Anyone get messages displayed on screen?

Discussion in 'privacy problems' started by PhiloVance, Jun 5, 2003.

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  1. HossMonkey

    HossMonkey Registered Member

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    This explains it & helps to fix it! Worked for me! I use ICQ has more features & loads when I want it to load!

    http://www.blkviper.com/AskBV/tech8.htm
     
  2. spy1

    spy1 Registered Member

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    Glad to see that you've got it figured out and taken care of, HM. Pete
     
  3. HossMonkey

    HossMonkey Registered Member

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    Well I was looking for a suggestion thread & stumbled across this thread. I actually turned it off a while back & then while looking for info on turning off uneccesary XP apps I found http://www.blkviper.com/AskBV/tech8.htm. I just hope the folks read it as it's pretty informative.

    The main test is just like JayK but with a little more detail

    To test for this security vulnerability, at the command prompt, (run: cmd.exe) type:

    net send 127.0.0.1 hi

    If you get a popup “hi” message, you should disable the Messenger service.

    read this link http://www.blkviper.com/AskBV/tech8.htm
     
  4. JayK

    JayK Poster

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    In theory kerio or most firewalls out of the box will protect you from messanger spam. If your firewall is set up correctly, you have no need to close the messanger
    service, since sometimes they might be required by certain AV proggies or whatnot.
     
  5. HossMonkey

    HossMonkey Registered Member

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    I'm not sure that's correct, because the spam is coming through a hole/bug in messanger & if you have your firewall set up to allow messanger to transmit & recieve, you are then allowing the spam message to be recieved through the hole/bug in messanger.
     
  6. Pieter_Arntz

    Pieter_Arntz Spyware Veteran

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    Hi HossMonkey,

    I´m afraid you´re mixing two things up. Very understandably by the way.
    The windows messenger service and Windows Messenger (the chat client) work completely independent.
    You can disable the service without any effect on the chat client. Also closing the ports for the service will not affect your ability to chat.

    Regards,

    Pieter
     
  7. HossMonkey

    HossMonkey Registered Member

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    Thanks for the INFO!
     
  8. PhiloVance

    PhiloVance Registered Member

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    Ok, I'm the one that started this thread and it's almost been a week since I applied Steve Gibson's shootthemessenger patch and I haven't gotten any more. So, not saying the patch is the solution, but so far it appears to be.

    Anyway, thought I'd check back and let you people know what's happened.

    :cool:
     
  9. Dan Perez

    Dan Perez Retired Moderator

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    Cool! Thanks for the follow-up.
     
  10. JayK

    JayK Poster

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    Well of you still need to open the ports for the chat client of course.

    To add on.

    The windows messanger service I think was designed a long time ago to allow computers on a LAN to communicate with one another. Eg. An admin could send a popup messange to other desktops warning that the network was going down for maintance.

    From what i have seen it's very primative used primarily to make announcements and not for chatting unlike ICQ,Aolchat and whatnot.

    Unfortunately, some genius came up with the idea of using it to send spam. over the internet.


    It's on by default even on standalone pcs.
    I' ve read that some antivirus programs occasionally use it to send messanges on rare occasions. Even with a firewall up, the antiproggie can freely use the messanger service because it's all internal (I think).

    I'm on a home LAN, my firewall is set up such that ut allows the messanger service to operate within the LAN (handy to comunicate short messages without going outside the LAN) but of course users outside the LAN trying to get in through the messanger service will face a brick wall.
     
  11. Tinribs

    Tinribs Registered Member

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    Unfortunately I highlighted this issue some time ago, supposedly ethical and legitimate software to take advantage of this loophole.

    http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=9970
     
  12. JayK

    JayK Poster

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    Huh? The post appears to be sent on June 2003. The first messanger spam was sighted around Oct/Nov 2002 I think. It's hardly a new thing.

    The spam software makes it somewhat easier to send spam, but you can do it easily with your default messanger service on every windows computer
     
  13. CrazyM

    CrazyM Firewall Expert

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    BC, Canada
    Hi PhiloVance

    While you are no longer getting the messages, you should still review your firewall rules as they should not have been getting through in the first place. If you need some help in that regard, we can discuss/review your rules in the Other Firewalls forum.

    Regards,

    CrazyM
     
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