Panda antivirus users beware of spyware

[Endi]

Take at look at the following and tell me why this came with panda 2004

Here is the description of this new software added to panda



http://pestpatrol.com/PestInfo/w/webhancer.asp

[Adrynalyne]

Originally Posted by endiablado

Take at look at the following and tell me why this came with panda 2004

Here is the description of this new software added to panda



http://pestpatrol.com/PestInfo/w/webhancer.asp

O.o

Thats not cool.

Guess Ill stay with 2003.

[Kodo]

wow.. bummer.

[Endi]

I am not sure what good it will do But I will email panda and ask them

WHY??????

I will post the answer here if they bother to answer that is

for now I have quarantined it. my connection still working

[Adrynalyne]

Originally Posted by endiablado

I am not sure what good it will do But I will email panda and ask them

WHY??????

I will post the answer here if they bother to answer that is

for now I have quarantined it. my connection still working

Was that the version with the firewall too?

[Endi]

No its just the antivirus (no firewall)

[Endi]

I hope I was not to direct and to the point

[NICK ADSL UK]

Hi endiablado that is indeed spy ware and over the coming year more and more authors will probably go down this route to cover increasing costs. As a reminder to you all always on installation of software is to keep a look out as to exactly of what you are actually installing. Software like spywareguard and spyware blaster are very good and can play a big part in keeping spy ware off your computer

[Adrynalyne]

Originally Posted by NICK ADSL UK

Hi endiablado that is indeed spy ware and over the coming year more and more authors will probably go down this route to cover increasing costs. As a reminder to you all always on installation of software is to keep a look out as to exactly of what you are actually installing. Software like spywareguard and spyware blaster are very good and can play a big part in keeping spy ware off your computer

You would think the cost of the program would cover their costs...this isn't freeware.

[Kodo]

True, but you might also consider them trying to offer software at lower costs and having to make up the difference somewhere else. Personally, I'd rather pay more than have someone spy on my shit.

[Endi]

I am so upset right now at Panda for being so sneaky and not professional that I am thinking about saying to hell with the 29.99 I paid and getting another antivirus.

from the webhancer site itself

Information collected
webHancer collects Internet performance information using a small, transparent program known as the Customer Companion. Users typically download and install the Customer Companion via the Internet. The Customer Companion measures web transaction performance experienced by users. The data collected is used by website operators and network service providers to analyze and improve the level of service that they provide to their users.

Examples of information that we collect are: web page address, web page size, web page load time, web page completion state and network delay time. Any personally identifiable information collected as part of information contained in a web site address or URL query string that is received by webHancer is never forwarded to a commercial third party. We do not permit collected information to be correlated with other information to identify the browsing habits of any specific individual. We do not request that our users provide any personally identifiable information as part of a registration process or through the operation of our software.



http://www.webhancer.com/privacy/

[Jabman]

endiablado, does Ad-aware or SpyBot S&D detect this? If it is only Pest Patrol detecting it, it could be a false positive on their behalf.

Regards,
Jade.

[Endi]

spybot and adaware did not detect it.
I was surprised they did not.

I run them at least once a week with the proper updates
I installed 2004 panda about a month ago.

[Kirschstrasse]

What about people using earlier versions? Do you think they will try to stick this in with their updates or dat's?

[Endi]

If I was using the 2003 version I would check for

the following dll in the panda folder


sporder.dll

[Endi]

1. In your Windows (Winnt) directory, you can delete these files as well, as they are dll's and files used only by the our agent:

sporder.dll*
webhdll.dll
whagent.inf
whInstaller.exe
whInstaller.ini


Information came from
http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=26

it also adds a copy of that dll on the system32 folder.
and also on the
windows folder
3 copies of the same dll so far

[Endi]

http://www.cexx.org/webhancer.htm


according to this website ad aware and spybot should have detected this.

they did not.
??????

[Brian C]

No Spyware in Nortons
*runs outta here*

[Endi]

Here is something peculiar

after I uninstalled all 3 copies of the sporder.dll

another proccess that had me concerned about panda (webproxy)
went from using up to 15,000k to only using 92k
What the heck is going on??

That is a dramatic change what was that dll doing. transfering all my info somewhere I suppose.

here is the image

[NICK ADSL UK]

Hi endiablado
I have been advised by a expert in this field that it is probably filename recognition only and that is all. However i will monitor this software and should anything of interest come about will get back to you