WinPcap -how the hell did this get on my pc?

[monel]

When uninstalling Adobe Reader, I found a program called WinPcap listed in programs...


I had no idea what it was so I googled it and apparently it's a network monitoring tool. This site has someone in a similar predicament to me, he had no idea how it got on his computer:

http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/How-did-WinPcap-4-1-2-get-on-my-PC/td-p/345160

Looking at the program's installed folder, it was running with rpcapd.exe, both apparently made by the same company.

The linked site has a comment that mentions that if it was malware that installed the program, it wouldn't be listed in control panel.

I've uninstalled it, but I wonder how it got on my pc and if I've lost any passwords or private details.

BTW-the only other apps installed on that date were Adobe AIR(?) -could that have installed it? Do I need Adobe AIR?

[Number45]

Have you installed Wireshark/Ethereal at any point in time? If you have, and you weren't paying attention when you did, WinPCAP would have been installed with it.

[monel]

Nope, and the only thing installed on the same date was the Adobe AIR.

Thanks for replying, btw.

Computer security is seriously pissing me off, it's like living somewhere with a million secret entrances and exits which you were never told about when you moved in. Then you're left to find them each and every time something bad happens.

[Number45]

WinPCAP in itself isn't a malicious piece of software. However, if it's been installed by something dodgy it's not inconceivable that it would be capturing all of the traffic on your device (at least that's not encrypted) and sending it off to a remote location - which could compromise any passwords you use to login to locations that aren't encrypted.

[monel]

Would you agree that if a malicious app had installed it, then it wouldn't have turned up in programs setting in control panel?

[egparadigm]

If you had a firewall active, would it not notify you of its activities? I had a piece of software on my computer that was legitimately, but unknowingly, installed on my Mac some time ago (NetSessions I think it was), but when I activated my firewall it notified me and I blocked it.

[monel]

I have a decent firewall but it didn't warn me or request permission for this app which leads me to think that it installed with another app.

[Number45]

Would you agree that if a malicious app had installed it, then it wouldn't have turned up in programs setting in control panel?

It seems reasonable that they would have tried to hide it, definitely. I'm not sure if Windows 7 has some specific requirements for installed applications appearing in there though, most malicious apps don't actually install in the usual sense.