Re: Annoying Pop Ups

From: Alun Jones [MS MVP] (alun_at_texis.com)
Date: 07/26/03 

Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 18:51:05 GMT

In article <065901c35369$a7aed430$a501280a@phx.gbl>, "Pinkvenom"
<pinkvenom@burntmail.com> wrote:
>>-----Original Message-----
>>Recently, I am receiving a lot of annoying Pop Ups from
>>company, asking me to go to blockmessenger.com to stop
>>such an intrusion.
>>How do I get rid of these annoying pop-ups? Please help.
>>
>This Will Get rid off them, it worked for me.
>>Start>>Control Panel>>Switch to Classic
>View>>Administrative tools>>Services>>Messenger>>Double
>Click it then under startup type change to disabeled. and
>press ok.

No, no, no! That's really not as helpful as it might seem. Those packets
are still getting in to your machine, as are any number of other unwanted
and unasked-for packets on the same ports. Now, since we've just seen an
exploit announced, and a sample for it posted, that uses those same ports to
provide instant access to your machine, I think it's worth blocking those
ports outright, don't you? Otherwise you're doing nothing more than turning
up your radio to cover the strange engine noise, rather than fixing the
engine.

Visit
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp
for a clear guide on how to enable the firewall in your machine. It'll
block nefarious packets of various types, including those responsible for
the Messenger Service spam. It'll allow you to keep Messenger Service
running (if for no other reason than to let you know if the firewall ever
fails!)

I'd do this as soon as you can, if I were you - we're all betting on when
the worm will be written to use the exploit sample that was posted recently,
and my money is on "inside of a week". Make sure it doesn't hit you - _and_
get rid of the Messenger Service spam. Enable the firewall that you already
have.

Alun.
~~~~

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