IP: ebates.com installs Java program on users computer: [risks] Risks Digest 21.49

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 09:51:20 -0500
> From: Bill Tolle <BillTolle () ExclusiveBuyersAgents com>
> Subject: ebates.com installs Java program on users computer
>
> Being a frequent shopper on the Internet I "bit" on an offer from
> http:/www.ebates.com. They offer a rebated from merchants if you go through
> ebates.com to get to the merchants site. I made the mistake of assuming that
> Buy.com and BarnesandNoble.com would not associate themselves with anything
> illegitimate. That was a mistake.
>
> I read ebates.com's privacy policy and the only thing it mentions is
> "cookies", not a word about any other type of tracking software.
>
> My second mistake was that I had enable Java in Internet Explorer while
> trying to solve some problems and had failed to disable it later.
>
> I signed up for their service. Later that same day, after I had rebooted my
> computer I found that a program named "Javarun.exe" was trying to access the
> Internet and was also trying to act as a server for the Internet.
> Fortunately, the firewall caught it and stopped it.
>
> Upon investigation, I found that ebates had installed a new folder named
> "C:\Program Files\topmoxie" that included the Javarun.exe program. There was
> also a file named "einstall.txt" in the C:\ directory that shows the
> installation of 134 ".class", ",dll", etc. files.
>
> Fortunately I had backed up my registry earlier in the day and was able to
> restore it to a point before I signed up with ebates. I am waiting for a
> reply from Buy.com and BarnesandNoble.com regarding my complaints to them
> for being associated with such an illegitimate operation as this.
>
> Bill Tolle, 245 S. Peachtree St., Jasper, Texas 75951
> 1-866-378-8525 - (409) 384-9094 http://ExclusiveBuyersAgents.com



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