Linux and spyware?

[phishphreek]

I know that spyware/adware is a growing problem for windows users.

Fortunately, we have programs such as adaware and spybot search and destroy to help with this problem.

I have not heard much about this for linux users.

Do linux users have to worry about this? If so, are there any spyware/adware detectors/removers for linux?

[DeadAddict]

From my search results I haven't found any linux software that deals with spyware so I don't think that linux users have to worry about it :D

[phishphreek]

I too came up empty handed while searching. Thats why I fell back on AO. :D

I installed LimeWire p2p app this weekend on my desktop box, and it got me wondering.

I know that Kazaa and the like come with quite a bit of spyware... but does the linux versions?

[Lansing_Banda]

I would guess that the linux version would be cleaned. I didn't even know their was an linux version of Kazaa. If it is like soulseek, which was ported over to linux as nicotine or pysoulseek, and was ported by someone other than the original producer then I bet it is clean.


By the way, use nicotine, the files are better quality, you can talk to many nice people, and the files are organized in a tree structure on someone's share: http://nicotine.thegraveyard.org/

[phishphreek]

I didn't even know their was an linux version of Kazaa

AFAIK, there isn't. I was just using that as my example. I've never used LimeWire, but I figured I'd give it a shot because I'm trying my best to get away from m$ at home.

I like to help out my buddies band and put his songs (with permission) on p2p networks.

I just want to make sure that I'm not putting a boat load of spyware on there.

I suppose I'll just kill all connections and run a sniffer and dig through the traffic to make sure.

Lansing_Banda: Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check it out. Can't hurt to run them both I suppose. The more networks his music is on, the better.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

We always here about spyware for windows, but not for othe OSs like *nix or Mac for that matter.

[netRealm]

I use gift http://gift.sourceforge.net.

It can do OpenFT, Gnutella, and FastTrack (the Kazza network.)

It takes some configuration setup initially, but I think it is worth it to have a Kazza client for Linux.

[Lansing_Banda]

Dude if that is your goal then go with soulseek all the way. I know a ton of guys that are spreading their work out on soulseek. It is great too because you can talk to everyone and recommend that they try your stuff. Def give it a look. I am hosting three of my friends bands right now.

[moxnix]

I have been using Limewire for about a month now, and I have not noticed any increase in spyware at all. The vidio files are corrupt about half the time, but that is the only thing I have found.
Although, I am not using it on Linux, but windows.

[Info Tech Geek]

Have you tried sniffing your outgoing traffic to see if anything is trying to send out data? I'm sure there is "spyware" on our systems, but does it react in the same fashion as if it was on a win box is the real question.

Something to look at.... http://www.firewallguide.com/spyware.htm

[phishphreek]

Info Tech Geek: I just did that when I got home. I couldn't find any evidence of spyware at the time, but I only let the sniffer run for 15min or so. I'm going to let it run all night and see what I come up with.

This is a new install, so I wouldn't expect much... but I did install that p2p app... hmm...

[!mitationRust]

I did a search aswell the onlything I remotely found Phishphreak was s virus scanner for linux.
This is an anti-virus scanner for Linux
http://linux.tucows.com/highlight_A-preview.html

I was searching on this forum site i use aswell and nothing turned up www.Linuxquestions.org
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74494&highlight=spyware+remover

Post a link or PM me if you do find some other software.

[phishphreek]

Again, thanks for the replies. I didn't turn up much in my initial search. Thanks for the link !mitationRust. That had some good insight. Actaully... a rather amusing site... I may have to register there.

if you are hacked to where you need to reformat than you are eather using chmod 777 / -R (Stupid) or running everything as root (almost as stupid)

That is NOT a standard linux security practice?!?! :p

[groovicus]

Just a minor observation, and I may be full of crap....but adware and spybot remove questionable cookies based on their definitions...and linux browsers use cookies also, so I would think that they are susceptible to this type of spyware, though I wouldn't really call them spyware per se. However, if you have a cookie on your computer for doubleclick.net, and it sends a message "home" concerning every site you visit, then you would have to consider it spyware, yes?

If you are blocking cookies, it shouldn't be an issue...

This is all pure hypothesis though!!! :)

[phishphreek]

groovicus: Good point. I have thought of this too. I clear my cache/cookies on a regular basis.

I'm more worried about the spyware that installs itself and changes your system. Changes homepages, modifies registry, popups, and all the other "not so nice" actions that they perform. Of course... a linux box doens't have a registry and can't run .exe files. (without futher support from wine, etc.)

[Info Tech Geek]

ah - ha... I found the answer... Any software that does a baseline analysis and not directory specific will run on a linux system with Wine.

[nihil]

Hi Guys,

Not quite on topic, but I understand that:

http://www.bitdefender.com/

Does a free AV for linux plus a shed load of other AV/protection tools...might be worth a look?

Cheers

EDIT: I will get linux when people start writing decent viruses and exploits for it........"uncle Bill" says his guys canot come up with anything before Easter, so I am holding back a while :D