Does Spyware Damage Windows Networking?

DerBryGuy asks: "I work for an ISP in Canada. Recently we have had a rash of customers whose computers can connect via DSL, but cannot browse, or often even ping. Invariably it turns out that there is some spy ware of some sort installed on the customers machine - usually New dot Net or the other drek that comes with Kazaa. About half the time if this is removed correctly (manually or by using ad-aware) then the machine will regain http access. However the other half of the time the only option we have found is to format and reinstall the OS. So I am wondering, are other ISP's seeing this? What do they do when they get a similar complaint and they detect spyware on the machine. Is there any recourse for the customer? I mean most of these people had no idea what New dot Net was when their kid installed Kazaa, and now they are stuck with a computer store bill for reinstalling their machine."

Comments

New versions of antivirus software

[Halvard]

We seen this but not with spyware. Customer calls saying they no longer can access the internet. Invariably, they have updated their antivirus software and it now includes a personal firewall. Said firewall doesn't allow ports 80, 25, or 110. We've seen this with McAfee and with a less well know brand the name of which escapes my memory at the moment.

We have seen spyware cripple the performance of a machine though.

Apparently you're not the only one

[Anonymous Coward]

I quote from http://cookiewhore.net/archives/00000009.html

Gah.. for 2 days my connection wasnt working, I kept getting the "Line was busy" error which is really ANNOYING I'm telling you. Then just now, my comp really freaked me out because I can't even restart it! New.net kept giving an error, something about dll error and it took me an hour to figure out what happened and what I should do. After I've done system restore, scandisk bla bla bla, I FINALLY thought of deleting new.net folder (if some of you didnt know, new.net is the spyware that came with kazaa) but if I delete that, I risk of corrupting Kazaa (this has happened before). So I thought I better risk of corrupting kazaa than having my comp not working at all so i deleted it and it works fine now! my comp AND kazaa.. ok time to work on my website..ciao

I suppose I'm relieved; new dot net can't be too effective as spyware if it prevents any connection at all from happening.

Re:Apparently you're not the only one

[Cpyder]

If you really want KaZaA, but without the spyware, you should checkout KaZaA lite (kazaalite.com). Be sure not to allow KaZaA to update itself (like now with the 1.7 version), as it will install the Sharman Networks version with said spyware. A nice p2p-program without spyware is WinMX, too bad there are no Linux clients for it. (for their own network, that is.. Opennap clients enough.)

fragile windows DNS

[larry bagina]

Window's DNS is somewhat finicky. If you have a virus, or spyware that tries to make DNS lookups while you're connecting to your ISP, it can prevent DNS from working once you do connect.

Apparently you're not the only one

[orthogonal]

From Duke university:

Kazaa weighs in as a heavy weight of spyware/adware installing applications. It installs two pieces of spyware without consent.

New.net Domains

Filters all web address requests through the DNS servers of New.net.

This program can cause your internet connectivity stop altogether.

The New.Net plugin is known to cause compatability problems with some other products. Leaves a new.net .dll file on your computer which may interfere with your Internet connection after removing the program

New.Net / Webhancer

[|<amikaze]

These screw with the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Services/Winsock2 keys and make things break. It's not easy to remove them until you get used to it. We had to request several times from New.Net to get removal instructions.