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I had a problem with Macromedia Flash checking for updates without my
knowledge or consent. My firewall software wasn't an obstacle, leading me
to believe that Flash was communicating within the process space of
Firefox.

I routinely check the "Extensions" in my browser and never saw any listed.
However, in the Macromedia "plugins" folder there was a number of dll files
and an exe file from Macromedia. That must have been how Flash was able to
bypass the firewall.

Since these are dll files and integrated with Firefox, I consider this
nothing more than spyware and a HUGE security risk. You don't know what
those plugins are doing, what they are monitoring, what or with whom they
are communicating. Your firewall can't stop them, either.

So is there any other way for Firefox plugins to communicate without my
knowledge? Is there any other place that they can hide on my computer?
Can they hide in my registry?

I love the Firefox browser. I don't want to stop using it because of this
mainly because IE is no better. In fact, IE is much worse.

However, I want these damn plugins gone! I found some from "Real
Networks", too. Damn those jerks!

Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated. Is there anyway to
completely shut off plugin functionality? It looks like Mozilla has gotten
just as bad as Microsoft in this respect.

(I just read about aboutlugins. It looks like there are a bunch of
Microsoft DRM "Digital Rights Management" plugins installed. I want these
gone, too.)

Thanks for your help.

Lone Clapper wrote:
> I had a problem with Macromedia Flash checking for updates without my
> knowledge or consent. My firewall software wasn't an obstacle, leading me
> to believe that Flash was communicating within the process space of
> Firefox.
>
> I routinely check the "Extensions" in my browser and never saw any listed.
> However, in the Macromedia "plugins" folder there was a number of dll files
> and an exe file from Macromedia. That must have been how Flash was able to
> bypass the firewall.
>
> Since these are dll files and integrated with Firefox, I consider this
> nothing more than spyware and a HUGE security risk. You don't know what
> those plugins are doing, what they are monitoring, what or with whom they
> are communicating. Your firewall can't stop them, either.
>
> So is there any other way for Firefox plugins to communicate without my
> knowledge? Is there any other place that they can hide on my computer?
> Can they hide in my registry?
>
> I love the Firefox browser. I don't want to stop using it because of this
> mainly because IE is no better. In fact, IE is much worse.
>
> However, I want these damn plugins gone! I found some from "Real
> Networks", too. Damn those jerks!
>
> Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated. Is there anyway to
> completely shut off plugin functionality? It looks like Mozilla has gotten
> just as bad as Microsoft in this respect.
>
> (I just read about aboutlugins. It looks like there are a bunch of
> Microsoft DRM "Digital Rights Management" plugins installed. I want these
> gone, too.)
>
> Thanks for your help.

Try renaming the DLL files.

Lone Clapper wrote:

> Since these are dll files and integrated with Firefox, I consider this
> nothing more than spyware and a HUGE security risk. You don't know what
> those plugins are doing, what they are monitoring, what or with whom they
> are communicating. Your firewall can't stop them, either.

Flash itself don't contain spyware, but products like Microsoft WindowsXP
does. If you are worried abut security, then take a look at Macromedias FAQ:
http://www.macromedia.com/software/f...olicy/faq.html


> So is there any other way for Firefox plugins to communicate without my
> knowledge? Is there any other place that they can hide on my computer?
> Can they hide in my registry?

Of course, all dlls, specially those that are written by Microsoft has the
potential to communicate with the outside world without telling you nor
alarming a firewall, but only when the dlls has been loaded. In most case dlls
are quite harmless and required for things to work in a Microsoft environment.

Firefox has it's plugins in one place, Firefox plugins in other locations are
ignored.


> However, I want these damn plugins gone! I found some from "Real
> Networks", too. Damn those jerks!

Empty the plugin directory and you are rid of the plugins, but those plugins
have been installed by you at some point.


//Aho

On 2005-11-01, Lone Clapper <> wrote:
> I had a problem with Macromedia Flash checking for updates without my
> knowledge or consent. My firewall software wasn't an obstacle, leading me
> to believe that Flash was communicating within the process space of
> Firefox.
>
> I routinely check the "Extensions" in my browser and never saw any listed.
> However, in the Macromedia "plugins" folder there was a number of dll files
> and an exe file from Macromedia. That must have been how Flash was able to
> bypass the firewall.
>
> Since these are dll files and integrated with Firefox, I consider this
> nothing more than spyware and a HUGE security risk. You don't know what
> those plugins are doing, what they are monitoring, what or with whom they
> are communicating. Your firewall can't stop them, either.
>
> So is there any other way for Firefox plugins to communicate without my
> knowledge? Is there any other place that they can hide on my computer?
> Can they hide in my registry?
>
> I love the Firefox browser. I don't want to stop using it because of this
> mainly because IE is no better. In fact, IE is much worse.
>
> However, I want these damn plugins gone! I found some from "Real
> Networks", too. Damn those jerks!
>
> Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated. Is there anyway to
> completely shut off plugin functionality? It looks like Mozilla has gotten
> just as bad as Microsoft in this respect.
>
> (I just read about aboutlugins. It looks like there are a bunch of
> Microsoft DRM "Digital Rights Management" plugins installed. I want these
> gone, too.)
>
> Thanks for your help.

There is an executable that starts with "getmacro..." in one of the directories
of firefox; either delete of rename; don't remember where the programs was under
windows.

Lone Clapper wrote:

>I had a problem with Macromedia Flash checking for updates without my
>knowledge or consent. My firewall software wasn't an obstacle, leading me
>to believe that Flash was communicating within the process space of
>Firefox.
>
>I routinely check the "Extensions" in my browser and never saw any listed.
>However, in the Macromedia "plugins" folder there was a number of dll files
>and an exe file from Macromedia. That must have been how Flash was able to
>bypass the firewall.
>
>Since these are dll files and integrated with Firefox, I consider this
>nothing more than spyware and a HUGE security risk. You don't know what
>those plugins are doing, what they are monitoring, what or with whom they
>are communicating. Your firewall can't stop them, either.
>
>So is there any other way for Firefox plugins to communicate without my
>knowledge? Is there any other place that they can hide on my computer?
>Can they hide in my registry?
>
>I love the Firefox browser. I don't want to stop using it because of this
>mainly because IE is no better. In fact, IE is much worse.
>
>However, I want these damn plugins gone! I found some from "Real
>Networks", too. Damn those jerks!
>
>Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated. Is there anyway to
>completely shut off plugin functionality? It looks like Mozilla has gotten
>just as bad as Microsoft in this respect.
>
>(I just read about aboutlugins. It looks like there are a bunch of
>Microsoft DRM "Digital Rights Management" plugins installed. I want these
>gone, too.)
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
>
I dont reply to multiposted messages, pick one group and ask

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 09:46:02 GMT, "Moz Champion (Dan)"
<> wrote:


>I dont reply to multiposted messages, pick one group and ask

Ummmmm, you just did! So, you could have at least posted something
semi-intelligent or useful.

Sniper .308 wrote:

>On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 09:46:02 GMT, "Moz Champion (Dan)"
><> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>>I dont reply to multiposted messages, pick one group and ask
>>
>>
>
>Ummmmm, you just did! So, you could have at least posted something
>semi-intelligent or useful.
>
>
I actually spent over a half hour investigating the issue, and writing a
reply, prior to noticing that the post was cross posted. If the person
wishes to have such benefit, then I would suggest they dont crosspost