SURPRISES!

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by sikam, Sep 21, 2004.

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  1. sikam

    sikam Registered Member

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    I installed and ran Ad ware SE Personal and to my surprise a number of Alexa related items were found to be in my PC.What Spybot and Blaster were doing?
    Comments?
     
  2. Detox

    Detox Retired Moderator

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    Yes.

    #1 - is there any further context you might like to add to your post?

    #2 - Spybot is not Javacool software.

    #3 - do you have SpywareBlaster installed?

    #4 - do you have Spybot S&D installed?

    So - you found Alexa related - which is found on every clean install of Windows straight from the factory - and you ask what some other apps are doing without telling us if you have those apps installed?

    I'm gonna need a lot of clarification on the issue before a real answer/comment can be made.
     
  3. sikam

    sikam Registered Member

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    Of course and i have other things to say,like that my XP are on SP1,with full updates and i also have installed blaster and spybot.I also have antivirus as well as spysubtract pro 2.51.
    Are you implying that Alexa was built in naturally there?
    In that case ad ware was "wrong" to inform me and so i am that i deleted these?
    Spybot did not mention that-i know it is not a javacool product- and so it is true for blaster.
    The point is whether i did right to delete these items.
    Tell me what exact info are you looking for my PC software
     
  4. Detox

    Detox Retired Moderator

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    Yes and no - unless you intentionally installed some Alexa software, then what was detected is a registry key which is included with Internet Explorer.

    AdAware is not wrong in alerting, and I do not consider you wrong for deleting. The issue is under "tools/related links." Alexa contacts its/their servers to find "related links" and transmits marketing information to Alexa. It is spyware, but nothing happens if you don't use "related links."

    I really thought that Spybot would detect the Alexa registry key. SpywareBlaster, if you are unsure, only blocks certain spywares (lots of 'em) from installing.

    I say yes - and you certainly didn't hurt anything! However, do keep in mind that it will probably reappear when/if you patch/upgrade/repair Internet Explorer.
     
  5. Deke

    Deke Registered Member

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    It definitely reappears on a IE Repair.

    Here is a very descriptive read on Alexa's Related Links.
     
  6. MikeBCda

    MikeBCda Registered Member

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    The most recent defs updates for Ad-Aware SE seem to have removed both Alexa and "about:blank" from the defs so they no longer either trigger warnings or need added to the ignore-list.

    They seem to have finally realized that, as Detox pointed out, Alexa "goes with the territory" with IE. And a heck of a lot of us use a blank home page, so a warning about "about:blank" was mostly just a nuisance, although I understand that the CWS worm uses that as a "foot in the door", or at least used to.
     
  7. LowWaterMark

    LowWaterMark Administrator

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    People have been finding and asking about the Alexa related finding in Ad-aware for a very long time, and the answer has always been that the finding is really not a problem. Just by way of example, two years ago the question was asked in this thread:

    https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=3927

    And I've been answering that question from well before then, as well.

    Edit: Oh, and SpywareBlaster doesn't do anything at all related to this because it is a natural part of IE (from install or rebuild) and is not from any infection vector.

    We'll probably move this thread to the "privacy software" section later.
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2004
  8. sikam

    sikam Registered Member

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    In conclusion,whether i "repair" as you say some day I.E,thru Windows update or SP2 ,is it right to delete Alexa,each time and whenever i find "her"
    in front of me?
     
  9. erikguy

    erikguy Registered Member

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    I don't get what that last comment was about ("her"). But in answer to your question... Yes, you can delete it each time like Ad-aware and so many other spyware scanners do or you can just fix it with Spybot. Like mentioned before, this Alexa key is the "related" link of IE and comes back with every visit to WindowsUpdate. Alexa is known for their spyware toolbar, not good. Spybot fixes this threat by replacing the Alexa function with a Google function, safer. Fortunately and unfortunately, other software can't tell the difference. On the good side, WindowsUpdate detects the key there and won't mess with it. On the down side, other removers like Ad-aware still see it as a threat.
     
  10. Detox

    Detox Retired Moderator

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    I think Sikam is referring to Alexa as a "she" or "her" because it is a female name :D

    Anyway, Erikguy is absolutely correct - fix/remove it either of those ways; neither will hurt anything.
     
  11. sikam

    sikam Registered Member

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    Exactly DETOX.Thank you for your replies
     
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