Re: Messenger Service

From: Kevin Davisł (zkevindavisz_at_cfl.rr.com)
Date: 11/28/03 

Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 02:03:35 GMT

On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 10:17:28 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
<lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com> wrote:

>Does the window title say anything about Messenger? If so, you need a
>firewall. 'Messenger spam', is not in itself harmful, but is symptomatic of
>a larger problem - your computer has ports open from the Internet.
>
>You can disable the Messenger service, but that is unwise as a solution as
>you'll still have the underlying problem that caused you to get the messages
>in the first place - consider the messages a useful warning that you have no
>protection from the Internet. This is all too important now, given the
>recent rash of RPC worms....

What is unwise from a security standpoint is to run any services that
are not needed. If you don't need the Messenger Service, disable it.
if you need it, keep it running but be aware that it has a serious
vulnerability that needs patched immediately.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/ms03-043.asp

What is also unwise from a security context is to use something as a
security tool that was never intended to be that. To use the
Messenger Service as an IDS of sorts for warning you that your
firewall is down is bad. If you need an IDS system to alert you to
intruders, run a real one. There is a free open source one called
Snort that would do the trick.

---------------------------------------
What could possibly go wrong?

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Messenger Service?
    ... You can disable the Messenger service, but that is unwise as a solution as ... protection from the Internet. ... For a standalone machine, see www.sygate.com for a free personal firewall, ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.security)
  • Re: sign in
    ... If your password information is not saved, verify ... If you use a firewall (like ZoneAlarm, ... Internet Security etc.), it's possible ... You may need to re/add Messenger to the ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.messenger)
  • Re: error 0x81000370
    ... If your password information is not saved, verify that ... If you use a firewall (like ZoneAlarm, Norton Internet ... You may need to re/add Messenger to the allowed ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.messenger)
  • Re: Cant log onto WM or the Passport sites
    ... If your password information is not saved, verify that you are typing it in with the ... If you use a firewall (like ZoneAlarm, Norton Internet Security etc.), it's possible ... You may need to re/add Messenger to the allowed list of programs in your firewall ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.messenger)
  • Re: MSN Messenger 7.5 not working
    ... > at least until you can restore your normal Messenger functionality: ... If your password information is not saved, verify that you are typing ... If you use a firewall (like ZoneAlarm, Norton Internet Security ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.messenger)