emerge3d

Q: nbagent process, what is it?

Does anyone know what the nbagent process is?

 

I noticed yesterday, courtesy of Little Snitch, it was triyng to connect to swcdn.apple.com which looked ok

 

Today it is trying to connect to a5.mzstatic.com

 

Just a little curious as it has never seen this process in the past.

 

Cheers

Paul

Posted on Jul 11, 2014 2:14 PM

Close

Q: nbagent process, what is it?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Previous Page 2 of 3 last Next
  • by Ponta,

    Ponta Ponta Nov 3, 2014 7:21 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 3, 2014 7:21 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Actually, Little Snitch saved me from the Flashback trojan. A blog I visited redirected me to a bogus site with the trojan; at the time, I didn't know what it was, but later I recognized the URL as a Flashback infection site. My Mac did not test positive for Flashback later, however. Why not? Because I was running Little Snitch, wanting to know who my software is reporting to and controlling what traffic I see. Similar reason to why I run browser extensions like Do Not Track Me.

     

    The variant of Flashback I encountered self-destructed when it saw I ran Snitch, for good reason: hackers don't want anyone to catch on to what they're doing. If you run Snitch, then there's a good chance that you'll see the traffic, catch on, and blow the whistle. Ergo the self-destruct.

     

    Yes, Snitch has a barrage of notifications you must sort out for the first few weeks. Once you are beyond that, however, you control what traffic is allowed and what is not, and any new notification is an alert that something new is happening. In short, yeah, it's troubling to be alert to invasions of privacy and dangers inherent to the net. But it's often worth the trouble. It's saved me a lot of pain so far.

  • by BigPapa5,

    BigPapa5 BigPapa5 Dec 19, 2014 6:48 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2014 6:48 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Linc Davis wrote:

     

    This discussion is proof of the fact that "Little Snitch" is time-wasting rubbish. I have seen hundreds and maybe thousands like it, but I've never once heard of "Little Snitch" doing anything useful for anyone. If you install software that you don't trust, you have problems that it's not going to solve.

    The point of security software is not to catch software you install.

    The point of security software is to catch software you did not install.

     

    Macs often run forever without getting infected by malware, but that is not Little Snitch's fault.

     


  • by Philip Lamb,

    Philip Lamb Philip Lamb Jun 7, 2015 11:06 AM in response to emerge3d
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Jun 7, 2015 11:06 AM in response to emerge3d

    Let's try adding some actual information to the discussion.

     

    In OS X parlance, an "agent" is a background process launched on a per-user basis. In this case, the nb appears to stand for "notice board", based on the fact that nbagent lives at path: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Noticeboard.framework/Versions/A/Resources/nb agent.app/

  • by Rachael Jellicoe,

    Rachael Jellicoe Rachael Jellicoe Jun 7, 2015 1:51 PM in response to Philip Lamb
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 7, 2015 1:51 PM in response to Philip Lamb

    Where does the information that explains any of this start. I am more confused now then before. Instead of talking down to people pretend they are not experts (which is the purpose of this forum) not everyone understands technobabble

     

    Rachael

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jun 7, 2015 4:13 PM in response to Rachael Jellicoe
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 7, 2015 4:13 PM in response to Rachael Jellicoe

    Is there a support question in that?

  • by Rachael Jellicoe,

    Rachael Jellicoe Rachael Jellicoe Jun 7, 2015 7:23 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 7, 2015 7:23 PM in response to Csound1

    Every post must contain a support question? And yes there was a question for an explanation, I guess you missed how obvious it was.

     

    Rachael

  • by OregonRebel,

    OregonRebel OregonRebel Jun 19, 2015 9:29 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (37 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 19, 2015 9:29 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Linc Davis wrote:

     

    I've never once heard of "Little Snitch" doing anything useful for anyone

     

     

    You have heard people say how useful it is, you've just chosen to foolishly ignore them.

    Just two posts below yours is one that says

    "Little Snitch is one of the most valuable utilities I run, despite what the uninformed might think. It gives you an idea of how many leeches there are out there wanting to suck information from your computer that you wouldn't know about otherwise."

     

    And directly below that one is another that reads

    "Linc, you're clueless mate. Like the other two guys said, Little Snitch is an excellent tool if you know how to use it."

     

    Still another reads "It's very useful to control your outbound, that way you can see what apps are trying to do on the internet and you can restrict their behavior."

     

    And yet another says "Actually, Little Snitch saved me from the Flashback trojan.

     

    You think THAT'S not useful?!

     

     

    If that's not enough, I've found LS to be very useful.

    I currently have apps blocked from accessing doubleclick.net, google-analytics.com, and google-analytics.l.google.com.

    I also have an extensive hosts file that blocks those sites, but many people won't touch their hosts file or don't know how, so LS is easier for them. The free app Gas Mask makes it very simple to edit one's hosts file. An extensive blocklist with monthly updates can be downloaded from http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm and easily added into Gas mask.


    People who don't use a connection manager like LS or Hands Off! have no way of knowing what connections are constantly being made, so they blindly allow themselves to be tracked and monitored.

     

     

    So Linc, do you still contend you've "never once heard" of it doing anything useful for "anyone?" 

  • by saintmaldoror,

    saintmaldoror saintmaldoror Jul 15, 2015 2:31 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 15, 2015 2:31 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Old thread, I know, but I just had to say this: You're saying that Little Snitch is "useless"? You're really saying that, in a post-Snowden world, it's "stupid" to want to know what your computer is communicating with? Because as far as I can see, what's really stupid is wilful ignorance. We have a right—and now we know we also have a need—to know what lines of communication our computers are establishing, so that we can prevent them from establishing communication with malicious entities. I'm sure that personal autonomy is an end that you, as a Kantian, can appreciate. So please, if you're going to hate on LS, hate on it because it (say) isn't good software, or doesn't do what it's supposed to do very well (two things which, by the way, I wouldn't agree with, but that's another post). Don't hate on it because it's "stupid" to want to know if and how you're being watched and what it is that's watching you, because that's not stupid at all; and I bet that if you really thought about it, you'd realize that.

  • by EvenPhteven,Helpful

    EvenPhteven EvenPhteven Aug 28, 2015 12:59 PM in response to emerge3d
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Aug 28, 2015 12:59 PM in response to emerge3d

    Just a heads up – using LS, I determined that nbagent is used for website notifications that show up in Notification Center.

  • by macfrombrampton,

    macfrombrampton macfrombrampton Sep 20, 2015 10:17 AM in response to EvenPhteven
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2015 10:17 AM in response to EvenPhteven

    I have noticed in my console log with my Mac disconnected from any network and not using my Mac the following message.

     

    20-09-2015 8:46:20.278 AM nbagent[9081]: XPC Activity invoked with state=0

    20-09-2015 8:46:20.279 AM nbagent[9081]: XPC Activity invoked with state=2

  • by GreenMamba,Helpful

    GreenMamba GreenMamba Feb 3, 2016 9:11 PM in response to Pres Nevins
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 3, 2016 9:11 PM in response to Pres Nevins

    I am very happy to read your reply. Little Snitch is a fabulous application for OS X. The people who put it down always seem to be the same people. They must work for Apple in some capacity. I wish we could go back to the days when you turned on your mac/machine and you the user made every outside connection to the internet. Now I have dozens of connections "trying" to be made as soon as I start up my Macbook Pro. My nbagent process was trying to connect to swscan.apple.com for no apparent reason. Please read my post I just made about this whole "Little Snitch" controversy... Here is the link.

     

    Unwanted network connections.

  • by emerge3d,

    emerge3d emerge3d Feb 3, 2016 9:11 PM in response to GreenMamba
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Feb 3, 2016 9:11 PM in response to GreenMamba

    Good writeup GreenMamba. There are few trolls here who really should keep their opinions to themselves!

  • by lal-zil,

    lal-zil lal-zil Feb 17, 2016 4:30 AM in response to emerge3d
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Feb 17, 2016 4:30 AM in response to emerge3d

    To all those that ***** about Little Snitch, I use it and swear by it. Besides keeping me from connecting to sites I do not want to be connected (like google-analytics) and controlling sets that want to add cookies, I also use it to limit how much I download as I pay for each bit and byte I DL or UL. I am not in the USA and have a gigabyte monthly limit. LS lets me control what the Mac wants to DL, especially location and apple store stuff, which eats into my allowance and costs me money.

     

    So for those doubters (Linc Davis, do you hear me) it does have a use, a useful use, so IMHO, if you do not like it, please do not use it but do not disparage it either.

     

    No flames.

     

  • by django33,

    django33 django33 Feb 18, 2016 11:12 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 18, 2016 11:12 AM in response to Linc Davis

    I realize this is an ancient post--but yesterday, Little Snitch helped me prevent an actual hacker from getting access to my machine.  Unless there's a legit Apple website wanting my data going by the name of chris-valo.   

     

    Until one becomes familiar with certain legit connections, Little Snitch can seem like a pain in the butt.  However, my experience has shown that it's invaluable.  Not just for preventing hacks, but for loading down my system with all sorts of cookies I don't want or need.

  • by DRailroad,

    DRailroad DRailroad Jul 26, 2016 10:54 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Jul 26, 2016 10:54 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Linc Davis wrote:

     

    I have seen hundreds and maybe thousands like it, but I've never once heard of "Little Snitch" doing anything useful for anyone. If you install software that you don't trust, you have problems that it's not going to solve.

    Agree. Never heard of this application, extensive network (Apple business, consumer) has never heard of it and, and although it's owners have a nice looking website, common consensus is "I wouldn't install." With proper security, firewall, modem/router settings, safe internet policies, shouldn't be any need for an unknown app like this.

     

    We'll continue to rely on Apple's reliable safeguards and security settings without encumbering our systems with unknown applications. As always, thanks for the useful feedback.

Previous Page 2 of 3 last Next