Is this legitimate or a virus ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Malvern
  • Start date Start date
M

Malvern

I got a rare pop-up from Microsoft to the effect that something in Messenger
had a buffer overload and needed me to go download some patch. The web
address looks suspicious;

www.windowsupdate.info

I never saw "info" at the end of a web address before; I thought they were
three letters. Also, I remember reading on here that MS does not do this
kind of thing. I am not going to do any downloads from this "site" until I
get some kind of confirmation that it's legitimate.

Malv
 
Malvern said:
I got a rare pop-up from Microsoft to the effect that something in Messenger
had a buffer overload and needed me to go download some patch. The web
address looks suspicious;

www.windowsupdate.info
Click to expand...

I get "This page cannot be displayed" so perhaps it is bogus.

Best get all your updates using Start -> Control Panel -> Windows Update.
 
It's bogus. That site doesn't even exist. More likely the link in the email
downloads a virus. Just ignore such emails as ms never sends them.
 
It's a scam, not from MS - you should get all updates (for FREE!) from
Windows Update.

If you got a popup, it sounds like you don't have your firewall enabled (or
another one installed) - do this ASAP. Messenger Spam is the least of your
problems if you have all your ports open from the internet.
 
Are you sure the site wasn't
http://www.windowspatch.info/ ?

which seems to be yet another site exploiting messenger service to try to
flog you an unnecessary "IPBlocker", which basic firewall security can deal
with without forking up cash

Jon
 
Greetings --

It's a scam, plain and simple. It's from a very unscrupulous
"business." They're trying to sell you patches that Microsoft
provides free-of-charge, and using a very intrusive means of
advertising. It's also demonstrating that your PC is very unsecure.

This type of spam has become quite common over the past year or
so, and unintentionally serves as a valid security "alert." It
demonstrates that you haven't been taking sufficient precautions while
connected to the Internet. Your data probably hasn't been compromised
by these specific advertisements, but if you're open to this exploit,
you most definitely open to other threats, such as the Blaster,
Welchia, and Sasser Worms that still haunt the Internet. Install and
use a decent, properly configured firewall. (Merely disabling the
messenger service, as some people recommend, only hides the symptom,
and does little or nothing to truly secure your machine.) And
ignoring or just "putting up with" the security gap represented by
these messages is particularly foolish.

Messenger Service of Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;168893

Messenger Service Window That Contains an Internet Advertisement
Appears
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904

Stopping Advertisements with Messenger Service Titles
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp

Blocking Ads, Parasites, and Hijackers with a Hosts File
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Whichever firewall you decide upon, be sure to ensure UDP ports 135,
137, and 138 and TCP ports 135, 139, and 445 are _all_ blocked. You
may also disable Inbound NetBIOS (NetBIOS over TCP/IP). You'll have
to follow the instructions from firewall's manufacturer for the
specific steps.

You can test your firewall at:

Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/vr_main.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=GPVHGBYNCJEIMXQKCDT

Security Scan - Sygate Online Services
http://www.sygatetech.com/

Oh, and be especially wary of people who advise you to do nothing
more than disable the messenger service. Disabling the messenger
service, by itself, is a "head in the sand" approach to computer
security. The real problem is _not_ the messenger service pop-ups;
they're actually providing a useful, if annoying, service by acting as
a security alert. The true problem is the unsecured computer, and
you've been advised to merely turn off the warnings. How is this
helpful?


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH
 
Malvern said:
I got a rare pop-up from Microsoft to the effect that something in Messenger
had a buffer overload and needed me to go download some patch. The web
address looks suspicious;

www.windowsupdate.info
Click to expand...

That is NOT a legitimate message from Microsoft, and you are right to
ignore it.
 
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