Windows NetBIOS Messenger Service alert What is this?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Parry
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Parry

Windows NetBIOS Messenger Service alert, system told me to
stop using the above service do not want to diable the
service as I do not know what it does?
 
I agree with Plun--This service displays gray text boxes with the word
Messenger in their heading. If you are not protected by a firewall, this
service can be used to display text advertising on your machine.

It is used in some network environments to display messages from devices
like UPS's, or backup jobs, for example. If you don't know of a reason you
want to keep it running, turning it off is advisable simply because it is
unnecessary.

It's purpose is to allow network admins or automated mechanisms to display
messages on machines in a network.
 
Bill said:
I agree with Plun--This service displays gray text boxes with the word
Messenger in their heading. If you are not protected by a firewall, this
service can be used to display text advertising on your machine.

It is used in some network environments to display messages from devices
like UPS's, or backup jobs, for example. If you don't know of a reason you
want to keep it running, turning it off is advisable simply because it is
unnecessary.

It's purpose is to allow network admins or automated mechanisms to display
messages on machines in a network.
Click to expand...

More about this and other services on this page:

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/service411.htm#Messenger

Mostly all ISP:s with some quality blocks this ports anyway
after
all disaster with w32.XXXX.
UDP ports 135, 137, and 138; TCP ports 135, 139, and 445

I cant understand why MS didnt block this service with SP2 ?
 
It is, in fact, a useful service in some environments, and existing
third-party software depends on it being there and working.

I applaud the approach Microsoft Antispyware takes to it, though--maybe
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer will do the same in the next iteration.

One thing to say in favor of having this service running:

If you see Messenger spam (text messages in standard grey windows with
Messenger in the heading)--you can be sure that you are not behind a
firewall, or that the firewall has ports open that it shouldn't have. This
can be useful, in a mine canary sort of way.
 
Bill wrote
-----Original Message-----
If you see Messenger spam (text messages in standard
grey windows with Messenger in the heading)--you can be
sure that you are not behind a firewall, or that the
firewall has ports open that it shouldn't have. This
can be useful, in a mine canary sort of way.
Click to expand...

Well, I am glad that my ISP killed this "canary"
within their corerouters..... ;)
This canary can "talk" to much with too may at same time.
 
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