windows messenger service

[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)

 

[Guest]

windows messenger service is a network tool for admins to
communicate with users on the network, its a little pop-up
dialog box with a message.

this is a system service that runs automaticaly by default.
sadly it is accessable from the outside world and will
accept messgaes from amyone with your machine's wan
address.

go to your services control panel and set windows
messenger from automatic to disabled or manual.
this is highly recomended if the service is unused or un-
needed as it can be a portal for messenger spam.

NOTE. this is NOT instant messenger or any sort of chat
client like aim or yahoo messenger. it is a stock winblows
componant.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

This stuff is called "messenger spam" and Steve Gibson, of www.grc.com fame
wrote an applet to turn off the messenger service, which is quite easly done
using the UI provided within Windows.

One thing that receipt of such spam indicates is that a machine receiving
such messages is not protected by a firewall or nat/router.

See the prescriptive advice at: http://www.microsoft.com/protect

for three steps to protect your machine. All three are important, and none
need cost you out of pocket.