i have a great P2P program called Ares. it allows downloads of anything from software to songs to movies. i love it. but my question is, is it safe as far as spyware and stuff? it's home page:

http://aresgalaxy.org/

is this safe to use or am i getting spyware and malware from it? advise on security?

Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

Quoted from the PC Pitstop site hosting P2P Programs: Popular and Perilous article by Robert P. Lipschutz and John Clyman:

It's time for a confession. Many of us have peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing software on our home PCs. Teenagers most often use P2P to search for and download the latest songs from their favorite artists and adults can find the songs of their youth. PC Pitstop research has shown that many of us have P2P programs such as Kazaa, Grokster, and Morpheus.

It's not the P2P software that's are worrisome as much as the adware that often tags along in the installation. Both teenagers and adults know that programs like Kazaa, WinMX, LimeWire, and BitTorrent can get them the videos and music they want to see and hear. What isn't as well-known is the potential danger of downloading and installing this P2P software. P2P products are one of the most common ways that adware can infiltrate your computer and ruin your computing experience. The adware they distribute can bombard you with advertisements and pop-ups, hijack your Web browser, and even slow your computer to a grinding halt.

i_XpUser

p2p is definately not safe, any form of file sharing is not safe. You could be installing anything on your pc. What anti-virus/spyware are you using????? Go to www.auditmypc.com if you are not using anything.

in terms of adware/spyware it isnt safe whether the website says it or not.All P2P programs have spyware, all of them!

31337

Nonsense. I've been using P2P programs for 3-4 years now and not had a problem once. Steer clear from any smallish .exe files, or just any .exe files for that matter.

use a little sense and you can't go wrong!

Hell no!

Interesting that you chose a program named after a god of war.

Everything you download via a P2P network comes from an unknown, therefore untrusted source. If any computer using the network becomes infected with a virus, trojan or any other form of malware, it will be shared through the entire network. This is why malware authors love P2P.

One group that does not share the love of P2P is the recording industry. They have been known to distribute dummy files resembling MP3s of their copywrighted works. Then record who downloads the file. It is rumoured that they have used more proactive means of getting even.

"All P2P programs have spyware"

Heh - spoken like a true "expert"

No, they really don't - not "all of them"

The danger is not knowing with certainty the actual content of the files, which may or may not come equipped with a 'handy' (trojan filled) keygen.

Like anything of this nature (say.. MSN Messenger) common sense, vigilance, and a good AV/firewall combo will keep you reasonably safe, but there is always a risk in downloading from unproven sources

Computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weigh 1 1/2 tons.

- Popular Mechanics, 1949

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All P2P programs have spyware, all of them!

Whitehat, could you tell me what spyware is incorporated in 'shareaza', I'm sure the developers would love to hear what you have to say.

D4Dog
"beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder"

am i safe enough? my system is thoroughly protected:

Notron Antivirus 2004 Professional
Spybot-S&D
Adaware SE Personal
Webroot Spysweeper
Spyware Blaster
Windows Security Center Firewall (included w/ XP SP2)
Norton Firewall

am i covered enough to use Ares or any P2P program, with all that protection?

Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

Here's a little story...

I had NAV2005, Ad-aware, Spybot SD, spywareblaster and MS-Antispyware, and SP2 firewall.

ALL I did was install Shareaza and download 1 music file (which i still have so IT wasn't the problem) all seemed fine until the next day when I got on my pc. I was infected with a whole bunch of crap. Ad-aware found over 500 things (2 days before it was clean), and spybot found about 50. I was able to clear them all off from safe mode except a weird process that wouldn't go away in my task manager, the only way i was able to get rid of it was when i uninstalled shareaza.

now I don't trust ANY p2p program.

Jen

Shareaza is open-source, and therefore freeware. Unfortunately this leaves it open to unscrupulous shysters who rebundle it with spyware and adware. Some of the less careful freeware/shareware sites then unwittingly distribute the infected files. Download from the home site only.

A few gullible folks are paying to get P2P clients like eMule, when that's open-source too, and of course the install files are bundled with all sorts of rubbish

A quote from a hijackthis reader.

"Those programs, even when installed without bundled spyware, are "high risk" to the end user, and cause so many infections from downloading infected files. You may think you are immune to those, but I beg to differ. We see tons of infected computers dude... and a lot of those infections are caused by P2P downloaded files. It's as simple as that."

http://www.newbie.org/help/index.php?showtopic=833

This is the reason I gave up reading logs,
because of self inflicted problems that
never stop.

Use at your own risk!

With the money you save, you can use for
the repair bill.

Hijack prevention tips

"am i safe enough? my system is thoroughly protected:"

Heh - famous last words.

No such thing as 100% protection, new threats appear constantly.

Not everything is necessarily as it appears to be with P2P (depending) - that "JLo Screensaver" may turn out to be a rather nasty new trojan (and odds are)

No substitute for good judgement

Caution & common sense as well as a decent level of protection - try to use a 'clean' application, and if the site has user comments for the specific files, read them first.

Going online is risky, period - if you want a totally safe machine, disconnect from the internet and play solitaire.

P2P

Maybe check out the various BitTorrent clients

Computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weigh 1 1/2 tons.

- Popular Mechanics, 1949

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

This is the reason I gave up reading logs,
because of self inflicted problems that
never stop.

This is also one of the reasons why this site discourages HJT Postings unless one of us ask you to do so.

i_XpUser

Shareaza has 180solutions bundled with it

31337

http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/pest/pest.aspx?id=453073603

31337

I'd like to hear about the 'spyware' in DC++, which I've used for years.

M2

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

"Shareaza has 180solutions bundled with it" - personal experience I take it?

"in terms of adware/spyware it isnt safe whether the website says it or not.All P2P programs have spyware, all of them!"

You've tried them all then, every one?

... and all users of this board who make sweeping statements without any references or personal experiences to back them up are likely to be ignored.

Here here! Rambler. I've been using Shareaza for a looong time and never, ever had a single incidence of spyware with the program itself. If you look at Whitehats reference in No.15 I think it is pretty clear that downloading copywritten software and the key generator leaves you wide open for attack/infection. I cannot see any reference to the Shareaza program being the ACTUAL cause of the problem, but more likely the operator.

D4Dog
"beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder"

Dragon306,if you haven't tired of all the remarks here you might like to look at the following http://www.pcpitstop.com/spycheck/p2p.asp
from XPUsers reply.
The information there should be enough to inform you about Ares, and inform you of your options.

D4Dog
"beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder"

actually, i am quite interested in what people have to say. have any of you ever heard of Ares Galaxy (the one i use)? it appears to be safe. i received an email in reference to my post:

crap i cant find the email i must have deleted it, but someone said they downloaded and installed Ares from the home page, then ran a whole arsenal of anti-virus/anti-spyware programs and Ares came up clean. the program its self seems to be clean. opinions on this? mainly all i download is songs. by all means, keep discussing this, im interested in what people have to say.

Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

The email came from me, and went like this:

I found the link to your Ares program and installed it. Next I did the full array of SpyWare and Virus scans (AdAware, SpyBot S&D, SpyWare Blater, HJT & Norton). Rebooted and ran the scans again.

Good News! Ares comes up clean as a whistle.

Additionally, I have a special kind of "uninstaller" software. In using it I can examine EVERY tiny component of the Ares installation. Again, it's a safe program.

The greatest danger of P2P programs is not the program itself, but rather WHAT you download.

NEVER download anything with the following extensions:

.exe
.com
.pif
.scr
.bat
.cmd
.zip

_________________________
The internet is no longer a toy, it's a COMBAT ZONE!

Dragon306,

Once again, you need to read THIS page from Acres themselves:

Quoted:

Unwanted Exposure to Pornography - P2P software may give users, including children, access to pornography. Some files containing pornography may be deliberately mislabeled to attract young or otherwise unsuspecting viewers.

Spyware - Files downloaded from the Internet using applications such as Ares P2P may contain spyware that can track your online activity or control your computer. These files will typically be disguised and be undetected by average computer users. Spyware is not to be confused with legitimate adware that may be integrated with Ares.

Viruses - Files downloaded from the Internet using applications such as Ares P2P may carry computer trojans, worms, or viruses that can potentially damage your computer or cause other harms. These files will typically be mislabeled to disguise their true purpose.

Need we say more??

i_XpUser

so there is no substitute for common sense and vigialnce. keep track of what you are downloading and know what it is. i see...

Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

No, Yes, Yes and Yes.....

D4Dog
"beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder"

Basically, you develop good judgement by screwing everything up completely - after that you know what not to do

Computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weigh 1 1/2 tons.

- Popular Mechanics, 1949

Report Offensive Follow Up For Removal

s--- man, if you know how to manage a computer, your safe. i've been using p2p programs for ages. i dont even have a virus scanner. once in a while a quick sweep with adaware or a quick scan with an online virus scanner and im fine. none of that antivirus s--- that slows your computer down(NORTON!). if you don't spastically download s--- that could have virus(cracks n' s---) without scanning it and you know how to keep your computer clean of the elements of the internet, you can chill.

msconfig does wonders.

Asus A7N8X-X
AMD XP 3200+
Corsair PC3200 1024
Geforce 6800 OC
Thermaltake 480W