AM I being hacked?

Users and developers helping users with generic and technical Pale Moon issues on all operating systems.

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tHOMASINA

AM I being hacked?

Unread post by tHOMASINA » 2015-01-25, 18:18

Recent update of PM left me with TWO versions - old and new. I tried to terminate the old version via task mgr and it would not terminate. NO message just wouldn't stop. I closed the wondow but it (they) still ran. I tried to terminate both via TMgr, neither would stop. Then Firefox wouldn't load. Explorer would not load pages. Stymied, I checked my firewall just because and saw that remote access, core networking, WMI, and other nefarious programs I can't remember had slipped through Win firewall perhaps via a weird inbound rule that was created allowing private access thru port 80 and 443. I fixed those firewall rules, tried again. Pm opened, wouldn't update at first, then did a complete update and that worked. Deleted the older version of PM and that seemed to fix it. Anybody got any suggestions? Oh yes, and listed after Firefox in the TMgr there is a " *32 ". That was also a tag showing in the Tskmgr after PaleMoon--one of the versions, I forget which. Now PM does NOT show that suffix. Don't know if that means anything. This is the FIRST time in years I've ever had a browser problem like this so I guess I should consider myself lucky ! Was just curious if anyone had any input on this. Could this be that Win32 virus?

lyceus

Re: AM I being hacked?

Unread post by lyceus » 2015-01-26, 02:43

The question: Do you install Freeware or Open Source programs in your system?

You know that now people's greed is higher than before and even if the program is free, they add some install options like bundle Chrome or Happy Candy Toolbar. Some of the installers are easy to dodge with say "no thanks" or "install adavnced" and uncheck all options.

But some of these tools, like SuperC, Shark 007 Codecs or CdEX 1.7x do not allow you to say "NO" and they install malware by force and without tell you. In my case an install of Shark 007 codecs installed a tool bar that destroyed the Winsock install and none program could connect to Internet anymore. Also it destroyed the Windows Recovery Points so my Windows XP 64 SP2 install died screaming (like the movie). PM didn't opened and hang, MISE too and all other apps. So I needed to upgrade to Windows 7 64bits. *sigh*

My suggestion is: Keep updated your AV/Firewall, install some antispyware tools like Malwarebytes and run anything you get from internet in a sandbox mode when is a new app.

KNTRO

Re: AM I being hacked?

Unread post by KNTRO » 2015-01-27, 09:37

tHOMASINA wrote:Oh yes, and listed after Firefox in the TMgr there is a " *32 ". That was also a tag showing in the Tskmgr after PaleMoon--one of the versions, I forget which. Now PM does NOT show that suffix. Don't know if that means anything.
That *32 means you're using a 32 bit build of that software, in this case Firefox. In the case of Pale Moon, you had the Pale Moon 32 bit build probably and after running the Pale Moon Windows Web Installer, it detected you're using a 64 bit OS, so it installed the Pale Moon 64 bit build instead.

Is this way how is it work, Moonchild? :mrgreen:

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Re: AM I being hacked?

Unread post by Moonchild » 2015-01-27, 11:53

KNTRO wrote:That *32 means you're using a 32 bit build of that software, in this case Firefox. In the case of Pale Moon, you had the Pale Moon 32 bit build probably and after running the Pale Moon Windows Web Installer, it detected you're using a 64 bit OS, so it installed the Pale Moon 64 bit build instead.

Is this way how is it work, Moonchild? :mrgreen:
Not really. It will offer the 64-bit version if you choose to install "advanced" instead of "one click". The default one-click solution will not install a 64-bit browser because of the known issues (limited plugin support, graphics driver issues, etc.) and will pick 32-bit, instead.

Regardless, I don't think that's what the OP meant, anyway. What exactly the situation is isn't entirely clear to me as well, though.
"Sometimes, the best way to get what you want is to be a good person." -- Louis Rossmann
"Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past; wisdom is of the future." -- Native American proverb
"Linux makes everything difficult." -- Lyceus Anubite

tHOMASINA

Re: AM I being hacked?

Unread post by tHOMASINA » 2015-01-27, 21:47

well ok! That eases my mind a bit. I did the update from the 'help" drop down in the browser, like I usually do, not from another source. Thanks for the help! :)

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