtE/Q7rDQe5cQ5o/s1600/A_Radio_Announcer_Talking_on_a_Headset_Royalty_Fre e_Clipart_Picture_110119-138327-697053.jpeg)
My picks for the best podcasts of the week. Today, responsible computing is discussed. How to maintain a secure PC. Which operating system is the best for your needs. How to remove viruses, spyware, malware and sensitive information from a harddisk. Learn to build your own PC!

Ohalahan's EMAIL djsjbh1@fastmail.fm

Ubuntu Linux (http://www.ubuntu.com/)
Darik's Boot and Nuke (http://www.dban.org/)
How to build your own PC (http://www.maximumpc.com/article/how-tos/how_build_small_gaming_pc)

Download (http://k002.kiwi6.com/hotlink/x092j9950t/ohalahans_observations_podcast_9.mp3)



Posted by zapoper (http://www.blogger.com/profile/15726967138606494466) at 9:16 AM 3 comments: (http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5440450620561193447&postID=8881799010237969041)