Windows Messenger Service Bogus or NOT?

[Sean]

I just run my antispyware and got this alert,
The windows messenger service is running ....

I clicked for more information and this is what I got

Internet Agent: Windows Messenger Service
What does this Internet Agent do?

The Windows Messenger Service Agent monitors the Windows
Messenger service.



What is the Windows Messenger service?

Messenger service protection helps prevent Windows
Messenger service spam on your computer. The Windows
Messenger service, also known as net send, can be
exploited to spread unsolicited commercial e-mail. There
is no update to prevent receiving such spam, although
most firewall software prevents it. Disabling the Windows
Messenger Service also prevent such spam. The Windows
Messenger Service, not to be confused with the Microsoft
MSN Messenger chat client, is enabled by default on
Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems.



Unauthorized users of your computer ca use the Windows
Messenger Service to cause a pop-up window to appear on
your computer



How does the Windows Messenger Service work?

Every Windows XP and Windows 2000 computer has a service
running in the background called the Messenger service.
This is a part of the operating system that is used by
network administrators to send messages to users on a
company network. The Messenger service allows the net
send function to communicate across networks. Alerters
are another function that can use the Messenger service
to communicate across networks. If you have ever received
a message from the uninterruptible power supply-that it
has passed a self-test, or went to battery for a moment
due to a spike in the power supply-then you have received
an alerter message.

Now then, the messages that are being popped up are to
run a program called errorfixer or visit these two sites
www.updatepatch.info or www.errorfixer.com

Has anybody else seen these? I checked out the sites and
they are bogus, I saved them as mht files just in case
somebody wanted to use them in evidence (so to speak)

 

[Jason]

The windows messenger service is a valid service. Like
the AntiSpyware software says, it is a potential security
hole.

The messenger service is used mostly by businesses and the
such to send alerts to other computers and for several
other uses. These businesses usually have firewalls which
prevent people from outside the network accessing the
messenger service.

On a home computer having the messenger service on is
asking for trouble. There are many exploits and nasty
things which can be done using the messenger service. If
the computer you are getting this messenger on is a home
use computer i would suggest going into services and
shutting off the messenger service.

J.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

The windows messenger service is a valid service. Like
the AntiSpyware software says, it is a potential security
hole.

The messenger service is used mostly by businesses and the
such to send alerts to other computers and for several
other uses. These businesses usually have firewalls which
prevent people from outside the network accessing the
messenger service.

On a home computer having the messenger service on is
asking for trouble. There are many exploits and nasty
things which can be done using the messenger service. If
the computer you are getting this messenger on is a home
use computer i would suggest going into services and
shutting off the messenger service.

Good information.

I might add one thing: If the messenger service is running, and you are
getting ads via popups from this service, as Sean indicates he is--the
messenger service is serving, in a way, as a mine canary.

These popups are a sure indicator that you don't have a firewall active on
your Internet connection, and such protection is highly desirable these
days.

The guidance at www.microsoft.com/security is invaluable--you need all three
steps here, and none of them need cost out of pocket.

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

SP2 disables the Messenger service, (and Alerter)

To restore it, Start/run, type: services.msc ,Right-click the service that you want to configure, click Properties. On the General
tab, in the Startup type box, To restore Alerter service click Manual. To restore Messenger service click Automatic.