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Devilin
Jul18-04, 11:47 AM
Spyware, quote by me From my anti spyware site Basic definition "Spyware is software placed upon your computer, designed to track and report your movements and or activities usually without your knowledge or consent for profit by the unscrupulous"






Spyware and the use of spyware, in this forum, anybody care to comment?
Greg Bernhardt
Jul18-04, 11:50 AM
Spyware, quote by me From my anti spyware site Basic definition "Spyware is software placed upon your computer, designed to track and report your movements and or activities usually without your knowledge or consent for profit by the unscrupulous

Spyware and the use of spyware, in this forum, anybody care to comment?

By that defination cookies are spyware, but cookies are completely harmless and only help the operation at PF and basicly every major site on the net.
Devilin
Jul18-04, 12:00 PM
Errrr no not Cookies, or not your cookies, i.e. site cookies, I haven't been able to track it down entirely, i think it's Java script, its probably hidden in a rotational banner add



Cookies
In the realms of spyware cookies are about the lowest level threat you could encounter," mostly harmless "

Every time you go to any site anyway, a small text file is added to your cookie folder, this folder and its contents can be read by other sites that you visit, or re read by a site you've already visited,
Cookies have expire by dates, usually one year, the information they contain about you, is usually open source, and fairly non personal, and is usually mixed with thousands of other uses non personal information, but some cookies use personal identifiable information

:tongue2:
Devilin
Jul18-04, 12:04 PM
I know a little about spyware
http://devilins-fan-club.com/Internet-security.htm
Devilin
Jul18-04, 12:20 PM
This looks promising (unfortunately I have to pop out, I'll investigate upon my return )

<!-- BEGIN RICH-MEDIA BURST! CODE -->
<script language="JavaScript">
<!-- /* Copyright 1997-2003 BURST! Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. (Version 1.1J) */
function ShowBurstAd(adcode, width, height, sizes, intrusive, bgcolor, background) {
var bN = navigator.appName;
var bV = parseInt(navigator.appVersion);
var base='http://www.burstnet.com/';
var Tv=''; var Itr='';
var sz=''; var bkgd='';
var bgc='';
var vr='v=1.1J';
var agt=navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();

if (sizes.length!=0) {sz='/sz='+sizes;} else {sz='';}
if (bgcolor.length!=0) {bgc='/zg' + bgcolor;} else {bgc='';}
if (background.length!=0) {bkgd='/bgi='+(escape(escape(background))).replace(/\//gi,'%252F');} else {bkgd='';}

if (bV>=4) {
ts=window.location.pathname+window.location.search ;
i=0; Tv=0; while (i< ts.length)
{ Tv=Tv+ts.charCodeAt(i); i=i+1; } Tv="/"+Tv;
} else {Tv=escape(window.location.pathname);
if( Tv.charAt(0)!='/' ) Tv="/"+Tv;
else if (Tv.charAt(1)=="/")
Tv="";
if( Tv.charAt(Tv.length-1) == "/")
Tv = Tv + "_";
}

var fCode='<ifr'+'ame id="BURST" src="'+base+
'cgi-bin/ads/'+adcode+'.cgi/NI/if/'+vr+bgc+sz+bkgd+
Tv+'/RETURN-CODE" width="'+width+'" height="'+
height+'"'+'marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"'+
'hspace="0" vspace="0" frameborder="0" '+
'scrolling="no">';
var gCode = '<'+'a href="'+base+'ads/'+adcode+'-map.cgi/'+
vr+sz+Tv+'" target=_top><im'+'g src="'+base+
'cgi-bin/ads/'+adcode+'.cgi/'+vr+sz+Tv+
'" border="0" alt="Click Here"></a>';
var fCodeEnd = '</ifr'+'ame>';

if ((adcode.charAt(0)=="a")&&(intrusive=="1")) {
Itr='<di'+'v><scr'+'ipt src="'+base+'cgi-bin/ads/'+adcode+
'.cgi/sz=0X0MN/'+vr+Tv+'/RETURN-CODE/JS/"></scr'+'ipt></d'+'iv>';
}

if (agt.indexOf("mac")==-1) {
document.write(fCode+gCode+fCodeEnd+Itr);
} else {
document.write(gCode);
}
}
//-->
</script>
<!-- END BURST CODE -->

<!-- BEGIN RICH-MEDIA BURST! CODE -->
<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
ShowBurstAd('ad10623a','468','60','468x60A','2', '', '');
// --></script>

<noscript><a href="http://www.burstnet.com/ads/ad10623a-map.cgi/ns/v=1.1J/sz=468x60A/" target="_top">
<img src="http://www.burstnet.com/cgi-bin/ads/ad10623a.cgi/ns/v=1.1J/sz=468x60A/" border="0" alt="Click Here"></a>
</noscript>
<!-- END BURST CODE -->
dduardo
Jul18-04, 12:24 PM
Cookies are nothing more then text files that store session information pertaining to the site your on. Only the site that issued the cookie can read the cookie it set. If you've done any type of server side web programming you would know that even if cookies were eliminated websites could still track where you've have gone on their site by saving the server session variables and turning off garbage collecting.
Greg Bernhardt
Jul18-04, 12:32 PM
This looks promising (unfortunately I have to pop out, I'll investigate upon my return )

<!-- BEGIN RICH-MEDIA BURST! CODE -->
<script language="JavaScript">
<!-- /* Copyright 1997-2003 BURST! Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. (Version 1.1J) */
......
......
.......
........

That is the banner ad code, burstmedia is a very reputable company and I'd be extremely surprised if they used unfavorable tactics.
Devilin
Jul18-04, 04:55 PM
I,m back :eek:

got it pesky little thing,

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/threats/61.html

It is a cookie,

Apparently, its no longer considered spyware, my apologies, I tend to get a little over jealous about spyware, my fault, a thousand apologies :biggrin:

Curiosity will lead me to its source, for my own satisfaction
Devilin
Jul18-04, 05:07 PM
Cookies are nothing more then text files that store session information pertaining to the site your on. Only the site that issued the cookie can read the cookie it set. If you've done any type of server side web programming you would know that even if cookies were eliminated websites could still track where you've have gone on their site by saving the server session variables and turning off garbage collecting.

dduardo
Nothing more than text files? Obviously I know virtually nothing And I stand small, in your shadow of Superior knowledge, so please enlightened me, what type of cookies are you referring to, cgi? Java script cookies, or any of the other multitude? :biggrin: I bet you could name them all by heart :rofl:
loseyourname
Jul18-04, 05:15 PM
By that defination cookies are spyware, but cookies are completely harmless and only help the operation at PF and basicly every major site on the net.

Cookies are also turned on by consent, so they don't really fit that definition.
Devilin
Jul18-04, 05:36 PM
Cookies are also turned on by consent, so they don't really fit that definition.

So many experts, isn't it wonderful to see so many enlightened people :wink:
dduardo
Jul18-04, 05:48 PM
dduardo
Nothing more than text files? Obviously I know virtually nothing And I stand small, in your shadow of Superior knowledge, so please enlightened me, what type of cookies are you referring to, cgi? Java script cookies, or any of the other multitude? :biggrin: I bet you could name them all by heart :rofl:

A cookie is a cookie is a cookie. Sure you can set a cookie in javascript and a multitude of other languages, but that still doesn't diminish the fact that a cookie is just a plain text file stored on your computer.
Devilin
Jul18-04, 05:50 PM
The story so far,

bust media is the culprit, although its privacy policy, is fairly extensive, its got a get out line about 1+1 pixel

Http://www.burstmedia.com/release/privacy.asp

And this is 1+1 pixel Which doesn't appear to have a privacy policy?

http://www.experts-exchange.com/privacyPolicy.jsp

I'll investigate further,

And this forums administration, is quietly trying to move this post out of existence

Naughty devilin, I'll probably get banned for this,
Devilin
Jul18-04, 06:04 PM
dduardo / loseyourname , I bow before your Superior knowledge, :)



Further investigation shall have to wait till tomorrow, I've an appointment else where, That's if this post is still alive by then?

Have fun all :-)
Devilin
Jul19-04, 01:14 AM
I've tracked down the cookies involved, here's a quick view of them

CfP
1
adtech.de/
1024
1140047744
30384511
124304928
29650257
*
JEB2
40FB55676E65131CD57AE42EF0003087
adtech.de/
1024
1150047744
30384511
127604928
29650257
*
ANON_ID
DMPLDRPGHMGA
tribalfusion.com/
1024
3138338816
32108254
76604928
29650257
*
Both have legitimate privacy policies,

Although I'm concerned about the lack of a privacy policy,from http://www.experts-exchange.com/privacyPolicy.jsp and its relationship to bust media , obviously burst media should be contacted about this, immediately


dduardo / loseyourname
thank you for your input so far, cookies, and privacy policies surrounding cookies, are considered important, by the International Committee, and local and national laws surrounding, the collection and storage of personal identifiable information, this is taken quite seriously,

http://www.sos.state.ga.us/Archives/rms/ora.htm