Should I be concerned about these results?

[randyw57]

I run Windows XP SP2 I use Firefox V2.
I use the Google Toolbar.
I block pop-ups.
I run SpyBot fairly regularly.
I've been seeing what looks like the same set of 10-12 results the last few times.
Should I be concerned about these?
Is there a way to stop these?

Thanks.
Here is the results list:
Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter.FirewallOverride: Settings (Registry change, nothing done)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center\FirewallOverride!=dword:0

Advertising.com: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Advertising.com: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Advertising.com: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Advertising.com: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Advertising.com: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Avenue A, Inc.: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


BFast: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CasaleMedia: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CasaleMedia: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CasaleMedia: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CasaleMedia: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CasaleMedia: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CasaleMedia: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CasaleMedia: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CasaleMedia: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Clickbank: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


DoubleClick: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


FastClick: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


FastClick: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


FastClick: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


FastClick: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


MediaPlex: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


HitBox: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Statcounter: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Statcounter: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Statcounter: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Statcounter: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Statcounter: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Zedo: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Zedo: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


Zedo: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


HitsLink: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CoreMetrics: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


AdRevolver: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


AdRevolver: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


AdRevolver: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


AdRevolver: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


WebTrends live: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)


CoreMetrics: Tracking cookie (Firefox: default) (Cookie, nothing done)



--- Spybot - Search & Destroy version: 1.4 (build: 20050523) ---

2005-05-31 blindman.exe (1.0.0.1)
2005-05-31 SpybotSD.exe (1.4.0.3)
2005-05-31 TeaTimer.exe (1.4.0.2)
2007-01-03 unins000.exe (51.41.0.0)
2005-05-31 Update.exe (1.4.0.0)
2007-01-15 advcheck.dll (1.2.1.0)
2005-05-31 aports.dll (2.1.0.0)
2005-05-31 borlndmm.dll (7.0.4.453)
2005-05-31 delphimm.dll (7.0.4.453)
2005-05-31 SDHelper.dll (1.4.0.0)
2007-01-02 Tools.dll (2.0.1.0)
2005-05-31 UnzDll.dll (1.73.1.1)
2005-05-31 ZipDll.dll (1.73.2.0)
2007-02-02 Includes\Cookies.sbi (*)
2006-12-08 Includes\Dialer.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\DialerC.sbi (*)
2006-11-24 Includes\Hijackers.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\HijackersC.sbi (*)
2006-10-27 Includes\Keyloggers.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\KeyloggersC.sbi (*)
2007-01-12 Includes\Malware.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\MalwareC.sbi (*)
2007-01-19 Includes\PUPS.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\PUPSC.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\Revision.sbi (*)
2006-12-08 Includes\Security.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\SecurityC.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\Spybots.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\SpybotsC.sbi (*)
2005-02-17 Includes\Tracks.uti
2006-12-08 Includes\Trojans.sbi (*)
2007-02-02 Includes\TrojansC.sbi (*)

[Zenobia]

For this one:

Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter.FirewallOverride: Settings (Registry change, nothing done)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center\FirewallOverride!=dword:0
Please see the second half of md usa spybot fan's post,concerning FirewallOverride:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=6766

For the Firefox cookies,please see here:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?p=64081

Hello,

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
Note:You should find cookies in Firefox 2.0 if you go to Tools->Options,then click Privacy up top,then click the show cookies... button.

[randyw57]

OK, I modified my Firefox V2 config to only allow first party cookies.
I also downloaded SpyBlaster and configured all the protection in it
including the support to prevent ad/tracking cookies in Firefox.
But I'm still getting third party cookies in Firefox.
I run Spybot and it detects them.
When I double check in Firefox I can definitely see the cookies from
these sites that I've never visited.

Is there something else I can do? Or some other way these cookies might be getting on my system?

Thanks.

[Zenobia]

Are they the same tracking cookies that were in your Spybot report?Did you follow one of the suggestions from the quoted post to remove them?

Spybot sometimes has trouble removing firefox tracking cookies,which is why there are suggestions given in the post above to remove the tracking cookies manually.

[Zenobia]

Please see the bit about third-party cookies to explain how you might get a cookie,even if you've never visited a particular website:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/sec_cook.mspx?mfr=true

[randyw57]

Yes, some of the cookies that have been re-appearing are ones that were in the original report. Avenue A, Zedo, and Statcounter are three that for sure have come back.

What I do is run Spybot to identify the cookies. Then I go into Firefox and delete them. That seems to work fine.

What I've started to do now is to also add the domain for the cookie to Firefox's Exception list and set it to Block.

Any other suggestions?

[Zenobia]

Are you getting a large amount of red cookies being found after a Spybot scan?Even after blocking third-party cookies through Firefox,you may still get the occasional tracking cookie.It is odd if it is still a bunch of red cookies being detected by Spybot after removing and blocking,though.
Yes,adding them to be blocked in the exceptions list should help.Unfortunately,I'm not on the computer with Firefox or Spyware Blaster on it,so I can't doublecheck,but as I recall I think Zedo,Avenue A and Stats Counter should have already been added to the exceptions list and blocked by Spyware Blaster.
I don't really have any other suggestions at the moment,except there are a couple cookie blocker extensions mentioned in a thread at Mozillazine.
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=478545
I'm not too sure how to describe this,but tracking cookies are sort of like a 'lower level threat',as some antispyware makers sometimes would describe it,i.e.they are nothing to worry about too,too much,though opinions vary.

[randyw57]

No, I am not getting a large number.
And I believe adding the domains to the Block list in Firefox is doing the trick.
I've run S&D several times in the last day and so far no hits.

I understand that some of these items are less serious than others.
What puzzles me is why I starting getting these things after about a year
of not having any at all. I'm beginning to think that it started when
I upgraded to Firefox V2 from V1. I'm certainly not a reckless browser.
Well, I'll keep an eye on it.

[Zenobia]

You may not have been having tracking cookies detected by Spybot when you had Firefox 1.5,if you had 1.5 configured to accept cookies from the 'originating website only.'Since you had to configure Firefox 2.0 to only accept first-party cookies in about:config,that would be the(most likely) reason that 'tracking cookies'have been found since you downloaded Firefox 2.0 before you changed that in about:config,since third-party cookies weren't blocked in your newer version.

I have third-party cookies blocked in firefox myself,and I also use Spywareblaster,but even with those set I still get the occasional tracking cookie found by Spybot once in a while.

These links may be of interest:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=200716
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=349680
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=349680#c13

[randyw57]

Yes, I agree.
V1 of Firefox was a lot easier to configure the 'block 3rd party cookies' support.