Adobe Spyware! Warning!

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09-07-2003, 07:02 PM
sharedholder

Adobe Spyware! Warning!

Quote:

Received from a newsletter:

Adobe Spyware Warning
You should really be aware that Adobe has it's own spyware enabled on ALL of it's products (with the possible exception of Streamline)

This spyware logs into the Adobe website and reports which S/N your using for your product. Adobe then maintains a huge list of illegally used S/Ns, which it then invalidates on it's next release of the product. Thus, it's in EVERYONE's interest that you immediately disable this spyware!!!

The process is very simple. Just go into C:Program FilesCommon FilesAdobeWeb and rename the program AOM.exe to AOM.xxx. This prevents it from running for ALL Adobe products.
And always have a firewall running. So you can disable adobe's software to contact the internet.
09-07-2003, 07:07 PM
TheFilePirater

u didnt recive that from a news letter...its on suprnova.tk, i saw it like a month ago......man u need to stop spamming
09-07-2003, 07:12 PM
sharedholder

Quote:

u didnt recive that from a news letter...its on suprnova.tk, i saw it like a month ago......man u need to stop spamming

ITS NOT SPAM !!NO I DID NOT RECEIVED THAT FROM A NEWSLETTER LOOK BETTER I PUT QUOTE
09-07-2003, 07:41 PM
ricochet

Hey shareholder I seen that like a couple weeks ago but thay said that was a fake letter...
09-07-2003, 07:44 PM
Spock4

Why are you guys so Paranoid about....spyware wont you just unplug your internet and nothing to worry about.. :blink:
09-07-2003, 07:46 PM
NightStalker

It must be fake, Adobe has never tried to gain access to the internet on my machine..
09-07-2003, 07:47 PM
TheFilePirater

i tried it wit photo7 and theres no aom.exe
09-07-2003, 07:50 PM
sharedholder

Quote:

Hey shareholder I seen that like a couple weeks ago but thay said that was a fake letter...

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Why are you guys so Paranoid about....spyware wont you just unplug your internet and nothing to worry about..

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It must be fake, Adobe has never tried to gain access to the internet on my machine..

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i tried it wit photo7 and theres no aom.exe

IF YOU HAVE PATIENCE LOOK THIS TOPIC FEW MINUTE LATER , I WILL PUT SOME SCREENSHOTS FROM THE FORUM WHERE I FOUND THIS.
09-07-2003, 08:16 PM
sharedholder

This is the screenshoot and the comments from a warez forum .

http://www.sighost.us/members/sharedholder/ADOBE.jpg

Quote:

49 Users already said Thank You!

veysel, cstenson, appzlover, smartz34, xxl, Jimbob, Mad Burner, malcolm_gb, cece, MadMax, atgpud2003, klaesser, tangar, PiraTe, TeXasRich, jtmoney, CONFUSER, BBx, Moroninc, dene14, wilkey50, rjnsace, valhalla2004, lobstar, madralph, khalnayak, linh, rockin1, MDMA, Ryo94, Mr Sheen, scepen, danbar1908, Raada1, dartmaster, Talo, ncongchinh, Patch, comm0n-sense, lemorico, keekmeel, tonisgr, vision, PRG, simonsmith_7, GEOX, calibra, .DL, Pancho52,

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Is it too late that Adobe already gather a whole bunch of illegal s/n already? I checked mine and did not find any Adobe product yet. Thanks for warning us.

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Yeup, Adobe has been doing this for awhile, I mean like 2 years, this warning was put out on the edonkey network, and has had the workaround....I feal sorry for ppl who didn't know about that this way back then...

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I can't believe that I just found out about this There it was sitting with an all access pass in ZoneAlarm Pro

AOM MFC Application

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Holy Sh*T! Gotten be kidding me.. Now I just renamed the file.. What a such jackass adobe... Now this is new lesson we learn now! So... Gonna be careful what heck going on! I use ComView monitoring all commucation what pop into running programs. It really cool tool..

I love adobe stuff! It cool!

Good day!

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don't have a AOE.exe file in my folder, should I look for something else?

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maybe this should be in general chat

anyway, I didnt find it, maybe cuz I have a ripped photoshop

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The red flag should have went up when the program tried to access the internet through your firewall. I always verify what is connecting through the internet. DP

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hmmmm....looks like it's a component for their online help and online registration-(adobe online manager)...it's located in the Web folder in the Program Files/Common Files/Adobe folder (Windows) or the System Folder...

more details from adobe themselves about issues it may cause.......(copy and paste to new window)
h**p://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/2b64a.htm?code=TA

never seen it make an outbound connection.....could "piggyback" on IE, but i somehow think this may not be what it's made out to be......could be wrong....heck a little paranoia is nuthin, just rename the file at will if it's suspect.....*imho

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I don't have a AOE.exe file in my folder, should I look for something else?

It's actually AOM.exe and it is usually located in C:/Program Files/Common Files/Adobe/Web.

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Thanks for the heads up man. I never knew about this either. Now I do.

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what if we just delete it? How do i rename it with the extension .xxx? You don't just mean to right-click and select rename do you?

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Wow! Thats a scary thought.Imagine you're using one of the ghetto serial number and then by unintentionly you visit Adobe,then the next time you restart your computer, your app just crash or refuse to load.

I know that Micro$oft has been spying on people for years.Thats why nearly every ?proggie or Windows have their own Service Packs or patches/
Unless youre a full blown geek than what they put in those service packs deserve alot of ?????

IS THIS ENOUGH OR YOU WANT MORE COMMENTS THAT ADOBE HAS SHIT INSIDE?????NOW YOU BELIEVE?I NEVER SPAM THIS BOARD OR ANOTHER BOARDS!
09-07-2003, 08:21 PM
sharedholder

HERE MORE

Quote:

Interesting. I did a complete scan on my computer and found nothing regarding this file. I did a visual check in the folder as well and still no AOM.exe file in there also. I do have all my folders and files set to show up in filemanger. I am using Windows 2000. Could this be an XP initiative.

Thanks for the heads up anyway.

Quote:

All i have in that folder is:

AdobeWeb57enu.awe
AdobeWeb.dll
adobeweblog
AdobeBannerenu.awe
Adoberegistrationenu

and a couple of GIFs.
Now what?

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I haven't found anything, maybe that's with previous versions, oh well.
Someone said QUOTE 
what if we just delete it? How do i rename it with the extension .xxx? You don't just mean to right-click and select rename do you?

Go to Tools -> Folder Options -> go to tab View -> and untick "Hide extensions for known files".

You will be able to change the extension. After you change it I recommend you change it back, because it's pretty annoying seeing all those extensions, especially when renaming.
Another thing, can you tell us what Adobe app you have and version?

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Especially for those who are not very familiar with windows, like some of my friends:

the AOM.exe file can be found with the search function of windows.

You will find AOM and not AOM.exe (as I found out on the computer of one of my friends).
This really is an exe file and can be renamed to AOM.xxx.

All programs continued to work normally!
My friend was quite shocked and it is a good thing to warn all our friends - like minoo did.
Excellent work in an excellent community!

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Rename the AOM.exe file, run Acrobat, and click on Help->Adobe Online. Looks like the file re-appears.

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Well Guys I have "Adobe Acrobat" "Adobe Enore DVD" and "Adobe Premier 7 Pro" Installed and I don"t have a "AOM" File or an AOM.exe file anywere on My System, I don"t even have a "Web" folder in my "C:/Program Files/Common Files/" Folder, I have enabled Hidden files so they can be seen and I have done a Search of All files Hidden and System files for the File and it is Nowhere to be Found..So Do you think it is Possible that the file Just didn"t get installed on My PC?? Cheers

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The combination of Illustrator 10.0.3, InDesign 2.0 and Photoshop 7.1 gave the AOM (AOM.exe)!
So at least certain software definitely has this part of spyware!!

Making a scan for cortrol afterall is quite easy.

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to: hoger;

There is.. See in your hard-drive..

1. Look for C:PROGRAM FILESCommon FilesAdobeWeb Folder..

2. Look a file called AOM.EXE and rename to AOM.EXE to AOM.XXX that about it..

ALL Adobe Product do install it, even you try to click Live Update will self installation into this folder that show above #1.. So.... Another hand if you have firewall called Zone Alarm, you can disable AOM.EXE to opt out!

Adobe is coming out new version called Activations will be going roll out newer product next year.. Making worst than what you expecting.. SO, Blame Micro$oft idea! Was totally stupid!

AS for Spyware there is some reason User on PC have right to protect there informations.. That why called spyware.. very notty people wanna know! Like MYOB!

Good day!

ATGPUD2003
09-07-2003, 08:31 PM
ricochet

Easy man.. I didnt say you were spaming I said that I heard that it was a fake letter. It may be right did you find that file on yours???

I might have to start looking some more. It is bullshit if adobe is doing that...

Thanks for alerting us to it though...
09-07-2003, 08:33 PM
sharedholder

Quote:

TheFilePirater  u didnt recive that from a news letter...its on suprnova.tk, i saw it like a month ago......man u need to stop spamming

No,i'm talking about TheFilePirater ;)
09-07-2003, 08:37 PM
NightStalker

I'm just wondering, what forum did you get this off of?
09-07-2003, 08:38 PM
sharedholder

Quote:

I'm just wondering, what forum did you get this off of?

Quote:

This is the screenshoot and the comments from a warez forum .
09-07-2003, 10:59 PM
Izagaia

Serious question Sharedholder; sincerely, I am trying to find this AOM.exe file myself. And I must admit that in reading the material you had already posted, I still cannot find such a file and it really is starting to confuse me. Not even NIS can locate it through it's auto scan feature.

I have been trying like holy-hell to register my version of 7.0.1 since day one by using a registry rewriter program which erases the current activation key in the registry and replaces it with a new one that I generate using the keygen from SSG. While I am able to open the program and use it without conflict, the "register" option from the help menu remains shaded out. Even trying to manually enter in randomly generated keys from the keygen to their site, I still receive the "error, invalid activation key" messages.

Just asking outright here... is registering PS7 even possible using anything generated from the SSG keygen?
09-07-2003, 11:02 PM
Somebody1234

Thanks for the info, sharedholder.

I renamed the file. :)
09-07-2003, 11:06 PM
NightStalker

Quote:

Originally posted by sharedholder@7 September 2003 - 20:38

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I'm just wondering, what forum did you get this off of?

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This is the screenshoot and the comments from a warez forum .

Yeah.. URL? Link? Somthing of the sort.. :-"
09-07-2003, 11:07 PM
Somebody1234

Quote:

Originally posted by NightStalker@7 September 2003 - 19:06
Yeah.. URL? Link? Somthing of the sort.. :-"

Not permitted? :unsure:
09-07-2003, 11:11 PM
NightStalker

Quote:

Originally posted by Somebody1234+7 September 2003 - 23:07--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Somebody1234 @ 7 September 2003 - 23:07)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-NightStalker@7 September 2003 - 19:06
Yeah.. URL? Link? Somthing of the sort.. :-"

Not permitted? :unsure: [/b][/quote]
He could send it via PM... ;)
09-07-2003, 11:28 PM
sharedholder

PM sended NightStalker
09-08-2003, 12:30 AM
Gutter

I did a search for AOM.exe on my hardrive and looked in
C:Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Web and I dont see that file at all, should I not worry about this problem?
09-08-2003, 01:01 AM
firebird32

Buggered if i can find it either :blink:
09-08-2003, 01:27 AM
Wolfmight

I run the latest version of Zone Alarm Pro. I just blocked adobe and put allways.
There's also an Update Dialog or something that comes up the first time u start Adobe.. Just say No.. or like Allways No.
09-08-2003, 07:20 AM
Illuminati

Yep, I had the AOM file. I must have got it when I got that early copy of Adobe Acrobat 6 Professional (Pre-Release) - Anyone else here had the same?

Either way, I had a good solution for it - I didn't really create and edit PDFs that much, so I uninstalled it. AOM seemed to go with it as well :D

Looks like I'm back to Acrobat Reader...or does anyone else know another decent PDF reader?
09-08-2003, 07:30 AM
balamm

If you have a clean, well cracked/repacked copy of photoshop, you have nothing to worry about.
The only contact my system has ever had with adobe is if I initiate it.
And I have ALL adobe products installed that I could find.

Regardless, Adobe has been getting ripped off since win 3.1 and I'm not ware of any prosecutions related to simply using their software without purchasing it.
Any serious user most likely will purchse a program before using it commercially any way and the rest of us just provide excellent market exposure for them.
09-08-2003, 09:11 AM
sparsely

sounds fake.
/me doesn't give a fuck anyway. :D