Kazaa Lite Is 'spyware Free' Says Creator

ITtoolbox Security ^ | Friday, April 19, 2002 | By James Middleton

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Kazaa users can now get hold of a hacked version of the peer-to-peer file sharing software which claims to be spyware free.

Earlier this month Kazaa users discovered that the client software includes what is effectively a Trojan program which connects to another network called Altnet and taps the user's processing power and storage space.

Brilliant Digital Media, the company behind the stealth peer-to-peer software, plans to activate the software on users' machines in the next few weeks and sell the resources to be used for distributed computing.

But recently released Kazaa Lite software is a hacked-up version of the Kazaa client without the third party software or banner adverts.

Created by a Russian programmer known only as 'Yuri', the illicit Kazaa Lite was developed as an alternative 'non-misleading' version of the software.

Kazaa Lite has also caught the attention of Sharman Networks, the developer of the original Kazaa software. Sharman said that it will vigorously defend its rights but has not said that it will take legal action against Kazaa Lite.

It would be difficult to block Kazaa Lite clients from accessing the Kazaa network simply because of the openness of the system which lets millions of users log on simultaneously.

KazaaLite.com has reported over 80,000 downloads since the program was released and no interoperability problems with the Kazaa network.

More info can be found at Kazaalite.com.

To see more of VNUNet go to http://www.vnunet.com

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I haven't tried this version, but if you are going to open your computer to the internet, then you get what you settle for (intrusion, etc).

[quimby]

Another way of putting it is if you get in bed with thieves, you shouldn't be surprised if you wind up being used.

It could well be that if the so called "owners" of this software do use it to sell advertising, they will be rightfully sued out of existence.

[JCG]

Earlier this month Kazaa users discovered that the client software includes what is effectively a Trojan program which connects to another network called Altnet and taps the user's processing power and storage space.

Anybody know if Zone Alarm stops it?

America's Fifth Column ... watch PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

[BellStar]

It is all true. I did Kazaa and dumped it after I saw "Ice Age"!

[BellStar]

NO! When you sign up and install it takes over!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

if you install it, then when it starts, it runs. I think the port is 1249 (or 1429...?), not sure. ZA will block scans when you arent running, but I *think* even if you uninstall Kazaa (morpheus, etc) it leaves registry settings allowing your port to be connected to, but I am not sure- haven't looked at that.

[BellStar]

And how--pray tell---do you uninstall "hidden" registry settings. I thought I got them all.

[Cicero]

Many or most of these programs to steal music without paying for it open your computer to hackers. While I was at work one of my kids' friends installed such a program on my computer, and it took me a dog's age to get the bits and pieces of spyware out of my system and out of the registry. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. If you must steal music without paying for it, don't do it over the internet.

[AdA$tra]

The music industry is blaming P2P for declines in their sales. Has it ever occured to them that it may be the product quality has declined sharply. Art and business rarely mix to provide creativity.

[hove]

Riiiiggghhht. What does this guy think we are.....suckers? He puts a virus in his software....people discover it...he says he takes it out. Yeah...I'm sure gonna install any software this guy comes up with.

[hove]

Riiiiggghhht. What does this guy think we are.....suckers? He puts a virus in his software....people discover it...he says he takes it out. Yeah...I'm sure gonna install any software this guy comes up with.

[Bobalu]

If you must use KAZAA or some other program of this type then i recommend the following..

Use norton Ghost to make a backup copy of your C drive.
Now load up KAZAA and move it's 'My Shared Folder' to another drive.
Now make a Ghost copy of the C drive with KAZAA installed..

When you want to play with KAZAA load up the Image with it installed
When you want to be free of KAZAA then load up the clean image of your C drive.

If you are really paranoid then place the 'My Shared Folder' onto a CDRW disk and when you load up KAZAA disable all HDs but C in the bios setup on your PC. This give KAZAA access to only the C drive... and this will be set back to normal when you are done and re-load the original Ghost image...
And remember to get rid of anything on C that you would hate for some hacker to take a peek at... if that is a big job then do a fresh install of windows and install KAZAA on top of that... that way when you load up the KAZAA image there will be nothing at all on C to peek at :-)

[Walkin Man]

Link

Ad-aware
Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility, that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware components and lets you remove them safely.

Ad-aware has worked well for me, and its free.

[Jaxter]

Instructions on how to remove Kazaa spyware here.

[Bill Rice]

Interestingly enough, the install for Kazaa 1.6 is 134K, while the install for Kazaa "Lite" is 1.2Mb. I think someone is BS'ing about the "lite" version being worm free.

I'm not gonna install either one!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I found them in the registry after removing morpheus. A few months back. And they were not easy, not noticeable in finding. They had no outward hint of Kazaa or Morpheus, etc.

[phalynx]

Not to mention that when you remove it, Kaaza will not work anymore.......

[RedBloodedAmerican]

When I removed Morpheus using the uninstall feature of the program, I still had a port open for it. Not until I went and edited the registry manually did it stop. Maybe it was just my box doing that?

[Tennessee_Bob]

Heck, go with LimeWire.

[JURB]

I found a nifty little program that will erase all relevant (Brilliant Digital software) files and will clean most, if not all offending registry keys here.