sfxXX.tmp trying to access the internet

From: sponge (yosponge@yahoo.com)
Date: 03/14/03 

From: yosponge@yahoo.com (sponge)
Date: 14 Mar 2003 00:44:07 -0800

On Fri, 14 Mar 2003 00:28:09 +0000 (UTC), "Eric Parker"
<Eric_Parker_spamless@btopenworld.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>I am seeing messages like "sfxE0.tmp, sfxEA.tmp etc. is trying to
access the
>internet" from Zone Alarm when I click on a download file button on a
Web
>site.
>I did not grant it access.
>The executable 'sfxXX.tmp' (I didn't think .tmp files were
executable)
>disappears shortly after I deny it access.
>Should I be concerned about this ?
>What is it ?
>
>Any advice would be appreciated.
>
>eric

You should be extremely concerned. The .tmp files are installers.

What's happening is you are downloading ActiveX (a runnable program)
embedded in a web page. Virtually all of these are some form of
spyware. It's a good thing your IE security settings are set high
enough to even notify you

There are instructions on how to stop this at my site
(www.geocities.com/yosponge/browser.html) or there are a myriad of
postings in the Google archives.

Out of curiosity, what sites and what did they try and download? One
of my specialties is researching this kind of thing.

BTW, I STRONGLY recommend gettings the following programs, running
their updater, and using them all at least once a week:
SpyBot S&D
Ad-Aware 6
SpywareBlaster

Sponge
Sponge's Anti-Spyware Source
www.geocities.com/yosponge