Java Update Raises Questions

[Guest]

[TonyVA408]

Today, Feb 18, 2012, my Windows Vista system received notification of a Java update.  However, there was some behavior following the update that seemed strange to me.  I'd like to ask some questions about that.

After I allowed the Java update to begin, although all seemed fine, I began receiving a few Comodo Firewall alerts that seemed to be associated with the Java update, so for the first few alerts, I authorized those processes to proceed.

However, I then began to receive Comodo Firewall alerts for every program in my "System Tray" (Notification Area), but since interaction with those programs was not expected, I disallowed those alerts.  In addition, the Java Update was also triggering Comodo Firewall alerts for all the programs presently running (on my Task Bar); I disallowed those alerts, too.  There was also a series of alerts for a handful of other processes, the names of which I didn't recognize; I disallowed these alerts as well.

"Why did I disallow most of the Comodo Firewall alerts?"  That's a fair question.  I didn't recognize the program names for the first few Comodo alerts, but thinking these were needed for the Java update, I allowed them.  However, when I started seeing Comodo alerts for the programs in my Notification Area, since I didn't know whether that was normal, that's when I began disallowing the remainder of the alerts.

My Questions:

(1) Is this Comodo behavior normal for the typical Java update?

(2) If this Comodo behavior is normal, should I have approved all the Comodo alerts associated with the Java update?

(3) If this is considered normal, do you feel I may have impaired my system configuration in some way by allowing some of the alerts, but disallowing most of the alerts I received?

Thanks, everyone!

[EricJH]

The behaviour you are seeing is not normal. I am not sure what happened. Sometimes when cmdagent.exe of cfp.exe crashes one may loose part of the rules.

Can you show screenshots of the Global Rules and Application Rules of the firewall and see if there are rules missing?

[TonyVA408]

Can you show screenshots of the Global Rules and Application Rules of the firewall and see if there are rules missing?

Eric ... Thanks for your reply.  I'm very happy to help.  Attached you'll see three files representing screen shots of the rules settings you requested.

You also asked me to see whether there are any rules missing.  Unfortunately, although I've been using Comodo Firewall for quite some time, I'm not intimately familiar with all aspects of its use and configuration.  In other words, I'm not able to say whether any rules are missing or not.  However, I can tell you I have a very stable, well-behaved Windows Vista system.  I never get "Blue screens of death" and all my applications and utilities seem to work quite normally.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

[EricJH]

Do you still get alerts for programs you did not get before or has that stopped?

Can you tell us more about the Firewall settings? Can you post a screenshot of the Firewal's General Settings?

[TonyVA408]

Do you still get alerts for programs you did not get before or has that stopped?

Can you tell us more about the Firewall settings? Can you post a screenshot of the Firewall's General Settings?

Thanks again for your replies, Eric.

Attached you'll find a screen capture for the firewall's General Settings tab.  I do not know whether these settings are optimal, but these have not been touched for a long, long time.  In other words, these settings were the settings in effect as the Java update was processed.

As for your question about my alerts, I'd say the firewall's behavior has been completely normal both before and after the Java update was processed.  I am not bothered by unexpected alerts.  In addition, my system and all programs seem to be running quite normally despite my experience related to the Java update.

[EricJH]

It sounds like your situation has normalised. My guess is that cmdagent.exe had crashed around the time the Java update happened causing these extra alerts.

Rebooting would have fixed it or the restart of cmdagent.exe (Comodo Internet Security Helper Service).

[TonyVA408]

It sounds like your situation has normalised. My guess is that cmdagent.exe had crashed around the time the Java update happened causing these extra alerts.

Rebooting would have fixed it or the restart of cmdagent.exe (Comodo Internet Security Helper Service).

Very well, Eric.  I guess the main thing is that my system is functioning normally and Comodo Firewall is protecting it.  I suppose we can consider my case closed, then.

Again, many thanks for your valuable experience and for the attention you paid to my questions.

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