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story category Because CoolWebSearch Wasn't Sleazy Enough...
Sunbelt Software discovers ID theft Spyware ring
(old news - 04:57PM Friday Aug 05 2005)
tags: privacy · spyware
Anti-Spyware firm Sunbelt Software says they've "stumbled upon" a massive ID theft ring that had been using a CoolWebSearch variant to dump personal info - gleaned from infected machines - into a remote server (ComputerWorld). Sunbelt offers more detail on what they found over at their blog. The FBI is involved and are working on the case; Sunbelt claims they've never seen anything quite like it.

Related:
  1. McAfee’s Security Threat Predictions
  2. Spyware By Sears
  3. Why Is NY's AG Urging ISPs To Embrace Spyware Company?
  4. Canada Cooks Up Their Own Patriot Act
  5. Iran's Internet Censorship Creates Deep Packet Firestorm
  6. ISPs, Marketers Propose Voluntary Privacy Guidelines
  7. Verizon: Privacy Is Super-Ultra Important To Us
  8. Obama Using NSA, AT&T For New Snooping Project
Forums » Because CoolWebSearch Wasn't Sleazy Enough...
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Post a:
homeshark

join:2001-03-09
Saint Petersburg, FL

damnit

and that spyware is on all the newbies computers.

stone mason

@comcast.net

Re: damnit

That is, by far, one of the most ridiculous attempts at hiding "FIRST POST!" I've ever seen. At least make a little bit of sense.

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus

join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY
·Qwest.net

Re: damnit

said by stone mason:

That is, by far, one of the most ridiculous attempts at hiding "FIRST POST!" I've ever seen. At least make a little bit of sense.
what's wrong pissed because you got beat out of a first posting.
--
Low voltage Tech's are wimps, Real tech's use 45 pound filament transformers, plate voltages no less then 2400 volts with at least 10 amp's lighting 8877 triodes...BPL I'm coming to get you.

Blasterbator
Sent By Grocery Clerks

join:2001-02-20
Jackson, MS

Re: damnit

Worst 1st post, 2nd post AND 3rd post ever!

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus

join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY
·Qwest.net

Re: damnit

said by Blasterbator See Profile:

Worst 1st post, 2nd post AND 3rd post ever!
thank you:D
noogoo

join:2005-06-27

Re: damnit

off topic or something, ban them all except me of course.
doppler

join:2003-03-31
Blue Point, NY

said by Blasterbator See Profile:

Worst 1st post, 2nd post AND 3rd post ever!
Look at the times. I take offense that my third post
is consider scum.

Or are you preluding to the 1st 2nd 3th of this thread.

NOT POSTS PLEASE.

Xzibit
Wtf Mate?
Premium
join:2002-04-19
Santa Clara, CA
clubs:

said by Blasterbator See Profile:

Worst 1st post, 2nd post AND 3rd post ever!
This "ain't no" slashdot.
--
Wonderful Thread

stone mason

@comcast.net

from:
Transmaster See Profile

Not in the slightest. It's just such an obvious attempt at a first post that it's causing me physical pain.
doppler

join:2003-03-31
Blue Point, NY

I dare anybody to say....

A public execution is not warranted for virus
writers and spyware app's distributors.

Sorry all the look at me I don't spy on you as
much anymore. WON'T FLY !!!

Get the hint GATOR. We don't want what you are trying
to sell. EVER!!!

I stopped counting the number system dis-infected that
I have done. CWS and all variations were the worse.
Ammler
Premium
join:2005-04-19
Pittsburgh, PA

Re: I dare anybody to say....

I agree with you 100%, all nasty program writers should get the chair!
Ammler
Premium
join:2005-04-19
Pittsburgh, PA

Get Ready

LOL!!! Get Ready IT Tech Men for the wave of Newbie onslaught that is about to commence.

Just wait till this little tidbit gets out on the general, non technical, news programs. The Newbies will be reaching for their phones to call their friendly neighborhood tech guy to come clean their PC off....FAST! Especially when the non technical news anchors murder this story into the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario. Looks like August is going to be a banner month for my pocket!
doppler

join:2003-03-31
Blue Point, NY

Re: Get Ready

I won't clean the computer unless the clueless
user. Sits with me and listens to why they
paying me big bucks to make there computer
work again. After they agree, I will fix it.
I also make sure they will "INFORM" all the other
members of the family about the changes.

Safe computing doesn't mean a thing. If junior
still loads that really cute P2P app. (AGAIN! ARG!!)
Ammler
Premium
join:2005-04-19
Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Get Ready

Oh trust me, they watch, they ask questions, I even leave the cleaning tools on their machines to use and instruct them how to update and use them. The problem is only a small number of my users actually do what I've instructed them to do. The other group either just uses the apps, and don't update them, or they don't use them at all. Hey I don't care, if they want to keep paying me to clean off their PC's, who am I to argue?

My Wife's Sister got a free machine from a friend. This machine got owned over the internet. Beings she didn't know how to fix it, she just bought a new one. I told her to tell her friend that if she isn't careful, the same thing will happen again, and to call me so I can lock the PC down. Haven't heard a word since.

fatmanskinny
Premium
join:2004-01-04
Wandering
·Comcast Digital Vo..
·Comcast
·EarthLink

Re: Get Ready

said by Ammler See Profile:

This machine got owned over the internet.....
Wow. That is crazy. Ouch!
--
God answers Knee Mail.

Dennis
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-26
Algonquin, IL

Will this bring it to media attention finally?

Will this be the story to finally get people to realize the dangers of spyware?

Or is this simply more fear mongering? All I know is I'm going to run spybot on all my family members computers now...

rodoke

join:2003-10-28
Carbondale, IL
·Charter Pipeline

Re: Will this bring it to media attention finally?

Why would you say that?

The past 25 years haven't been enough to make understood the danger of viruses, why should this inject spyware into the public consciousness?
--
英語の言葉は綴り難い。
moonpuppy

join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
Tonight on Dateline, they will be tracking down those that do porn spam.

Not the same thing but close enough to see what kind of people operate these sites and programs.

mazhurg
Premium
join:2004-05-02
Trenton, ON
·TekSavvy Solutions..

True, they are getting tougher to clean

mmmm....

Cleaned up the in-law's portable last weekend from a version of Coolwebsearch that no one of the anti stuff was able to remove. Even the current version of CWSShredder, while it could flag one of the versions, was not able to clean it.

I ended up having to do a boot log and selective process killing to finally find the culprit dropper.

Anyone has more details on this so called new version to see if it was the one that I battled?
compton

join:2002-02-08
Brooklyn, NY

Viva la firefox

This is why people should use Firefox.
WiZZLa
Insert Meaningless Text Here -Run 4a Mod

join:2003-11-09
Canada

Re: Viva la firefox

said by compton See Profile:

This is why people should use Firefox.
Actually, this is the reason why people should use a firewall, anti-virus, and a spyware detector/cleaner. How FireFox is supposed to block a file downloaded with a P2P program, or an .exe or jpg.vbs that "looks" friendly which was sent by IM is beyond me, but thanks for adding in your "FireFox is needed for everything" 'opinion.'
--
NOTE: The quicker a thread is closed, the smaller the chance you'll get embarrassed. END NOTE.../quote drunkgoat IM #1: I'm not immature! IM #2: I will kick your f*cking ass...when i show up at your door and put a gun to your face... /end.quote

Matt
Quitting Caffeine - Argh
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..

Re: Viva la firefox

said by WiZZLa See Profile:

said by compton See Profile:

This is why people should use Firefox.
Actually, this is the reason why people should use a firewall, anti-virus, and a spyware detector/cleaner. How FireFox is supposed to block a file downloaded with a P2P program, or an .exe or jpg.vbs that "looks" friendly which was sent by IM is beyond me, but thanks for adding in your "FireFox is needed for everything" 'opinion.'
Exactly.
quatrix

join:2005-02-11
Davie, FL
Common sense works for me.

Noah Vail
Premium
join:2004-12-10
Lorton, VA
·RoadRunner Cable
·Verizon BroadbandA..
·VoicePulse

And coolwebsearch goes best with....

Aurora.

I've been finding these two cozing up together in unseemly places.

Aurora is the toughest spyware to clean I've ever come across. It uses randomly generated filnames launched from the Nail.exe file hooked into the explorer shell.

It took me forever to name the culprit, identify the initial executable and finally clean all the crud out.

coolwebsearch seemed to pop up pages that would allow Aurora to download, installing without an ActiveX dialog.

The big 3 antispys were helpless against it.

NV
--
Abortion: It's really a Republican plot to thin the liberal herd!

kywirelessgu
Premium
join:2004-01-25
Nicholasville, KY
clubs:
·Insight Communicat..

Re: And coolwebsearch goes best with....

I just cleaned an CWS/aurora infection the other day.

My favorite tool is hijack this. It fits on a floppy, and its usually what I start with to at least make the tough situations manageable.

My favorite color is blue.

My favorite food is canned meat product.

I like long walks on the beach and fluffy pillows.

Holy shit, where'd the topic go?

I can't stop the voices in my head.
--
the answers to all lifes questions... »www.google.com

MeanPeepsSuk
RIP 'Little Red' 5-27-09
Premium
join:2004-11-21
Muddy Field
clubs:

Re: And coolwebsearch goes best with....

LOL!!!.. Thanks, Dude... I was just thinking that I wanted the last few minutes of my life back until I got to your post.. and it was all worth it..

Dennis
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-26
Algonquin, IL

reminds me of this


kamm

join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY
·T-Mobile US
·Packet8

Re: reminds me of this

said by Dennis See Profile:


That's hilarious.
RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
Control-Alt-KABOOM!

cao1964

join:2000-08-09
Danville, PA

Sweet

More business for me.
aaron12345

join:2002-12-17
Falls Church, VA

people never learn

How I feel.. I install the standard anti-spyware, anti-virus etc, and clean off the computer. I have typed up instructions I tape to the monitor. I instruct them, and sit next to them while they go through the process. I wrote a little vb program that pop-ups twice a month reminding them. I even put it in Windows scheduled tasks sometimes. And guess what... the same people call me 3 months later to do it all again. If they want to keep giving me $50 for 30 minutes of work I'm happy... but I'll never understand it....

rogue_
I Have A Secret Window
Premium
join:2001-10-17
Lake Hiawatha, NJ

Keep in mind that

Sunbelt IS GIANT-Anti-Spyware, and there are stipulations in place that make the new owner of GIANT, MS, to share all advances and updates to Sunbelt. However, it would appear that Sunbelt has advanced beyond MS in their efforts to thwart spyware.
--
Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.

Enickma

@21.charter-st

Yup

I agree Aurora is much more of a bitch than any Coolwhatever. a nice /f on the del command vanquished the nail.exe file for me, the rest was easy to whack. People really don't understand this crap. I don't know how many clients have said

Customer Well how many viruses did you find?

And I say oooh 10 or so

Customer Well are they all gone

Me yup

Me I also found 3,186 different spyware components on your system

Customer Ok

Me The only difference between spyware and viruses is that by definition a virus replicates itself

Customer Ok

At this point I've lost them, and the subsequent explaination of how to do anything involving windows updates, A/V updates and scans, or spyware scans...I can acutally see my words pouring out of their ears with an oatmeal like consistency...forget it. I feel your pain guys. The only reason I've happened by here this evening is cause supremedslemperor or whatever his handle is linked this on his blizog. Nice to meet yall.

Nick

catseyenu
Ack Pfft
Premium
join:2001-11-17
Fix East

Since I Installed BOClean

I've had more time to focus on what I want to do.
I don't get it.. between Bo & FF I have to go out of my way to find a Trojan/spyware exploit to play with.
I would prefer my customers to pay BOClean once than to constantly hassle me with this crap.
--
Need A Software Solution?...List of Lists

winky
Turn Left At The Moon

join:2001-02-11
Saint Louis, MO

Re: Since I Installed BOClean

"I would prefer my customers to pay BOClean once than to constantly hassle me with this crap."

Why, don't you charge them? CA-CHING

Of course I chide my good customers about doing things correctly but ya know, you can't fix stupid so ya might as well charge 'em.;)
Techman21

join:2005-04-14
Richmond, VA

Oh lord

Lovely...now I've got to deal with people inquiring on how to use Spybot, Adaware, Ccleaner, and PC Cillin. Apparently the support line at work has become the "teach me about computers" line.

I suppose I could enforce the rule of "consult the manufacture" deal. Although, I wouldn't want to loose a customer over that way.

Going through the steps with the same person over and over again because they don't write it down or don't constantly do it so they know how gets very, very old quickly. As I'm sure many of you know. Perhaps this will net me some extra cash, who knows.

anonymon1

@verizon.n

Let them call

I don't mind one bit, if they call me every month or every 6months to clean up their systems. Most of my clients just want the machine to work. @ 50$ per hour, let em call I'll be there:D:D:D
Forums » Because CoolWebSearch Wasn't Sleazy Enough...


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