Fake or Real? Messenger service alert

Viruses and worms
1

This may or may not have anything to do with the virus disscussion, I want to find more info on these windows that are appearing nonstop on my PC are they fake or real?

Window heading: Messenger Service

Mesage from SYSTEM to ALERT on 6/14/2006 4:09:50 PM

STOP! WINDOWS REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.

Windows has found CRITICAL SYSTEM ERRORS.

To fix the errors please do the following:

  1. Download Registry Cleaner from: http://www.wincleaner32.com
  2. Install Registry Cleaner
  3. Run Registry Cleaner
  4. Reboot your computer

FAILURE TO ACT NOW MAY LEAD TO DATA LOSS AND CORRUPTION!

and

Window heading: Messenger Service

Message from FROM to TO 6/14/2006 4:10:50 PM

STOP! WINDOWS REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
Windows has found 55 Critical System Errors.

To fix the errors please do the following:

  1. Download Registry Cleaner from: http://www.wincleaner32.com
  2. Install Registry Cleaner
  3. Run Registry Cleaner
  4. Reboot your computer

FAILURE TO ACT NOW MAY LEAD TO DATA LOSS AND CORRUPTION!

and

Window Heading: Messenger service

Message from SECURITY MONITOR to WINDOWS USER on 6/14/2006 5:07:35 PM

Important Windows Securitiy Bulletin

Buffer Overrun in Messenger Service Allows Remote Code Execution,
Virus Infection and Unexpected Computer Shutdowns

Affected Software

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows Win98
Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Non Affected Software:

Microsoft Windows Millenium Edition

Your system is affected, download the patch from the adress below ! (the ! is actually like this on the alert)
FIRST TYPE THE ADRESS BELOW INTO YOUR INTERNET BROWSER, THEN CLICK ‘OK’ THE ADDRESS WILL DISAPPEAER ONCE YOU CLICK ‘OK’

www.patchupdate.infi

These are REALLY annoying me! I want to know weather they are fake or real.
I use Windows XP
avast! for Virus Scans
Sygate for my Firewall
Ad-aware to remove adware
and
Spybot S&D (Search & Destroy) to remove spyware

Any help would be greatly appriceiated!

Thanks,
Kath

2

Hi Kath,

They are definitely fake: scam messages to trick you into downloading spyware and other malware.

Many of these things seem to be Smitfraud variants, so I recommend you run the removal tool according to the instructions on the page:

http://siri.urz.free.fr/Fix/SmitfraudFix_En.php

Follow this with a scan with Ewido anti-Trojan in Safe Mode. (Tap F8 while rebooting.)

http://www.ewido.net/en/

Update and scan with Ad-Aware and Spybot again, also in safe mode.

Run a boot time scan with avast! and move any malware found to the chest. (Quarantine.)

Finally, visit Microsoft Update and make sure you have the latest critical updates, and also check that you have the latest version of Sun Java installed in Add/Remove programs. Uninstall any older versions from there before installing the latest version:

http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp

3

:slight_smile: Hi Kath :

  Have you ever turned OFF your Windows Messenger
  Service program !?
4

I think Spiritsongs might be right there. With so many Smitfraud infections around, I’d forgotten about good ol’ Messenger Service:

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=18337.msg155986#msg155986

5

Thanks to both of you! I have now fixed the problem by dissableing messenger! thanks! ;D;D;D

btw, why is my Personal text, I’m a llama? I diddn’t type this ???

6

Em, consider updating to Service Pack 2…

And all Messenger Service messages are fake.

7

It is a default text and I think prompts people to ask or change their profile information, click the profile button at the top of each page.

8

oh thanks!
I thought someone had hacked into my profile, Thanks ^^

9

No, nobody can… That was the default text and profile settings… nobody messed your profile, only you with your password could do that…

10

No Problem, welcome to the forums.
I see you haven’t been inquisitive yet to go and change it ;D

11

I just removed it, since I didnt know anything else to type. XD

Thankyou all for welcoming me :stuck_out_tongue: Luckilly this isn’t the first SMF forum I’ve been on (actually 2nd), so I know how to use all the features.

Thanks, ^^;
Kath