www.BlackViper.com: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Services 411 - Messenger

Messenger

Default Description:

Transmits net send and Alerter service messages between clients and servers. This service is not related to Windows Messenger. If this service is stopped, Alerter messages will not be transmitted. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.

Additional Information:

This service provides the ability to send messages between clients and servers. This service does not need to be running under normal "home" conditions. It is also advisable to make this service go away to avoid the possibility of "net send" messages hitting your computer from the internet. After the installation of Service Pack 2 or 3, this service is set from Automatic to Disabled by default. This has nothing to do with MSN Messenger, nor is it "WinPopUp."

To test for this security vulnerability, at the command prompt, (run: cmd.exe) type:

net send 127.0.0.1 hi

If you get a popup "hi" message, you should disable the Messenger service.
If you get an error stating, "The message alias could not be found on the network," you are safe.

If, for whatever reason, you need the Messenger service running but wish not to have spam popups active, you can disable the particular ports at your firewall. The Messenger service uses UDP ports 135, 137, and 138; TCP ports 135, 139, and 445.

Additional Reading:

None at this time.

Discussion Topic Link:

Windows XP Services Forum

Defaults Startup Type:

Default XP Home: Disabled
Default XP MCE 2005: Disabled
Default XP Pro: Disabled
Default XP Tablet PC 2005: Disabled

Other Settings:

Safe Setting: Disabled

Service Names:

Service Name (registry): Messenger

Display Name: Messenger

Default Path and Command Line Options:

C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs

Log On As:

Account: Local System Account

Dependencies:

What service Messenger needs to function properly:

• NetBIOS Interface (H, M, P, T)
• Plug and Play (H, M, P, T)
• Remote Procedure Call (RPC) (H, M, P, T)
• Workstation (H, M, P, T)

What other service require Messenger to function properly:

• None (H, M, P, T)