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What is this strange Plugin npFFApi?

  • 9 replies
  • 345 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by Lazine

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Something labelled "npFFApi 1.0.0.1" has made a place for itself in Firefox v6.0 on the Add-ons>Plugins page. There is a USELESS link to (it says) "More" that opens a More page but gives nothing more: no info, no name of source or provider, no CLUE to what it does. The More page is probably a Mozilla product, but it fails to contribute the least little thing about this plugin, and that is disappointing. WHAT is it, why do I need it? Maybe it is spyware? Please advise.

Something labelled "npFFApi 1.0.0.1" has made a place for itself in Firefox v6.0 on the Add-ons>Plugins page. There is a USELESS link to (it says) "More" that opens a More page but gives nothing more: no info, no name of source or provider, no CLUE to what it does. The More page is probably a Mozilla product, but it fails to contribute the least little thing about this plugin, and that is disappointing. WHAT is it, why do I need it? Maybe it is spyware? Please advise.

Chosen solution

This is actually a plugin that relates to zonealarm

See:

I can't install an add-on. Why?

Read this answer in context 👍 36

All Replies (9)

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Chosen Solution

This is actually a plugin that relates to zonealarm

See:

I can't install an add-on. Why?

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This is an plug-in / addon placed in files by ZoneAlarm. I have found answers at both ANSWERS.COM & ZONEALARM's Forum:

http://forums.zonealarm.com/showthread.php?t=77972

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_npFFApi&updated=1&waNoAnsSet=2

I hope this helps.

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This "feature" of Zone Alarm and some other things I found make me feel that Zone Alarm is itself becoming spyware. It's time to get rid of it - free or not. If I were I coder, I would start writing a better one.

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@JMNowotny Not true,they are just trying to improve ways to protect your computer even if that means having a bigger presents on your computer.

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. Those answers all resolve to pointing us to the 77972 thread on ZA forum, but that 77972 link, that was recommended in the answers above, has no comments on npFFApi - the whole thread concerns a suspected threat named sf.bin. The comment posted on wiki.answers.com also merely refers the reader to the same 77972 item. . . . We perhaps would be better served if JMNowotny should post further info on his detection(s) of any spyware-like features in npFFApi. And we would be extremely well served, if Checkpoint Software were to explain in full detail just what is going on with npFFApi, what is every item of info that it collects and where is every receiver to which ZA/npFFApi sends each item of our info, and just why we wary users (once burned, twice cautious) ought to trust Checkpoint et al. with our info. Also would like it better if ZA would not unmannerly push this plugin into Firefox Add-ons with no notice to the local user. This, formerly paying, subscriber/user would like to be more able to trust Checkpoint and ZA, which has a long and illustrious experience record. But ZA is off my machine now, for the foreseeable future.

Modified by FFx

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The relevant ZoneAlarm forum thread] is in fact 78242, as in: http://forums.zonealarm.com/showthread.php?t=78242

Note that we have only an assertion from "Rickola" (the thread contributor) that he chatted online to ZA, who he says confirmed that npFFapi was part of their product.

So while this may provide circumstantial evidence that npFFapi is part of ZA, we do not yet have any authoritative proof.

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I have just contacted ZA myself. Here is an edited transcript of the contact. In giving ZA subsequent feedback on the contact, I suggested to them that they should make sure npFFapi registers more information about itself on installation, including that it is associated with ZoneAlarm.

Welcome to ZoneAlarm Service Dept Live Chat. An online chat agent will be with you shortly. You are number 1 in the queue. Thank you for waiting.

You are now chatting with 'Tim D.'

Your Ticket ID for this chat is LTK52709647432X

Tim D.: Thank you for contacting ZoneAlarm Live Chat. How may I help you today?

[PS]: Hello, I am using Firefox 9.0.1 web browser. It shows an add-on called npFFapi is installed, but it does not have any other details about that suspicious add-on. There are indications on the web that it's part of ZoneAlarm. Can you confirm this please?

Tim D.: Hi [PS]. Yes, this is part of the ForceField tool bar that ZoneAlarm puts uses. However, it is not compatible with FireFox 9 yet.

[PS]: Thank you for the confirmation, Tim. The version in use is npFFapi 1.0.0.1. Firefox 9.0.1 appears to think that this IS compatible, as it is not objecting to its presence.

Tim D.: I understand. It will show but not work.

[PS]: Thank you. I think this is solved now, thank you for your help.

Tim D.: You are very welcome and have a great weekend.

Modified by PSedgwick

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PSedgwick: Good Job! Thanks a bunch for both of your last few comments. They are probably good enough to mark this closed.

▪ Part of my own issue was, I had uninstalled ZoneAlarm - using Win Vista's Program & Features, which is the Vista equivalent of Win XP's Add/Remove Programs - a few months prior to starting this thread.

▪	The Uninstall was done in Vista's Home Premium SP1 w/o SP2 at that time.  Whether this defect is version-peculiar to Vista or to ZA is not known to me at this time. I think I will hold this open through February 2012, hoping that Firefoxers with ZA, and more expert than I, will  care to explore it vs. Vista Basic, Pro, SP2 and/or some other other Windows editions. (Will mark it Solved with credit to your last posting, if the Forum will let me do that.)  

▪ Let the Forum be advised that Uminstalling ZA 7 from Windows may fail to remove npFFApi 1.0.0.1.

Modified by FFx

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No - its job is to be a firewall, not to spy in all other programs on the computer.