Windows Messenger Ads

[Dan]

I recently set up a windows messenger account and am now
having to deal with Pop Ups several times per hour.

I am not singed on to messenger but have full time
conection through cox cable and am experiencing the anti
pop up commercial messages continually. There are basic
websites they refer to. I have listed the web sites in
the cookie cop and XP security files to deny access but
it has not stopped the problem.

Is there another proceedure to illiminate these messages.

The web sites are:
www.FightPopUps.com
www.DestroyAds.com
www.STOPMESSENGER.COM
www.EASYPOPUPBLOCKER.com
www.broadcastblocker.com

 

[JButton]

Enable your XP firewall or get a third party one
configured correctly. They are exploiting unused ports to
send you these messages. You may see advice to shut down
Windows Messenger Service - this will stop the ads, but
not really fix the problem - enable the firewall!

 

[cato]

Many of your problems had been responded in this newsgroup already many
times. Read them.

But you have to distinguish between the XP Messenger Service and the MSN
Messenger where you have an account. The annoying pop-up is due to the first
one and against its malicious intent serves you as a warning, you are open
to attacks from the net. Install firewall immediately or activate XP's built
in ICF!

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Does the title bar of these pop-ups read "Messenger Service?"

This type of spam has become quite common over the past several
months, 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 may well be open to other threats, such as the Blaster Worm that
recently swept cross 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

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

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You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Mike]

Go to grc.org and take the Shields up test