SSD finds persistent cookies: Zedo,MediaPlex,AvenueAInc,DoubleClick

[alita7]

I recently installed SpyBot S&D and it is continuously finding 4 cookies considered a threat: Zedo, MediaPlex, Avenue A. Inc, DoubleClick.
Every time I open SpyBot I keep finding those cookies and I don't really know what to do: Please help me!
I recently tried to remove from the regedit a file named PureNetworks and it improved the situation of my poor wireless connexion.
I mainly use Mozilla Firefox as Browser. This is the HijackThis log:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 12:57:13, on 20/02/2007
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16414)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\DVDRAMSV.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
C:\Program Files\Toshiba\TOSHIBA Applet\TAPPSRV.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscntfy.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMax4PNP.exe
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPLpr.exe
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\TPSMain.exe
C:\Program Files\Toshiba\Tvs\TvsTray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dla\tfswctrl.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RAMASST.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\TPSBattM.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\MARIA ALEX\Desktop\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = "C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" //mailurl:mailto:data-audit@progressive.co.uk
O2 - BHO: Yahoo! Toolbar Helper - {02478D38-C3F9-4EFB-9B51-7695ECA05670} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: DriveLetterAccess - {5CA3D70E-1895-11CF-8E15-001234567890} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\dla\tfswshx.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O3 - Toolbar: (no name) - {BA52B914-B692-46c4-B683-905236F6F655} - (no file)
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMAXPnP] C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMax4PNP.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMAX] C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\Smax4.exe /tray
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPLpr] C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPLpr.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPEnh] C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TPSMain] TPSMain.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Tvs] C:\Program Files\Toshiba\Tvs\TvsTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [dla] C:\WINDOWS\system32\dla\tfswctrl.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [updateMgr] C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AdobeUpdateManager.exe AcRdB7_0_9
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: RAMASST.lnk = C:\WINDOWS\system32\RAMASST.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0\bin\npjpi150.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0\bin\npjpi150.dll
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O11 - Options group: [INTERNATIONAL] International*
O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://www.toshibadirect.com/dpdstart
O18 - Protocol: skype4com - {FFC8B962-9B40-4DFF-9458-1830C7DD7F5D} - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\Skype\SKYPE4~1.DLL
O20 - Winlogon Notify: igfxcui - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\igfxsrvc.dll
O23 - Service: DVD-RAM_Service - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\DVDRAMSV.exe
O23 - Service: Google Updater Service (gusvc) - Google - C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe
O23 - Service: SoundMAX Agent Service (SoundMAX Agent Service (default)) - Analog Devices, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
O23 - Service: TOSHIBA Application Service (TAPPSRV) - TOSHIBA Corp. - C:\Program Files\Toshiba\TOSHIBA Applet\TAPPSRV.exe

Thanks!

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

Doubleclick (and others like Advertising.com, Avenue A, Inc, CasaleMedia, Fastclick, Hitbox, Mediaplex etc.) are so-called tracking cookies. It is quite common for popular websites to employ such tracking cookies from third parties. They use them in order to track the users' surfing habits on their websites. As I said, these cookies are from third parties but they are employed by the site. There is a tool in Spybot-S&D: BrowserHelper, i.e. a bad download blocker for Internet Explorer. With this tool enabled such tracking cookies will be blocked. In order to activate this tool, please run Spybot-S&D and go to the "Immunize" page. Checking the checkbox will enable the BrowserHelper, a drop down menu will appear giving you some options. You should select "Block all bad pages silently". With that option set the notifications will no longer come up, but you will still have the protection.

We are sorry, but the Immunization does not work for Firefox, it is only for the Internet Explorer. ActiveX isn't supported by Firefox, so there is no need for protection there.
Maybe in one of the coming versions there will be a bad download blocker for Firefox, but not at the moment.

Here is a thread in our forum that deals with the same problem:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=3008

If you don't have any other cookies you want to save in Firefox,you could click the Remove All Cookies button. This would be easiest, but don't do it if you have any cookies you want to keep.

If you do have other cookies in Firefox you want to keep, could remove the cookies manually from within Firefox. To do so go to Tools->Options->click the Cookies tab, then click the View Cookies button.
Looking off the Spybot report, scroll through the list to find the tracking cookie(s), then click on the tracking cookie with your mouse, and then click on the remove cookie(s) button.

Or you could try doing another scan with Spybot and see if it removes the tracking cookies this time (though it might not work, but you could try and see).

There's an article here, showing how to block third party cookies.
http://www.spybot.info/en/faq/37.html

It is also recommendable to use SpywareBlaster also, which has an option to Prevent ad/tracking cookies in firefox.
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

[alita7]

Thank you for your help!
The cookies wont go away in a second try with SS&D but I'll try what you said.