Nov 12 14:48:47 mail kernel: rtl8139.c:v1.07 5/6/99 Donald Becker http://cesdis.
gsfc.nasa.gov/linux/drivers/rtl8139.html
Nov 12 14:48:47 mail kernel: eth0: RealTek RTL8139 Fast Ethernet at 0x7800, IRQ
12, 01:60:67:00:b8:fa.
Nov 12 14:48:47 mail kernel: device eth0 entered promiscuous mode
Nov 12 14:48:47 mail kernel: NET4: Linux IPX 0.38 for NET4.0
Nov 12 14:48:47 mail kernel: IPX Portions Copyright (c) 1995 Caldera, Inc.
Nov 12 14:48:47 mail kernel: NET4: AppleTalk 0.18 for Linux NET4.0
Nov 12 14:48:47 mail kernel: eth0: Promiscuous mode enabled.

The above message is what I get in my /messages log file. How do I disable the promiscious mode on my NIC.

wasn't it something like "ifconfig (netwdevice) -promisc" to get rid of this? else look it up with "man ifconfig". it may be possible there's an app running that requires the promiscuous flag set (ie, to capture packets). This may be benign or malicious.