Messenger Service pop ups?

  • Thread starter Solid Fro
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Solid Fro

Solid Fro

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Has anyone seen these pop up windows before? They come up not in a browser window but, a window like an application. It displays your IP, date, and time of when you received the pop up and then displays their ad. What worries me is that Pop up Stopper doesn't stop it and if this pop up can send you a message, what stops it from sending a small piece of code and running it when you receive it?
 

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Neither have I, but I'm not a great fan of messaging and chat rooms. Forums and message boards for me.

I might have to check out this website. ;)
 
I wasn't in a chat room or messaging anyone when I got this. I just had IE open to GTP.

Popup Stopper doesn't suck, it is the absolute best.

You perv! That site is probably full of other pop up ads anyway. :lol:
 
I read about this yesterday, in this article from NewsScan (www.newscan.com).

POP-UP SPAM -- A DIABOLICAL INVENTION
As if e-mail spam weren't annoying enough -- now there's pop-up spam. A Romanian-based company has developed software that can blast computers with pop-up messages through the Messenger function on many Windows operating systems that was originally designed to allow computer network technicians to warn network users of a planned shutdown (not to be confused with Instant Messenger). Gary Flynn, a security engineer at James Madison University, deplores this latest technological development: "It's almost like somebody barging into your office and interrupting you." Zoltan Kovacs, founder of the company that makes the software, responds, "If some people use it for bad things, they should take their own responsibility, but it's their own problem." The new spam technique represents the latest attempt by advertisers to bypass the increasingly sophisticated e-mail filters used by ISPs and individuals, and also circumvents state and other laws designed to curb junk e-mail. (AP 20 Oct 2002)
Click to expand...

Probably the way around this is to find the IP port that the Messenger service uses, and then block it on your firewall. I'll be looking into this in due course through work, so if I find a solution, I'll post it here. :)
 
Wow, thank you very much GilesGuthrie. Very informative.

I don't have a firewall. :( Is there a way to disable this "messenger" in Windows?
 
Messenger function on many Windows operating systems that was originally designed to allow computer network technicians to warn network users of a planned shutdown
Click to expand...

This is the type of message you can send via goverlan, or user manager from NT4/win2000 right?

Yeah get some firewall software like giles said. Ive never had that happen to me and I dont want it to.
 
Originally posted by Viper Zero
Wow, thank you very much GilesGuthrie. Very informative.

I don't have a firewall. :( Is there a way to disable this "messenger" in Windows?
Click to expand...
Delete it or don't open it up.
 
If I think it is what I think it is (is that gramatically correct, I doubt it :P ) you cant delete it. Because its built into windows, so you can send a message to people on a network to inform them about shutdowns or other things.
 
Originally posted by Y2TUSCAN
If I think it is what I think it is (is that gramatically correct, I doubt it :P ) you cant delete it. Because its built into windows, so you can send a message to people on a network to inform them about shutdowns or other things.
Click to expand...
You can delete. I just checked to see if you could.

Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel
Double click 'Add/Remove Progams'
Find MSN Messenger in the list and select it
Hit Install/Unistall down the bottom-right to get rid of it
 
Originally posted by Eddy

You can delete. I just checked to see if you could.

Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel
Double click 'Add/Remove Progams'
Find MSN Messenger in the list and select it
Hit Install/Unistall down the bottom-right to get rid of it
Click to expand...

Eddy, if you read the article I posted, you would have seen that it states that it is the Messenger service built into Windows, not any form of "Instant Messaging" service, such as MSN Messenger, AIM, YIM, ICQ, or any other equivalent.

This is a service built into Windows that allows users to send/receive broadcast messages within a local network. You can send yourself a message by opening a DOS prompt, and typing the following:
net send localhost Hello!
Click to expand...

This communicates over IP, and is an integral part of Windows. Thus you cannot remove the Messenger service (well, you can, on NT/2000, but you need to remove the "Workstation" network service, and then you're looking at a probable rebuild). This is also the reason why I suggest that blocking the specific messenger port on the firewall would help, not least because your own in-built notifications will still work, whilst those coming from outside the machine will not.

Like I said, I'm looking into it, but don't bother removing your IM services as this will merely inconvenience you without solving the problem.
 
No its not part of IM at all, its been part of windows since NT4.0 (I think?)

now there's pop-up spam. A Romanian-based company has developed software that can blast computers with pop-up messages through the Messenger function on many Windows operating systems that was originally designed to allow computer network technicians to warn network users of a planned shutdown (not to be confused with Instant Messenger).
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by GilesGuthrie


Eddy, if you read the article I posted, you would have seen that it states that it is the Messenger service built into Windows, not any form of "Instant Messaging" service, such as MSN Messenger, AIM, YIM, ICQ, or any other equivalent.

This is a service built into Windows that allows users to send/receive broadcast messages within a local network. You can send yourself a message by opening a DOS prompt, and typing the following:


This communicates over IP, and is an integral part of Windows. Thus you cannot remove the Messenger service (well, you can, on NT/2000, but you need to remove the "Workstation" network service, and then you're looking at a probable rebuild). This is also the reason why I suggest that blocking the specific messenger port on the firewall would help, not least because your own in-built notifications will still work, whilst those coming from outside the machine will not.

Like I said, I'm looking into it, but don't bother removing your IM services as this will merely inconvenience you without solving the problem.
Click to expand...
Oh.
 
To disable messenger go to start > run > services.msc and in that list disable 'messenger.' Just right click > stop. Go into the properties for it and select 'disabled' for 'startup type.'
 
Hmmm...I'm on a LAN.

AO types:

net send {my secretary} This is the Amish Virus. We, the Amish, don't believe in technology, therefore we are asking you too please delete your own hardrive. Please forward this to all of the people in your address book before you delete.
Click to expand...

*Listens for scream*

:D

AO
 
That is one of the best games!

net send {person of nervous disposition} NO!!! NO!!! DON'T DO THAT!!!! (We're watching you)
 
Any way to supress the sender information? I want to be able to fire anonymously...

As I was just discussing with AO, on our old Mac network, it was originally peer-to-peer so we could connect directly to each others' machines. Somebody would be concentrating hard at work, then finally quit their program, only to find their desktop covered with 1024 empty folders called BITE ME.
 
In the code:

Code: 
net send {variable} hello

is that variable the name of the computer on the LAN? Or the IP?

Also -- :blush: how do I open a DOS prompt in XP?
 
There isn't a dos prompt in XP home as far as I know. There is a command prompt but, after windows 2000 I thougt that they got rid of dos.

{edit}: Errr... wait. I think that the command prompt is MS DOS but I'm not sure.

As for how to get there, 1. Start, 2. Accesories, 3. Command Prompt.

OA
 
the variable is however the specific computer is identified on the LAN. In our case, it's first.lastname format, but yours may vary. Try sending it to your own network login name first as a test.

And yes, it's a COMMAND prompt now, not a DOS prompt, but it is under the Start/Programs/Accessories menu.
 
hmmm. i got one of those when sufring another site but it was about free stuff...(oh and you ip is showing ;)
 
Stealth: The variable can be the hostname of the computer, its IP address, or the login name of the logged-in user. You can also use * to send to everyone.

You can open a DOS prompt by typing "cmd" into the Run... dialogue. "Command Prompt" and "DOS Prompt" are the same thing, it's just that Microsoft wishes not to acknowledge this lest people crow "It's still based on DOS, therefore it must be toss".

Viper Zero: Even if you have dynamic IP, you should watch out, especially if you're on a broadband connection, since DHCP servers and network cards can develop an 'affinity' which will lead to them leasing you the same address every time you log on, assuming the address is available.

f50: This is a question that you only want to ask if you're a network administrator. Don't try to change the network settings of your ISP, or you will almost certainly not get logged on. The default for ISPs is to use dynamic addressing, that is to say that you get an address assigned to you when you connect to the network. However, sometimes (as explained above), it's not all that dynamic.

Windows 2000/XP has a thing built in called "Autoconfiguration", where network cards on a LAN will negotiate their own set of IP addresses, but this is only viable in a small scale.

If you wish to implement dynamic IP addressing on your LAN, you need a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server, which will manage the set of IP addresses you're going to use, and how they're assigned. Windows NT/2000 servers have DHCP servers built in, but not installed by default, so you'll need to add this as a network service. Alternatively, all Cisco routers of 800 or higher model have built-in DHCP, and some of the better broadband hub/switch/routers can do it also.

But like I say, it's not really something you want to be messing with unless you're a network administrator.

Neon_Duke: No, it's not possible to send anonymously, although if you have the system rights, you could change your machine name to spoof the sender information! 😈
 
alll of a sudden...I've got a real fear of GilesGuthrie. :eek:

He seems to have too many answers that give waaay to exact details. 😈

Hmmm....pray tell....was it you or Gusman that authored the "Love Letter"?

AO
 

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