ActiveX is a Microsoft technology that allows Internet applications that are more powerful than simple scripts. ActiveX applications do only work in Internet Explorer, so the use of ActiveX on web sites is not recommended. Due to the huge amount of influence ActiveX applications can have on the system (ActiveX applications have access to the same files you have access to, meaning all files in the case of most private computers), it is recommended to be very careful if dealing with ActiveX.

There are two types of ActiveX applications - signed and unsigned. The code of unsigned ActiveX applications has not been certified and should never be trusted. Signed ActiveX applications are certified, but can still contain malicious code! Signed ActiveX applications should only be trusted if they come from trusted web sites and only on a prompt base (meaning that Internet Explorer settings will ask every time a web site wants to load an ActiveX application).

Many dialers and hijackers install themselves using ActiveX applications.

Spybot-S&D is able to display a list of installed ActiveX applications. It also has a small database integrated that will display a green checkmark in front of ActiveX applications known as legitimate, and a red sign in front if applications known as illegitimate.

This list can be exported into a text file as a reference and for further analysis.

Feature added in version 1.3: entries that have changed since the last snapshot (the first snapshot was created when you started Spybot-S&D for the first time, later on you can create snapshots by right-clicking the list and selecting the corresponding menu item) are displayed in bold letters. This allows you to see changes to the list at once.