Help! Cable Modem Security? (Lights Blinking Constantly)
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Posted by Fitzwilliam Darcy on May 6, 2006, 2:03 pm
Please log in for more thread options My Cable Modem seems active all of the time now even when I am not surfing. Is there any way for me to determine what files are being transmitted or what is going on? Can you monitor what it is doing from within Windows XP? Or can I at least ensure that nothing is being transmitted by a virus or trojan? Thank you | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by DLR on May 6, 2006, 3:19 pm
Please log in for more thread options Fitzwilliam Darcy wrote: They are most likely probes from bots around the world trying to break into an unprotected computer. Dumb ones scan the entire IP space. Smarter ones scan the consumer access space in major developed countries. You should have a router and use NAT and not have your computer in the DMZ. If so, then these probes will be tossed into the bit bucket. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Winston on May 6, 2006, 7:27 pm
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Fitzwilliam Darcy asked: >> My Cable Modem seems active all of the time now even when I am not
>> surfing. Is there any way for me to determine what files are being >> transmitted or what is going on? > They are most likely probes from bots around the world trying to break
> into an unprotected computer. ... and being on a high-speed cable modem makes you a prime target, so your system will be probed even more often than on a dial-up connection. The good news: Whenever I've looked, the vast majority of packets are just harmless ARP packets. ARP packets are typically caused by something probing an unused IP address, causing the router for that subnet to send an ARP packet to the subnet saying "Hello?? Is someone here using [IP]?" The bad news: as DLR said, some of the packets are bots/viruses/etc. trying to break in. A year or so ago, some experimenters ran a test and found that the average time between putting an unpatched MS Windows machine on the net and it getting compromised was under 8 minutes, which is less than the time needed to download the patches. That's why DLR recommended: > You should have a router and use NAT and not have your computer in the
> DMZ. If so, then these probes will be tossed into the bit bucket. The better routers support Stateful Packet Inspection. In my opinion, whatever you pay for a router plus a couple of cables will be way less than what you'll pay (money + your time) to "clean" your system after being compromised, not to mention whatever personal data gets stolen. >> Can you monitor what it is doing from within Windows XP?
I don't know whether Windows XP comes with a "packet sniffer" program or not. Some routers do. In any case, checking to see whether the barn door is open and an animal is leaving at the moment you look isn't the same as securing the door in the first place. >> Or can I at least ensure that nothing is being transmitted by a virus or
>> trojan? Not in any practical way that I know of using just a Windows XP system. TTBOMK, once a system has been compromised, you can't trust anything on it to be telling you the truth. HTH, -WBE | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by David H. Lipman on May 6, 2006, 6:10 pm
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| My Cable Modem seems active all of the time now even when I am not | surfing. Is there any way for me to determine what files are being | transmitted or what is going on? | | Can you monitor what it is doing from within Windows XP? Or can I at | least ensure that nothing is being transmitted by a virus or trojan? | | Thank you See DLR's advice about a NAT Router. Something like the Linksys BEFSR41. If you are using any version of Sun Java that is prior to JRE Version 5.0, then you are strongly urged to remove any/all versions that are prior to JRE Version 5.0. There are vulnerabilities in them and they are actively being exploited. It is possible that is how you got infected with malware. Therefore, it is highly suggested that if there are any prior versions of Sun Java to Version 5 on the PC that they be removed and Sun Java JRE Version 5.0 Update 6 be installed ASAP. Simple check, look under... C:\Program Files\Java The only folder under that folder should be the latest version... C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06 http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp For non-viral malware... Please download, install and update the following software... * Ad-aware SE v1.06 http://www.lavasoft.de/ http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ http://www.lavasoft.de/ms/index.htm * SpyBot Search and Destroy v1.4 http://security.kolla.de/ http://www.safer-networking.org/microsoft.en.html * SuperAntiSpyware http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html After the software is updated, I suggest scanning the system in Safe Mode. I also suggest downloading, installing and updating BHODemon for any Browser Helper Objects that may be on the PC. * BHODemon http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=3550&file=11&evp=245a87539eea8ed6904332b4b8b8442d For viral malware... * Download MULTI_AV.EXE from the URL -- http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/Multi_AV.exe To use this utility, perform the following... Execute; Multi_AV.exe { Note: You must use the default folder C:\AV-CLS } Choose; Unzip Choose; Close Execute; C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT { or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS } NOTE: You may have to disable your software FireWall or allow WGET.EXE to go through your FireWall to allow it to download the needed AV vendor related files. C:\AV-CLS\StartMenu.BAT -- { or Double-click on 'Start Menu' in C:\AV-CLS} This will bring up the initial menu of choices and should be executed in Normal Mode. This way all the components can be downloaded from each AV vendor's web site. The choices are; Sophos, Trend, McAfee, Kaspersky, Exit this menu and Reboot the PC. You can choose to go to each menu item and just download the needed files or you can download the files and perform a scan in Normal Mode. Once you have downloaded the files needed for each scanner you want to use, you should reboot the PC into Safe Mode [F8 key during boot] and re-run the menu again and choose which scanner you want to run in Safe Mode. It is suggested to run the scanners in both Safe Mode and Normal Mode. When the menu is displayed hitting 'H' or 'h' will bring up a more comprehensive PDF help file. http://www.ik-cs.com/multi-av.htm Additional Instructions: http://pcdid.com/Multi_AV.htm * * * Please report back your results * * * -- Dave http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html http://www.ik-cs.com/got-a-virus.htm | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Andrew Rossmann on May 7, 2006, 9:31 am
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[This followup was posted to comp.dcom.modems.cable and a copy was sent to the cited author.] Fitzwilliamd@hotmail.com says... > My Cable Modem seems active all of the time now even when I am not
> surfing. Is there any way for me to determine what files are being > transmitted or what is going on? > > Can you monitor what it is doing from within Windows XP? Or can I at > least ensure that nothing is being transmitted by a virus or trojan? Is your computer DIRECTLY connected to the modem? If so, get a router. They are cheap and even just basic NAT gives you some simple firewall- like protection. Even those with someting closer to a true firewall are relatively cheap. Another thing to check is the activity light on your computer. As somebody else posted, there is alot of ARP traffic on most nodes. This can cause some activity lights to blink continuously. Some modems are smarter about this than others. My Motorola SB5120 does not blink for ARP traffic, but an RCA DCM315 I had before did. My router (Linksys BEFSX41) also blinks it's Internet light continuously, but the port light for the computer only does for real traffic. -- If there is a no_junk in my address, please REMOVE it before replying! All junk mail senders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!! http://home.att.net/~andyross | |||||||||||||||||||
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> surfing. Is there any way for me to determine what files are being
> transmitted or what is going on?
>
> Can you monitor what it is doing from within Windows XP? Or can I at
> least ensure that nothing is being transmitted by a virus or trojan?