Immunization NOT complete - Global (Hosts) 15492 not protected

[Spybot User Z]

Hello!

Using SPYBOT for many years ... now with Windows 8.1 and SPYBOT 2.3.

Each week reveals some number of unprotected items.

This weeks result is:
Global (Hosts) (C:|Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.) 15492 not protected.

What is my exposure with these not protected?

Is there a way to have them protected?

Thanks very much!

[Zenobia]

Immunizing the hosts file adds a bunch of bad sites to the hosts file and then gives the bad sites the 127.0.0.1 address,which makes the bad sites unreachable from any of your browsers.It's explained better here:
http://www.safer-networking.org/faq/hosts-file/

Open Spybot start center,click Check System,once that completes,click Show Details,then somewhere in the window where the Immunization entries are listed,rightclick and Deselect All,then scroll down and checkmark only Global (Hosts),then click Apply Immunization.Spybot will attempt to immunize only the hosts file,wait for a little bit and see if the immunization for Hosts completes.

Have you added any new programs recently?The reason I ask is because some security programs might protect your hosts file from any changes. :)

[Lone Browncoat]

As I said, in the global hosts file I get that 57 are still unprotected.

However between AVG, Malwarebytes and what Firefox has and from what I understand of the FAQ,
I needn't worry, because often Firefox or AVG or Adblock Plus or NoScript will warn me away from a bad site.
Does that sound correct?
For no matter how often I re-immunize, the same results happen.
All it means that Spybot can't write to the hosts file for some reason because its being blocked?

http://i64.tinypic.com/2l5qo2.jpg

I used to be able to get around that, but ever since my heart attack I can't remember what I did before to get full
immunization. I've been a nerd since 1980 [but before that was more interested in motorcycles] still build my own
desktop machines, but it just bugs my ass that I can't remember what I did to solve it on the earlier machines.
As for the home built PVR, I really don't care, all a hacker would find are TV shows and some support files, those of
which are already backed up on removables standing by for a simple restore, if necessary.

Yes, I'm an old fart. :laugh:

[Zenobia]

All it means that Spybot can't write to the hosts file for some reason because its being blocked?
Possibly,yes.I think in this case,it's likely to be another security program,though that isn't for certain.I know that AVG used to sometimes remove immunization because it thought some of it was a threat,though I don't know if that is still the case. :)

I'm not entirely sure this will tell me/you anything important,but it couldn't hurt to have a look at the immunization logfile,and see what is in there.There are instructions here to view it,and then when you have the logfile open just go to Edit,Select All,then copy and paste it here,please:
https://www.safer-networking.org/faq/how-do-i-view-the-immunization-log/

Also,the version of Spybot you have,and what operating system you're using might be helpful,as well.

[michys01]

this has not appeared in the past.can anyone tell me what this is?also,i am new to posting.am i in the right place to post questions?

[Zenobia]

I cannot.Searching the forums for no entry path found or no entry point doesn't really turn up anything related from what I can find.
Searching Google just turns up some "well,this might be...sorta.....kinda.....related,but it doesn't tell me much" kind of a deal. :)

So,I think in this case it would be best to send you to Spybot support.There is a "Request Support" link right at the bottom:
https://www.safer-networking.org/support/

And if/when it's fixed,you could post the solution here or to your original thread so the solution is known on the forums and also saxtonfamily can learn the solution if they are still around,if you have the time and are so inclined,with my thanks. :)
https://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?73449-no-entry-point-message-when-i-use-immunization

[bsfinkel]

I saw this thread. and I know that it is old. But I did not see a "fix" in the existing thread. I am running Spybot 2.7 in Windows 7 Professional. Every time I do an Immunize, I get the message that etc\hosts "has nn hosts unprotected". I looked at the

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

file, and a dir/od shows, at the end:

06/29/2016 08:41 AM 452,964 hosts.20190305-142135.backup
06/29/2016 08:41 AM 452,964 hosts.20190305-142532.backup
06/29/2016 08:41 AM 452,964 hosts.20190403-090308.backup
06/29/2016 08:41 AM 452,964 hosts
06/29/2016 08:41 AM 452,964 hosts.20160803-081230.backup
09/18/2016 10:52 AM 452,999 HOSTS1
04/03/2019 09:03 AM <DIR> .
04/03/2019 09:03 AM <DIR> ..

So, Spybot has taken the 06/29/2016 hosts file and copied it into a backup file. But a new hosts file has not been written. I looked at the

Immunization-Browsers.log

file, and I do not see the string "hosts" in that log file. So that log does not have any diagnostic information.

This thread has stated that Spybot probably does not have permissions to replace the etc\hosts file. When I look at the security permissions for that file, I see that SYSTEM, Administrators, and Users have full control. Everything is checked, except "Special Permissions". The "Advanced setting" show that SYSTEM and Administrator have full control, while User has only read and execute.

I know that the Spybot scan runs with admin privileges, as when I click "Scan" in the main Spybot window, I get a security pop-up window from Windows 7 asking my permission to run the scan. But the same thing does not occur when I click "Immunize", so the immunization process is running without elevated privileges. Is there a way for the Immunization process to be run with admin privileges? If not, is there a security risk if I give my User full control (instead of Read & execute)? From my many years in IT system administration, I believe that the lack of permissions is the problem; I doubt that another security program running is denying Spybot's access to the hosts file. And I get no pop-up from any other security product that Spybot's access has been denied. But I may be wrong, as I do not know a lot about the internals of Windows 7.

[Zenobia]

I changed the other account on my computer to Standard on Windows 10 to see if I could run Immunization as Administrator. When I logged in, I opened Spybot. In my case, clicking the system scan did not prompt me to elevate to administrator, as it does if I open Spybot on my own account which is an administrator account. Opening Immunization asked me if I wanted to just immunize the account I was on, or if I wanted to immunize all accounts. I wasn't sure if this is standard practice on a standard account always, or a one time thing because Spybot probably has never been opened before on that account but opening it again resulted in the same prompt, so I'd guess that might be how it is usually done. When I chose to immunize all accounts, I had to put in the administator's account password to do so. Since your User does not get a prompt, you could try rightclicking Immunization within the Spybot start center, and selecting Run As Administrator. I'd presume that they'll still have to input an administrator password, if that's how it's done in standard accounts. Or, they could rightclick the start center in the beginning and choose run as administrator, presumably with a password, if that is the way things are done on a standard account. I'd presume this is a home user situation. If this is a work/business spybot situation then I'd need to check to see where I can refer you as it would need to be handled in another section/area,etc. :)