Messenger service

[Cloyd]

I keep getting the following msg:
Message from Alert Service to Windows user on (today's
date) Warning: Your computer is at risk. You have just
received a message through an open port in your computer.
This means anyone can send messages like this, or even use
the open port in their advantage to invade your privacy.
Please vist www.BYEBYEADS.com to secure this port and
never receive messages like this again.

How can I stop this from reoccuring again? Does Microsoft
have a download to prevent this? Thanks for any assistance.

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

Cloyd wrote:

> I keep getting the following msg:
> Message from Alert Service to Windows user on (today's
> date) Warning: Your computer is at risk. You have just
> received a message through an open port in your computer.
> This means anyone can send messages like this, or even use
> the open port in their advantage to invade your privacy.
> Please vist www.BYEBYEADS.com to secure this port and
> never receive messages like this again.
>
> How can I stop this from reoccuring again? Does Microsoft
> have a download to prevent this? Thanks for any assistance.

Hi

You can of course disable the Messenger service, but by doing only that, the
computer will STILL be open to the Internet and be pretty unsecured. The
Messenger Service messages is only the symptom, and not the cause.

You should follow the recommendations in the MS Knowledge Base article 330904:

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

Here is the most important part of it:

"For this reason, Microsoft recommends that you install a firewall and
configure it to block NetBIOS traffic instead of merely just turning off
the Messenger service."

That means blocking internet access to ports 135, 137-139 and 445 with a SW or
HW firewall.

http://securityadmin.info/faq.htm#firewall

Some general information about popups and how to stop it:
http://securityadmin.info/faq.htm#pop-ups


--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

This type of spam has become very common over the past few 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. Install and use a decent,
properly configured firewall. (Simply disabling the messenger
service, as some ill-informed people recommend, only hides the
symptom, and does nothing to secure your machine.) And ignoring or
just "putting up with" these messages and the problem they represent
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

Additionally:

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


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"Cloyd" > wrote in message
...
> I keep getting the following msg:
> Message from Alert Service to Windows user on (today's
> date) Warning: Your computer is at risk. You have just
> received a message through an open port in your computer.
> This means anyone can send messages like this, or even use
> the open port in their advantage to invade your privacy.
> Please vist www.BYEBYEADS.com to secure this port and
> never receive messages like this again.
>
> How can I stop this from reoccuring again? Does Microsoft
> have a download to prevent this? Thanks for any assistance.