ActiveX: Tech question.

[Mike Haven]

my MS AntiSpyware Alert has popped up this morning and states:

"An Unknown Internet Explorer ActiveX Requires Approval

Name: ppctlcab
Download URL: http: //ppupdates.ca.com/downloads/scanner/ppctlcab.cab
Installed files:
C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\ppctl.dll"

i've googled it and see a few similar questions about this on tech forums, but haven't found any satisfactory explanations

i wrote to PartyPoker, ParadisePoker and PacificPoker to see if they were responsible for it

Party says no; Paradise hasn't answered yet; and Pacific says, "The files you mention in your email are minor updates for the Pacific Poker program.
Certain files we use tend to disagree with anti virus programs or firewalls, but please rest assured if they come from us they are safe."

the weird thing is, i haven't visited the Pacific site for a few days, so i have to assume they just admitted sending the file without knowing one way or the other

basically, it's the word "scanner" in the file that concerns me

anyone have any information on this, good or bad, please?

[Mr Gee]

I'd guess it's Pest Patrol. Pest Patrol is owned by Computer Associates (see www.ca.com (http://www.ca.com)). That would fit with the filenames and urls in your alert.

Hope that helps.

[Mike Haven]

thanks, but i have had no contact or connection with pest patrol - i looked at their site to try to ask them for sure, but couldn't find a way to contact them /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Mr Gee]

Have you ever run a free anti-spyware scan from a website? They often use ActiveX controls. CA do a free online spyware scanner called PestScan, which is available on a number of third-party sites.

In any event it looks like a false alarm to me. I'd recommend you just delete the file in case you have any nagging doubts. For added peace of mind run a couple of other spyware scanners just to be sure (ie AdAware SE, Spybot S&D etc).

Best of luck

[Terry]

Looks like PestPatrol to me too, Mike. Here is a
link to support (http://supportconnectw.ca.com/public/ca_common_docs/pestpatrol_request.asp) if you want to check with them.

[Mike Haven]

thank you, Terry

i've written to them, but i have no idea why anything to do with pest patrol should be on my computer, unless they have a piece of avg or ad-aware or something