Puzzled: EVERYTHING tries to get out to internet

[knowmoor]

According to ZAPro, every program or process launched on this machine tries
to get out to the internet, including those that have no online capabilities
whatsoever. Thinking that ZoneAlarm was bugging out on me, I've
uninstalled/reinstalled it but it continues to show programs not previously
authorized to do so as attempting to access the internet (via the alert
popups). This affects older apps, or new apps that could've been installed
five minutes ago; all, according to ZA, attempt to get to the web.

Can't find any virii, worms or trojans through the usual NAV2004 scans, and
nothing out of the ordinary is listed in the task manager, or in the
system.ini or win.ini files.

Perhaps NAV2004 vs ZAPro cat-fighting? I'm not sure when this started but
it could've been around the time that I upgraded to Systemworks 2004 towards
the end of last year. Up until now I haven't worried about it (I just tell
ZAPro 'No', and that ends it, at least until I read the Alert menu in ZA and
see how many apps continually try to access the web each time they're
launched). But it DOES bug me. Any ideas would be appreciated.

TIA

 

[Jim Macklin]

Lots of programs want to check for updates, other programs
need Internet access, viruses may hide behind legit program
names.

You can get SpyBot from www.safer-networking.org to check
for spyware. You can set ZA to ask only once for each
program by telling (check box) to remember your permission
setting. If the program is changed it will ask again. You
don't need to allow any server programs access.

You can look at the programs list and edit permissions
directly. Right click the ZA icon and select restore. Then
the programs list. ZA has a good help system.




| According to ZAPro, every program or process launched on
this machine tries
| to get out to the internet, including those that have no
online capabilities
| whatsoever. Thinking that ZoneAlarm was bugging out on
me, I've
| uninstalled/reinstalled it but it continues to show
programs not previously
| authorized to do so as attempting to access the internet
(via the alert
| popups). This affects older apps, or new apps that
could've been installed
| five minutes ago; all, according to ZA, attempt to get to
the web.
|
| Can't find any virii, worms or trojans through the usual
NAV2004 scans, and
| nothing out of the ordinary is listed in the task manager,
or in the
| system.ini or win.ini files.
|
| Perhaps NAV2004 vs ZAPro cat-fighting? I'm not sure when
this started but
| it could've been around the time that I upgraded to
Systemworks 2004 towards
| the end of last year. Up until now I haven't worried
about it (I just tell
| ZAPro 'No', and that ends it, at least until I read the
Alert menu in ZA and
| see how many apps continually try to access the web each
time they're
| launched). But it DOES bug me. Any ideas would be
appreciated.
|
| TIA
|
|

 

[lyle]

norton sometimes has "issues" with other firewall apps and
can get a bit buggy. and have you scanned with spybot from
safer-networking.org, update ,scan on easy and check for
spywares. maybe symantec.com techs can give an answer. can
you disable norton and see what happens?

 

[knowmoor]

I've run both Spybot and Hijack This to see what's running; Spybot found no
threats (lots of glitches in the registry with missing/deleted files, but no
hostile processes). Hijack found only things that I saw when running
MSCONFIG, all of which SEEM legit and necessary (well, at least logically
exist) for the hardware and/or software apps installed on this 'puter.

I've been telling ZA to permanently stop many of these apps already, but
it's troubling to see so many apps listed in ZA's Alert Log screen, even if
they're denied internet access and aren't getting out there.

I'm still wondering if ZA and Norton are having at it; I've turned off NAV's
auto-protect to see if that's made any difference; so far, ZA's been pretty
quiet so maybe there might be something to it.

 

[knowmoor]

Yeah, I've heard many things about Symantec products having problems with
ZoneAlarm, but with Systemworks 2002 and earlier NAV products I've always
had no trouble. Since putting this vile monster called Systemworks 2004
(make a .zip file, then copy or move said .zip file to another HD or CD-R,
NAV HAS to scan it EVERY FRICKIN' TIME from creation to copy--adds at least
twice the time to the task!).

Spybot turned up no malicious threats, nor did Hijack This show any active
processes that didn't appear to be accounted for. I've disabled NAV's
auto-protect to see what will happen; so far ZA's logs are pretty quiet;
except for the internet-accessible apps that are supposed to show up blocked
there, other apps that don't use internet access (unless Freecell has a
massively multi-player mode I was previously unaware of, for example) are
not hitting on ZA's list.