When running Dude 2.2 on our network this morning, I ran into a couple of problems.

First, when the Dude polls a particular computer, that computer reports a serious error, "COM Surrogate - Error signature szAppName: dllhost.exe szAppVer: 5.1.2600.2180 sz.ModName: unknown". Near as I can tell, Dude is either triggering a process start, or is actively instigating a process start.

Second, the Dude is apparently pinging (or otherwise contacting) Amazon.com, not just once during the discovery process, but many, many times. This is reported by Ethereal.

Both of these issues clear up as soon as I shut the Dude down.

I've downloaded and reinstalled a fresh copy, on the off-chance that the installer that I had (for quite a while now) might have been compromised. I've also done full virus scans with Avast and Kaspersky, which found nothing.

Anyone know anything about this..?

I'd like to know what you mean by contacting amazon is it possible your dns probe is set to try and resolve amazon?

I'd like to know what you mean by contacting amazon is it possible your dns probe is set to try and resolve amazon?

Then still it would be The Dude connecting to the DNS server and the DNS server (not the Dude) contacting (possibly) Amazon. (More likely, the DNS server will contact another hier-level DNS server and still not Amazon.) Right?

I'd like to know what you mean by contacting amazon is it possible your dns probe is set to try and resolve amazon?

I'll need to try and get some Wireshark logs from our security guy...he's the one that first noticed the goings-on.