Messenger Service spam adverts

[Spank-A-Thon]

Has anyone else been getting message box's popping up on your screen that contain adverts and other spam. They look like below:
http://www.impactsms.co.uk/graphics/advert.jpg

It turns out that due to a security flaw in Win XP/NT/2000, people can send out adverts that make use of the Messenger Service (not to be confused with Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger). It's something to do with port 135 being open.

To see the Microsoft advice about how to stop this, please click here (http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/pro/using/howto/communicate/version45/stopspam.asp).

This has been a Spank-A-Thon Public Service Announcement.

Edit: removed my previous advice and inserted a link to the MS web-site.

- S

[dan da man]

spank i havent been getting adverts like that.

[ssjtrunks13]

Don't use any of those and I haven't got any. Thanks for the PSA though.:cool:

[dan da man]

PSA?:peoples:

[ssjtrunks13]

Public Service Announcement.(not mad at you)

[kupoartist]

so thats what it is.... that'll also explain why a MSN opposed friend of mine gets them also... Annoying, but hardly regular though... (incedently, I dislike MSN Messenger as well... but it just comes down to who uses what program. Poop :( )

edit: oh and after win2000 crashed for the second time in one month (I used to think it had a "time of the month" before then...) I'm one win98, so this doesn't apply to me...

[Soul Angel]

I have Win XP, but I haven't let had any of those type of messeges.

Thanks for the announcement Spank-A-Thorn, at least now if I do get them, I'll have some idea what to do about it.

[David]

Never recieve any of those, but it must be annoying if it keep's on poping up.

0===(======================>

To be forgotten is worse than death...

[Spank-A-Thon]

I am utterly amazed that no one here is getting these Messenger Service things! Me and all my friends have been receiving at least one daily.

I've been doing some research into them and there is a piece of software that allows companys to send them. The company responsible for the software is www.directadvertiser.com.

Apparently owners of the above software can target these ads at an IP range which may explain why me and my friends have received some yet you guys haven't.

At first I thought it was a virus. Then I wondered if Kazaa Lite wasn't so 'lite' after all! But I came across the cause today and thus wanted to share it with you all in case it happens to you guys.

- S

[BlackThornn]

I have been getting these constantly.. Sometimes up to three daily. It's.... insanely aggravating. Thank you for the link spank.

I was about to post the link to the site that publishes this software (I've gone so far as to post on Neoseeker and encourage people to write "what they think" of this invasive program to thier contact Email) before I saw your link at the end of the page.

*thumbs up to the Spank-a-thon PSA*