BeesTea
Network Janitor
Premium,VIP
join:2003-03-08
00000
| Lexmark accused of installing spyware
quote:
ZDNet UK
November 11, 2004, 17:05 GMT
A Usenet news group has claimed that lexmark is installing spyware on its customers' computers
Allegations have been swirling around an online newsgroup this week that printer manufacturer lexmark has been installing spyware on its customers' computers.
Reports on the comp.periphs.printers Usenet newsgroup claim that lexmark has been planting spyware on its customers' PCs in the form of undocumented software that monitors the use of its printers and silently reports back to a lexmark-owned company Web site.
»news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/securi···7,00.htm
Any lexmark users able to verify their claim ?
Cheers,
-BeesT
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GadgetsRme
R.I.P. dadkins
Premium
join:2002-01-30
Canon City, CO
| I have a lexmark Z33 that wanted to call home all the time. I blocked it with the firewall and then rooted it out. That's on my old '98 system. It sent data and checked for updates every time you connected to the Internet. A real PITA as that machine was on a dial up connection
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Name Game
Premium
join:2002-07-07
North Myrtle Beach, SC
| reply to BeesTea
Welcome to 2001
»groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&l···rame=off
Filename: lexpps.exe
Description: This process is a part of drivers for printers, published by lexmark International company. It is used in the network to access the printer from the remote computers. This process can cause system errors, but if you use the printer in the network, you have to keep this process running.
and some have the inkjet cartridge thingie..all of that has been around for a long time
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Name Game
Premium
join:2002-07-07
North Myrtle Beach, SC | reply to BeesTea
also
»LEXPPS.EXE |
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hpguru
Curb Your Dogma
Premium
join:2002-04-12
1 edit | reply to BeesTea
I have a Dell clone of a lexmark printer. Not once has lexpps.exe attempted to connect out. |
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marcw
join:2001-05-18
Saint Paul, MN | reply to BeesTea
With this and also their cartridge policy, that makes two good reasons to never buy a lexmark... |
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BeesTea
Network Janitor
Premium,VIP
join:2003-03-08
00000 | reply to Name Game
Sorry, news lemming..
Thanks Name Game 
-BeesT |
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Name Game
Premium
join:2002-07-07
North Myrtle Beach, SC
| reply to marcw
said by marcw :With this and also their cartridge policy, that makes two good reasons to never buy a lexmark... I would not go that far but each to his own..the printer work Ok
Lexpps Lexpps.exe
(lexmark) lexmark Printer Port Scanner. Background task which auto-loads with the rest of the printer drivers and which allows your lexmark X or Z Series to be shared over a Windows peer-to-peer network using the conventional method of setting up a shared networked printer (without it, you will not be able to share the printer using the conventional Windows method).
Recommendation :
This task is a comprehensive nightmare. From preventing your PC from booting up, to interfering with your network card, to asking your Internet firewall for permission to install itself as a server application, to general PC instability, this task has everything to make you instantly return your lexmark X or Z Series printer and go for something else, and some users have done so !! In order to regain your sanity the first thing to do is to rename LEXPPS.EXE to LEXPPS.EXE.OLD (do it in Safe Mode if you cannot boot your PC normally) – this will ensure that this task never loads and will cure all the problems that it causes. If you need to network the printer over a peer to peer network, do not use the standard manner, instead install the printer as a local printer on the remote PC, and then go and change the port from a local port to the network share that the printer is known as.
And here is the reast of the lexmark apps that could run.
»www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist···st_l.htm
Old rant years ago..
"It was installed with the printer/scanner software for a lexmark series. It can be listening on ports 1194 (localhost) & 1195 (all addresses). The properties say "MarkVision for Windows '95 New P2P Server (32-bit)" As near as I can figure, it's some sort of network support. Of course, I don't need it and didn't ask for it. I'm a little suspicious, especially given the non-purchase licensing agreement (you lease, you don't buy)."
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Name Game
Premium
join:2002-07-07
North Myrtle Beach, SC
| reply to BeesTea
said by BeesTea :Sorry, news lemming.. Thanks Name Game -BeesT Hey it's good stuff..comes up every once in a while for sure..and it's good to talk about it again..we get new members here each day wanting to know what some of these things are running in the background..and lexmark printers did come with many many package deals when people bought there system.
Keep on finding the good stuff out there.
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DonnaB
Premium
join:2003-05-07
malaysia
| reply to BeesTea
lexmark denies spyware allegations
lexmark has firmly denied installing spyware on its customers' computers, after allegations appeared on a Usenet newsgroup that its printers install software that sends personal information back to the company....
lexmark UK has issued a statement in response to the allegations: "lexmark Connect is a voluntary program that is fully disclosed to all users during the installation process for a new printer. During this process, a registration screen will appear that will allow the user to choose to participate, or not participate in this program. A user MUST review this page and click "continue", or the registration process will not install the program or the printer."
Fair enough, but it looks on the following screen grab like both the registration and lexmark Connect options are "opt-out", so you have to physically deselect the latter to avoid being registered in the programmme. We asked lexmark to confirm but this the company had not been able to do so at time of publication.
»www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/15···spyware/
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