Spyware?

[Tanner]

Recently my laptop has been getting some spyware. My dad accuses Bzflag for it. Does Bzflag attract or allow spyware to pop through a multiplayer connection? How secure is it?

-Tanner

[dartman]

I highly, highly, doubt that.

Some parent just seem scared of video games and will try to accuse them for anything that goes wrong.

[The Red Baron]

No, Bzflag is not the cause. Using the internet is the cause.

let me reccomend this website for the removal of spyware.

http://www.lavasoft.com/

[JeffM]

Bzflag contains no spyware.

The "multiplayer" connection is a normal internet connection. Just like AIM, MSN, or any other network program uses. BZFlag never downloads any executable programs to your computer. EVER. At most it will download images used in maps.

You are geting spyware from your web browser and the websites you and your famaly visit.

There are many great tools for taking care of spyware as well as browsers that to a better job of not letting it in ( mozilla firefox for example ).

[torture2m]

I believe my Norton Internet Security (N.I.S.) did once give me a warning about spyware from bzflag, which I allowed, assuming it was how statistical data was collected for the game. I do not confirm that it was indeed spyware. I can't recall the exact message from N.I.S.

But I can say that I had received a slew of emails, in German, once I started playing bzflag. It seems to have tapered off.


t2m

[Mucho Maas]

I believe my Norton Internet Security (N.I.S.) did once give me a warning about spyware from bzflag, which I allowed.

It probably just gave a warning for accessing the internet. Some firewalls provide a service to allow per application base access to the internet.
so for each new application that accesses the internet, it pops up a messagebox asking you if you trust that application.
This comes very handy when you do have spyware on your computer that tries to connect to the internet without your knowledge.

The message box that your firewall pops up probably stated something like "make sure it aint a spyware that's trying to connect".

But I can say that I had received a slew of emails, in German, once I started playing bzflag. It seems to have tapered off.
t2m

Can't be because of bzflag. More likely is maybe that someone got your email string out of the gu.bzleague.de site (this should not be happening, but maybe it was intruded) or any other site where you have left your email.

The only thing bzflag can take from you is your time, and a lot of it:)

[torture2m]

torture2m wrote:
But I can say that I had received a slew of emails, in German, once I started playing bzflag. It seems to have tapered off.
t2m

Foo wrote:

Can't be because of bzflag. More likely is maybe that someone got your email string out of the gu.bzleague.de site (this should not be happening, but maybe it was intruded) or any other site where you have left your email.

...I don't know if you (Foo) also mean't my personal home email address which I never listed anyway in bz (that I'm aware), but it was not the gu email, it was my personal email.

t2m

[BinarySpike]

Recently my laptop has been getting some spyware. My dad accuses Bzflag for it. Does Bzflag attract or allow spyware to pop through a multiplayer connection? How secure is it?

-Tanner

I do know a few 10+ year programmers like Jeffm and Zekaric that would be willing to reasure your dad about spyware.


I've looked into the bzflag code myself and don't see the main openings for spyware/viruses. (array overstepping, debugging backdoors, etc. etc.)

BZFlag is secure.
I would suggest not connecting to any strange server.
(start's with an IP... or if you want to be really paranoid just play on Viper, Silvercat, GU, Meteorite)

[A Meteorite]

Yes, I agree with BinarySpike. There is the remote possibility that if you join a server, it could possibly be used to do something bad. But I don't think this would happen because:

One: The whole BZFlag community would be sharing it
Two: It's such a remote possibility that it's near impossible

But like Binary said, if you're really paranoid stick with servers that have been around a long time. (shameless little plug...)

If you're worried about Spyware and the such I recommend that you get Firefox (or even Opera) and use:

One: A firewall - try using Zonealarm or Norton, Win XP's built-in firewall ins not top notch
Two: Anti-Virus, AVG is very good and is free
Three: Anti-Spyware, Spybot Search and Destroy and AdAware is good
Four: I recommend against using online virus and spyware scans. Since you are using IE and ActiveX it is possible they may be doing the oppisite what they are saying they are - planting spyware on your system (unless you stick with a trusted one)