Audiogalaxy users, BE AWARE!!!!!

[DAM]

FYI , IMPORTANT NOTICE

Users who have downloaded the Audiogalaxy program in order to listen to online music files

**(Please take a few minutes to read this link to have a full understanding of the repercussions from downloading SHAREWARE) **
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/1/23/211455/047

The software includes a keystroke-logging system called Sputnik that records all keystrokes entered and transmits them to the advertising site behind this program, VX2. This may include passwords, logons, email, credit-card information, and anything else entered using the keyboard - even on Secured sites such as your bank.

VX2's privacy policy on their site says: "VX2's software collects some information from online forms that you fill out. This information is automatically sent to VX2 in order to save you the time and trouble of submitting such information to us yourself."

NOTE: Audiogalaxy is not the only program to include the Sputnik data-logger. Do not download shareware files from the net, as you may be giving away a lot more than you know.


dam()

 

[pulse8]

Why do people continue to use this software when WinMX and Morpheus have been spyware free for a while now?

 

[Fjive]

damn...been using it for over a year now...

 

[cjsketchy]

wouldn't ad-aware take care of that if you've installed audiogalaxy?

 

[yllus]

Most important part:

The quickest way to find out if you've been infected is to search for a file called vx2.dll. If you have it, you've consented. For those that are infected, heres the uninstallation procedure.

I found the file on my system, doing the uninstall now. pulse8, you changed avatars! Blah.

Edit: Ad-Aware found nothing on my system, so you will manually have to check for VX2 like I did.

 

[pulse8]

<< pulse8, you changed avatars! Blah. >>


Sorry. It's part of my new look. Instead of pulse8, I'd also like you guys to refer to me as p-80.

 

[Entity]

Hmm, no spyware (apparently) found on my system.

Rob

 

[Adul]

I am all clean here.

 

[gopunk]

hmm...

 

[gopunk]

<< Why do people continue to use this software when WinMX and Morpheus have been spyware free for a while now? >>



the program by itself is a better one for finding music.

 

[mithrandir2001]

That's why I am a committed WinMX user. No worries.

 

[crab]

<---VX2 negative

 

[gopunk]

um.... by the way, wouldn't zonealarm find this?

 

[datalink7]

I use it because my school limited bandwith on Morpheus and WinMX (and others like it) so much that I get .5k/sec. With Audiogalaxy, I they limited it somewhat but I can usually get around 20k/sec.

 

[Yzzim]

wtf is this. How the hell can they get away with something like this?

I'm going to write my senator.

<----- has nothing to hide, just pissed today

 

[datalink7]

BTW... what is onflow?

 

[gopunk]

i'm just happy i have zone alarm

la de da.... such things don't affect me....

 

[kgraeme]

Another great article about it on POE News.

It appears that Ad-Aware and possibly even ZoneAlarm generally can't detect this because it actually rides along with IE. Since IE has permission to talk to the world, these products don't know that Sputnik/vx2 shouldn't.

The particularly nasty thing about this trojan horse is that it actually reads and collects the form data that you fill out on a web page, sending that information back to vx2. That means every time you order something, they collect all your transaction information. Every time you do online banking, they can collect your information. Every time you do a search for donkey pr0n...well, they know it's you.





<< Why do people continue to use this software when WinMX and Morpheus have been spyware free for a while now? >>



Considering that Morpheus tried to install Gator on my computer, I don't exactly trust it either. That's Morpheus, not KaZaA.


What I want to know is with Bill Gates stating that MS is going to focus on security before anything else, when the hell will we get a system, or at least a browser, that doesn't allow for this kind of spyware crap?

 

[kgraeme]

Since this is a pretty important security concern, is there any chance we can get this pinned to the top?

 

[Vadatajs]

<< <---VX2 negative >>

 

[EpsiIon]

<< <---VX2 negative >>



Phew, I would have been pissed. Simply because they have NO RIGHT to log my personal info.

 

[yllus]

<< wtf is this. How the hell can they get away with something like this?

I'm going to write my senator. >>

You and me both - I'm writing my Member of Parliament a semi-short e-mail about this crap. Unbelievable.

BTW, I actually tested positive for infection with this crap. Someone is going to pay.

 

[DannyLove]

thanks 0sully. i will check on this when i get home. I've had audiogalaxy for a long time, i hardly open it to use it, but its still installed. I'm just going to get rid of it once and for all. thanks DAM for the thread.

danny~!

 

[xero940]

Does this apply if you d/led and used Audiogalaxy, like, Summer 2001? Has this vx2 thing always been packaged with it?

 

[SpecialEd]

thx for the info.. i'll check when i get home from work. I'd use something else to find music, but audiogalaxy really does have the best selection of music. you can the rarest songs!!