ksfetch, little-snitch, the escalation of mutually fooling …
I find it really annoying that participants in cyberspace try to fool each other. Latest example is that Google tries to overcome Little Snitch by placing a ksfetch somewhere random in /tmp such that it appears to be new to Little Snitch all the time.
The final conseqence is, that the user finds himself confronted with an annoying query from Little Snitch every few minutes.
Wouln’t it be much better to explain the user what is happening and give the strong recommendation to allowe ksfetch to access. Also explaing the consequences if the user decides not to do so.
I found a workaround at here, but am not sure if and how long it is going to work.
Folks, return to „do no evil“ and you won’t need such tricks.
Kommentar von gato am 2.7.2012
There is also a discussion going on about this topic here: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/yVump44eeOc
…perhaps we will get some updates from Google there if enough users complain about this sh***y behavior. 🙂
Kommentar von Chris am 6.7.2012
nope. the workaround does not work on my osx 10.6.x
I don’t even have chrome installed……
damn you google! damn you!
Kommentar von bwl21 am 6.7.2012
hm… it went out of my radar since I have applied this. Amazing, that it does not work for you.
Kommentar von bwl21 am 7.7.2012
Tody I got the message again. WTF.
Kommentar von Shelby DeNike am 18.7.2012
Thanks for the link to my site, it really seems that the results vary depending on the version of OSX and Google Chrome from what I have been reading on other sites.
Kommentar von Evan am 23.7.2012
This is not a case of Google trying to bypass Little Snitch. Maybe 10% of Mac users even know what Little Snitch is… this is just their way of keeping your browser up to date, that’s all.
That being said, it IS annoying because even if you _allow_ ksfetch it will just come back because the „new“ ksfetch is a „different“ app as Little Snitch sees it…
Kommentar von bwl21 am 23.7.2012
But why do they change the path to ksfetch all the time if not to bypass Tools like Little Snitch?
Today I saw another tip here (in German)
http://www.sonoya.com/mac-osx-tipp-google-malware-ksfetch-nobody-meldug-von-lttle-snitch-entfernen-loeschen-malware.html
Kommentar von maci am 7.9.2012
It is even worse – I never install chrome on my Mac!!!!
Kommentar von Djesys am 7.9.2012
LÖSUNG_ http://wireload.net/products/guu-google-update-uninstaller/
Kommentar von Arthur vos Savant am 10.10.2012
OSX 10.6 clean install I have. No Chrome because my bookmarks on 10.5 it ate, making them unreadable also by my Firefoxes 3 and 15.
So to try Google Disk I downloaded. Then is when to me began talking KSfetch. Thank goodness here you are to know what I saw, so I am not crazy.
On my system to find or to determine it’s maker I did some success. The Keystone software is for update, track, and register a product it installed and other programs it installs that these tasks assist. Elsewhere references to Google, Keystone, and the Disk in the main Info Plist and some source code in the software of the Google Disk even I can find. In the Search function these hid, although so uncanny at tracking text that function is.
Come to think, now three times trouble from Google gifts ensues: resetting all my preferences of Flash for cam was Google Chat’s.
Bad girlfriend, Google!!
Kommentar von Jean KLAT am 14.2.2013
In fact the link above was very useful to me. I changed the access to the Library/google/google software update as indicated on http://www.sonoya.com/mac-osx-tipp-google-malware-ksfetch-nobody-meldug-von-lttle-snitch-entfernen-loeschen-malware.html
I changed to „NO access“ and it immediately stopped all KSFETCH messages.
Thank you.
Kommentar von Richard Wardt van Duijvenbode am 19.2.2013
A different solution is available on: http://www.wardt.info/little-snitch-and-ksfetch/
Kommentar von Gaggle am 2.10.2013
I did the „no access“ tip and to play safe I also did the tip from Richard Wardt. Thanks for the tips, people :o)
Hopefully this has no consequence for my AdWords, AdSense and AdMob accounts.