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URGENT NEWS BULITEN FOR ENTIRE ACTIVE WORLDS COMMUNITY (Community)
URGENT NEWS BULITEN FOR ENTIRE ACTIVE WORLDS COMMUNITY // Communityssl.Nov 22, 2003, 1:10am
It has come to my attention that there have been massive scale pop up
attacks in the active worlds browser. Some people suggest it it spyware, or adware EVERYONE IS URGED TO DOWNLOAD SOME SORT OF SPYWARE/ADWARE DESTROYER IMMEDIATLY. This isnt a test or something i did just because i was bored Ive been bombarded by the same pop up for hours now it reads I HATE POP UPS! Please do not take this lightly. It appears as though it travels to random users. mainly citizens of aw. PLEASE YOU ARE ALL URGED TO DOWNLOAD something to protect yourself of pop ups. This is NOT a test but a way to alert the people of aw. The pop up is NOT LIKE OTHERS it is persistent. The pop up is about a company trying to sell you a pop up blocker. SELL... Rumors are that this is all the fault of the company itself. much like Telemarketing You better do something about this E N Z O. it spreads like a virus. >.< AND BLOODY ANNOYING. S. laraNov 22, 2003, 1:20am
Darn...I thought I had hammered all the signs in my OY down well enough. I'll see if I can round them up again. Sowwy. ;)
Lara [View Quote] ssl.Nov 22, 2003, 1:28am
Update: it seems the pop ups are tied with msn messenger/windows messenger
yet just now 9:15 central time i received dual-pop ups....thisCANNOT be good. I still urge you all to download some kind of spyware deleter. NOT spywarenuker..its a cheap trial that doesnt even WORK ( for free) ssl.Nov 22, 2003, 2:00am
Second update: THE POP UPS HAVE INCREASED INTO EXPLODE STYLE POP UPS
A MULTITUDE OF POP UPS ARE SHOWING UP SIMUTANEOUSLY ON PEOPLE. IM BEING BOMBARDED WITH THINGS AND SPYWARE/ADWARE DELETERS DO NOT WORK laraNov 22, 2003, 2:16am
This might be the best place for you to look for help with your problem, ssl. http://forums.spywareinfo.com/
[View Quote] alexthemartianNov 22, 2003, 3:06am
well since you mentioned Messenger.. i just want to ask if it look like
this: http://www.lurhq.com/images/popupspam.png? if so then it is.. i dont fell like explaining, ill just quote a website i found: "Messenger Service Popup Advertising The latest trend is using the messenger service to send pop up advertising spam to unprotected computers. It's important to note that these messages have no relation to MSN or Microsoft Messenger. Messenger service is used via the 'net send' command to send messages between networked computers. If you don't have network access or use the 'net send' command it's easy to disable the messenger service and eliminate the popup activity. ---------- Disable Messenger Service Click Start > Run and type "services.msc" (no quotes) in the Open: line and click OK In the right pane, scroll down to Messenger. Double click Messenger and click the General tab. Under Service Status: click the Stop button. In the Startup Type: drop down box, select Disable. Click Apply and OK. ---------- Another method to rid your system of this annoyance is to block NetBIOS ports 135, 137, 138. and 139 through the firewall. Each firewall uses a different method of blocking ports. Consult the firewall documentation or website for information on the proper procedure" --quoted directly from http://www.theeldergeek.com/messenger_service_popups.htm [View Quote] builderzNov 22, 2003, 4:07am
Download, install, and use the following:
ZoneAlarm Free Firewall http://www.zonelabs.com SpywareBlaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html Ad-Aware Free (Standard Edition) http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ Spybot Search & De story http://security.kolla.de And since AW uses IE by default to download things and for Web browsing, make sure you have the latest IE service packs/hotfixes and check your cookies and other settings. Have fun! :) Builderz http://www.3dhost.net byte meNov 22, 2003, 4:07am
If you're running Windows XP, it is an exploit in a program called Windows
Messenger (not related to the popular IM program). That was originally intended for system administrators to send messages to users. A quick and easy way to disable this is to visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp It'll teach you how to disable this service. :) [View Quote] builderzNov 22, 2003, 4:35am
The most likely cause of your pop-ups is the Windows Messenger service
(not to be confused for the MSN Messenger program) if you use Windows 2000 or XP. The main purpose of the messenger service is to send "messages" (for lack of a better word) to other users on a LAN. For example, if I wanted to make a pop-up message that says "Hi there" appear on a computer called Jim, I would go to Start --> Run --> type in "cmd" (no quotes), and then "net send Jim Hi there" (again, no quotes). If the computer called Jim is turned on, is connected to my LAN, and has the messenger service running, the user should be able to see the pop-up. People can (and do) use this as a "dumbed down" version of instant messaging. However, as people like to find new ways to use things (especially to annoy people or to make money), so-called "messenger spammers" have surfaced that send unsolicited messages to numerous people. They often (like in your case) try to promote a product that supposedly stops you from receiving the very pop-ups they are sending you. I believe the FTC is trying to crackdown more on this type of activity. Microsoft has said that in Windows XP Service Pack 2, the Messenger service will be set to off by default. But since you want to stop your pop-ups now, here is how to turn off the messenger service: 1. Sign on as an administrator (if you aren't already) 2. Go into the Control Panel (generally Start --> Settings --> Control Panel) 3. Double-click on Administrative Tools 4. Double-click on Services 5. Scroll down the list of services until you see one marked as "Messenger" 6. If the service is running (which it probably is), left click on it to highlight it. Then right-click on it and unclick on Stop. It may take a moment for it to shut down. 7. Right-click on it (while it is still highlighted) and unclick on Properties 8. Finally, change the Startup type to "Disabled", press Apply, then hit OK I also recommend that install and use these other programs: ZoneAlarm Free Firewall http://www.zonelabs.com SpywareBlaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html Ad-Aware Free (Standard Edition) http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ Spybot Search & Destroy http://security.kolla.de One last thing: by default, AW uses Internet Explorer as its Web browser and to download objects, avatars, etc. Double check your IE cookies and security settings (especially the ActiceX settings). Have fun! Builderz http://www.3dhost.net citizen caneNov 22, 2003, 9:50am
[View Quote]
>It has come to my attention that there have been massive scale pop up
>attacks in the active worlds browser. [snip lots of stuff about hating pop-ups, but not much useful information] If you are in fact describing the known exploit on the Windows Messenger Service (although this exploit has nothing to with the AW browser, and also nothing to do with MSN Messenger)... visit here for an instant cure: "In addition to being a security risk, Windows' Messenger Service is being used to Spam Windows users across the Internet." http://grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm Indeed, you might spend a little time looking at the grc.com site in general for information/fixes for all of these common exploits. -- CC jstone2004Nov 22, 2003, 11:00pm
how does msn messenger have anything to do with AW? o.0 *looks suspiciously
at ssl* you haven't been giving your e-mail address out to just anyone, have you? J [View Quote] ssl.Nov 23, 2003, 2:10pm
People, these pop up raids are not connected with windows messenger.
I have those messages disabled from day one A its not connected with windows messenger B Aw seems to cause it. C Spyware deletion downloads DO NOT WORK D No Jstone, i havent given out my email to anyone.....unless one of YOU people have set a spam attacks on me via NG's.. E Thank you Buildrez for those 4 links to adware/spyware deletion stuff. F And for the last time everyone, the pop ups are in no conection with messenger. kahNov 23, 2003, 3:14pm
"ssl." <gold at midtech.net> wrote in news:3fbed3a9 at server1.Activeworlds.com:
><<snipped crazy ramblings>> For god's sake, shut up! Why the hell would AW cause popups? Get a clue before you start spamming the NGs with all caps screaming. Take a look at your process list, you probably downloaded some spyware. KAH starfleetNov 23, 2003, 4:05pm
Your statements are a hoax. It is DEFINITELY caused by MSN messager and
Windows messager. Immediately delete those programs. [View Quote] ssl.Nov 23, 2003, 11:38pm
May i remind you both that these ng's arent meant to harass peoples?....and
i DID uninstall msn and it still went on Starfleet.....im not saying it could be directly aw...may be some stuff m a tt is cooking up "starfleet" > S.T.F.U. > > "strike rapier" > > I.D.I.O.T ssl.Nov 23, 2003, 11:40pm
....im not saying aw deliberatly did it !!........and do you THINK i would
download spyware deliberately? tony mNov 24, 2003, 12:53am
Would you please post a screenshot of this "unstoppable popup", so we can once and for all tell you what it really is? :)
[View Quote] kahNov 24, 2003, 3:55pm
"ssl." <gold at midtech.net> wrote in news:3fc1617c at server1.Activeworlds.com:
> ...im not saying aw deliberatly did it !!........and do you THINK i would > download spyware deliberately? I understood what you meant, but it's still completely unrelated to AW. Why on earth would using AW get you popups? Think before you post. No, I don't think you would download spyware deliberately, although I think (actually, I'm almost certain) you downloaded it accidentally, or bundled with something else. Stop shouting around here, and go and look on your own local setup (in particular, look at any software that you downloaded recently). KAH ssl.Nov 24, 2003, 11:23pm
Im afraid that the pop up raids have stopped ( thank the lord).......i dont
have any pics i can show you of these attacks...they've seem to have gone, and i did not do a single thing.. ssl.Nov 24, 2003, 11:27pm
I dont know Kah, but im not blaming aw directly...
maybe...just some strange thing....some kids are messing with the set up of aw...i dont mean its source code..but maybe dwelling inside the community like a virus and attaching a registry code into the Reg...Im not so sure about this..this is what it might be nor how could they.. <<<END-THREAD>>> Do not reply anymore..its large enough as it is...and its useless now that its gone. zeofatexNov 24, 2003, 11:27pm
They'll come back... trust me. They did the same thing for me. I had to turn
off the stupid ass messenger because it was such a pain in the ass. [View Quote] jstone2004Nov 25, 2003, 12:04am
search for a .exe file named Gator.exe, GameChannel.exe, or Save.exe, they
are all a very annoying program which sounds like what you described :P oh, and if you have morpheus or Kazaa up, they will send popups too :P J [View Quote] ssl.Nov 25, 2003, 1:06am
I thought i said no more replies..oh well..lol
Checked..and on top of that my 2nd firewall would have detected new exe's wanting access to the internet. And i used to have kazzaa.. uninstalled as soon as i heard Microsoft sued it. now..End of post!! <<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [View Quote] paulNov 25, 2003, 3:10am
A lot of people go around downloading screen savers and Theme files and
some of these install ad ware/registry entries. A friend of mine on ICQ just went through this and started getting popup add every time she open IE no matter that the web sties she went to didn't have popup ads. Just the fact that she opened IE after installing the Windows Themes she had downloaded and installed put some ad ware on her systems and she had to unistall the themes (and guess what, the uninstaller didn't work so had to uninstall the stuff manually) and then run a Spybot S&D scan and AdAware scan to get rid of the ad garbage and registry entries. All that hassle for some pretty pictures. Paul [View Quote] |