ZoneAlarm bug 4.5.530

Flubflow · 27-11-2003, 14:52

Yesterday I did an update on my free version of ZoneAlarm (now v4.5.530) and noticed a rather unusual thing in Windows98.

When looking at the running tasks (in the window when you press ctrl-atl-del) there is the dialup service (Rnaapp.exe) running which is very odd because I use broadband.
Spyware/dialer? Absolutely not. I checked in Norton System Info and it is the ZoneAlarm monitor VSMON.EXE that is in fact calling Rnaapp.exe. If you end the task on Rnaap.exe then it just fires itself up again. I don't think this happens with ZoneAlarm running on XP and is probably confined to windows o/s versions with that DUN (Dial up Networking) client such as in 95,98/se (ME?).

There is absolutely no reason for ZA to require Rnaapp.exe be loaded when using a network/broadband.
The only permanent way round it I can think of is to unload zonelarm, end the rnaap task, rename rnaap.exe to something else and then restart Zonealarm.
Of course I could uninstall DUN but then I'm knackered if I need to dial up when there is broadband outage.

Anyone else got any ideas?

edit: note that it is only the dialup Rnaapp that is being loaded into memory but there is no attempt by it to actually run a connection to a modem and dial up anything.

MadGamer · 27-11-2003, 17:39

Is Rnaapp some form of spyware? CLICK HERE

Flubflow · 27-11-2003, 18:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by WNA

Is Rnaapp some form of spyware? CLICK HERE

Like I said, it is NOT spyware.
Rnaapp.exe the windows dial up networking app and resides in the the windows\system folder (well it does on Win98 systems). Yes, any spyware/trojan dialer would need to invoke Rnaap.exe to attempt to dial out but, like I said again, when using Norton System Info I looked at what was calling Rnaapp in the first place and it was VSMON.EXE which is the core element of the ZoneAlarm firewall. In anycase I regularly scan with Adaware as well as Spybot S&D.
The problem does not happen with the previous 3.x version of ZoneAlarm.
Conclusion: It is a bug in the current release of Zonealarm.

MadGamer · 27-11-2003, 18:58

Try going to http://www.zonealarm.comto update ZA cos they release newer versions almost everyday or try typing in the run dilog msconfig then go to the startup tab ONLY look in the list and disable whats causing the problem untick then restart Windows.

Flubflow · 27-11-2003, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by WNA

Try going to http://www.zonealarm.comto update ZA cos they release newer versions almost everyday or try typing in the run dilog msconfig then go to the startup tab ONLY look in the list and disable whats causing the problem untick then restart Windows.

It doesn't appear in the startup because it is actually ZoneAlarm that is calling up the Rnaapp.exe app, not windows.
No matter how many times you try to end the Rnaapp task it just gets loaded up again a few seconds later by zoneAlarm.

I'm going to downgrade until they fix it because apart from not filling me with any great confidence in ZoneAlarm anymore it is also a complete waste of resources (Rnaapp also always loads the Tapisrv.exe telephony server which I also don't need on a BB connection).

**Paul** · 27-11-2003, 22:30

Dump crappy ZA and get Kerio Personal Firewall.

ronald146m · 27-11-2003, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by pem

Dump crappy ZA and get Kerio Personal Firewall.

Yeah right, only $45.

zoombini · 27-11-2003, 23:30

Have you asked ZA about this?

Let us know the results if you do.

Paul K · 27-11-2003, 23:38

http://forums.zonelabs.com/zonelabs/...essage.id=7653

Quote:

Yes, on Windows 9x the new auto-VPN configuration feature in ZAP will cause RNAAPP to start up. This should be fixed in the next release. Basically ZAP calls the Microsoft RAS function to find out if there are any VPNs installed. In W98 it starts RNAAPP (98's version of RAS). Even if you kill it it will restart when ZAP checks again. Anyway watch for the next release.

That was on version 4 though and supposedly fixed on the next release, looks like it wasn't.

**Paul** · 27-11-2003, 23:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronald146m

Yeah right, only $45.

I don't know what you are looking at but KPF is free.

ronald146m · 28-11-2003, 00:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by pem

I don't know what you are looking at but KPF is free.

Limited Free Edition is free, Full Edition costs $45 after 30 days.
kpf

**Paul** · 28-11-2003, 00:27

The free version is all you need, the full version has extra's "features" that are nothing to do with firewall functionality.

FREE for home use
KPF 4 is available in two flavours - full and limited free version. The free version is free for home users. After download and installation KPF will function as the full version for 30 days, after which it will become the free version. This version lacks the content filteing capabilities (blocking pop-up windows, ads, VB scripts, cookies, etc.) and other extra features.

Your choice of course - but no one I know who has switched to using KPF has ever gone back to using ZA.

Church Mouse · 28-11-2003, 09:32

Do you have to configure Kerio?

Does Zone Alarm (free version 4.5.530.000) uninstall ok by just using it's own uninstall facility?

Thanks

Church Mouse

28-11-2003, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by pem

Dump crappy ZA and get Kerio Personal Firewall.

LOL

You haven't been checking out the firewall reviews have you. ZA is NO1