MSN Messenger
MSN Messenger
MSN Messenger is Microsoft's instant messaging client for Windows computers aimed toward the home user. Among its users it is often referred to as MSN, for example, "I'll send it to you over MSN," though in Latin America and Spain it is known as "el Messenger," as other instant messaging clients are less popular there.
The major use of the software is for instant messaging, although other features which now come as standard include support for voice conversations, webcams (MSN Messenger 7.0 and later feature full screen audio video conversations), transferring files, and built-in multi-user online games such as Tic Tac Toe. In a similar vein to many of MSN Messenger's competitors, MSN Messenger allows messages to be enlivened with graphical emoticons, sometimes called smileys, Flash animations called winks, animated display pictures, styled text, and many more with third-party add-ons such as MSNLiveDisplay.
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MSN Messenger Related Industry News
MSN Messenger flaw allows hard-drive access Microsoft has revealed three new vulnerabilities in its software, including the first to affect MSN Messenger 6.0, and is urging customers to patch their systems now. Two of the vulnerabilities are considered medium-level risks, while the third presents a medium- to low-level risk, according to security software specialist Symantec and others. Three separate patches to repair the flaws--which affect different pieces of software--have been released and......
[more] Security concerns put MSN Messenger beta on hold Microsoft has suspended the beta testing of the next version of its MSN Messenger client because of a potential security problem, a company spokeswoman said Wednesday. Testers discovered a potential security issue in the early version of MSN Messenger 7 shortly after Microsoft made the instant messaging client available to a select group of testers over the weekend, according to postings on MSN Messenger enthusiast Web site Mess.be.
The problem l......
[more] MSN fighting Messenger difficulties, virus People using Microsoft's instant-messaging software, MSN Messenger, may have been a mite lonely this weekend, with only a virus to keep them company. The software giant acknowledged on Monday that it continued to battle a technical glitch that prevented MSN users from logging on to the service's instant-messaging system for the past three days. The problems, which several users complained about on discussion forums frequented by network administrators,......
[more] MSN Messenger hit by double-whammy worm A Bropia variant is using MSN Messenger to spread, and is packaged with a second more damaging worm The latest variant of the Bropia worm was discovered on Wednesday evening. It infects users of MSN Messenger by sending itself as a picture of a roast chicken with tan lines. It also releases a second more dangerous worm called agabot.ajc on the infected user's computer.
Adam Biviano, senior systems engineer at antivirus firm Trend Micro, said that although......
[more] IM still a security weak spot, analysts warn The recent flaw plugged by Microsoft in its MSN Messenger software highlights a serious security threat to enterprise security, analysts said. Last Friday, Microsoft forced its millions of MSN Messenger users to download a new version of the software to plug a security vulnerability.
The software giant put the mandatory upgrade in place after a security company posted information that might help a would-be attacker exploit the vulnerability. Users o......
[more] Microsoft's security strategy pilloried The software giant should be concentrating on securing Windows instead of trying to squeeze security firms out of the market, according to Gartner Microsoft has bought two antivirus companies and an antispyware company -- the latter acquisition has already produced an antispyware application for Windows -- since Bill Gates launched the Trustworthy Computing Initiative, which changed coding practices to make security Microsoft's first priority.
However, Ga......
[more] Worm Chatter Escalates on MSN Messenger Anti-virus vendors report an increased chatter of virus activity on Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft Network messenger Sunday night through Monday. In what appears to be a concentrated attack on users of the MSN instant messaging client, security experts warn that several new worms with unique replication techniques have been launched alongside mutants of the known Bropia virus family.
"We are regularly adding detection for new Bropia worm variants," F-Secure......
[more] Virus writers start new flame war Fatso.A squeezes onto hard drives with tirade at Bropia author A newly discovered worm has begun spreading in the wild, sparking what security experts warn could be another slanging match between rival virus writers.
The Fatso.A worm (also known as Crog and Sumom) spreads via MSN Messenger by sending an instant message with a URL that, when clicked, causes the PC to download the virus. It also spreads as a file on eMule peer-to-peer systems.
It contains a mess......
[more] Email worm graduates to IM The Chod.B worm is now spreading over Microsoft's instant-messaging service, after first being observed spreading over email systems last week A worm that first disguised itself as an email from computer vendors now attempts to trick MSN Messenger users into executing malicious files.The Chod.B worm, which was first discovered on April Fool's day, spreads via email purportedly from Microsoft, or security vendors Symantec and Trend Micro.When using MSN Messenger as its......
[more] Aladdin Sees Dramatic Increase in Email Traffic with Outbreak of Win32.Sober.s Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd. today announced that its Content Security Response Team (CSRT) identifies the new Win32.Sober.s worm as a medium to high risk for corporate networks worldwide. Aladdin eSafe customers are proactively protected without a need for signature updates.
Win32.Sober.s is a mass-mailing worm that continues to quickly infect computers throughout the United States and Germany by disguising itsel......
[more] Hotmail threatened by MSN flaw A cross-scripting security hole allowed malicious hackers to steal cookies from Hotmail users and get access to their accounts Microsoft took part of its MSN Web site offline over the weekend, after it learned of a flaw that could let an attacker gain access to Hotmail accounts, the company said.
The MSN Web site, http://ilovemessenger.msn.com/, contained a so-called cross-site scripting flaw, a Microsoft representative said on Monday. In its initial review of th......
[more] Businesses sending one billion IMs per day And that's just the ones your boss knows about Instant messaging is the new email for the world's businesses - it's official.
According to a new report from analyst house IDC, IM is now a standard piece of the corporate communication toolkit, with around one billion IMs sent every day between 28 million enterprise users.
Consequently, the analysts are predicting that the value of the enterprise IM market will continue to increase for at least the next......
[more] P2P Attacks Up; IM Hits Down IM security solutions provider Akonix Systems said its research team tracked 22 new attacks on Peer-to-Peer networks in October, a 19 percent increase over September.
The attacks on networks such as eDonkey and Kazaa came at the same time the Akonix Security Center tracked a decrease in attacks on Instant Messaging networks during the same time frame.
Don Montgomery, vice president of marketing at Akonix Systems, said October marked the first month that P2P attac......
[more] Virus Poses as Leaked MSN Messenger Beta Internet users are being warned about a new virus that poses as a leaked pre-release version of the MSN Messenger instant messenger program.
Unsuspecting Windows users who install the phony MSN Messenger Version 8 "beta" actually install an IM worm that spreads to their IM contacts, and connects their computer to a remote control "bot" network run by malicious hackers, according to F-Secure Corp., an antivirus firm based in Helsinki.
A Web site, msgr......
[more] Black Angels attack MSN Messenger Internet users should be careful when using Microsoft MSN Messenger as is being targeted by a new worm, security experts warn. BlackAngel.B spreads via Microsoft IM, sending the following messages to all Messenger contacts: 'jaja look a that fantasma.zip' or 'mira este video fantasma.zip jaja'. According to antivirus company Panda Software, the worm attempts to disable the security programs installed onto the computer, such as antivirus and firewalls. It also p......
[more] Over two-thirds of employees use IM at work to talk to family and friends Office workers are exposing their employers to substantial risks, including legal action and regulatory breaches, by using instant messenger and web based email at work, according to a new survey. The research, conducted by Chronicle Solutions, found that unmonitored technologies such as instant messenger (IM), MSN messenger and web based email are frequently accessed and used by staff from company computers, leaving busin......
[more] Is Microsoft set to take over the VoIP space? Past experience shows that once Microsoft sets its sights on a technology, it often comes to dominate the market. Will Redmond nudge current VoIP vendors off the playing field? Deb Shinder takes a look at the software giant's plans for VoIP. When Microsoft gets into the game, other companies start to worry-and with good reason. Past experience shows that once the software giant sets its sights on a technology, it often comes to dominate the market,......
[more] MSN Messenger is the most targeted IM platform ScanSafe, in its latest monthly Global Threat Report, reported it blocked 24 new IM threats in February, 54 percent of which affected MSN Messenger compared to 21 percent that affected Yahoo! and 17 percent that affected AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Over the past 12 months, MSN Messenger has consistently ranked #1 as the most targeted IM platform. Fifty-three percent of all the IM-based threats blocked by ScanSafe in the past year have affected MSN......
[more] Instant messaging attacks up 200 percent in a year The growing adoption of instant messaging (IM) platforms in corporate environments has made the technology more attractive to hackers, who have, in turn, attacked IM 200 percent more often than this time last year. Researchers at Akonix's IM Security Center reported today that they've seen 31 new malicious code attacks on messaging platforms this month, including worms such as IMspam, QQpass and TrigXF. Of all IM-based malware, Maniccum and Hotm......
[more] Skype worm jumps to ICQ, MSN A new variant of the Stration worm, which has been plaguing Windows users for the past year, has made the jump from Skype to the ICQ and MSN Messenger networks. This latest variant popped up earlier this week, according to Chris Boyd, a researcher at FaceTime Communications, who blogs under the pseudonym "Paperghost." "They're using Skype as a jump off into other more established networks," Boyd said. "The infection will go looking for......
[more] Attackers get chatty on VoIP The hacker attacks happening via Skype will become more severe and sophisticated as businesses start adopting VoIP technologies, analysts say The recent spate of malware attacks propagating throughout the user base of the Skype Internet calling system illustrates a broader trend toward cyber-criminals moving to take advantage of VoIP platforms as they become increasingly popular. Security researchers tracking the latest pack of worm viruses to wriggle their way thro......
[more] MSN Messenger video-based exploit revealed Security experts are advising users of MSN Messenger to be wary of untrusted web cam conversations after exploit code was posted today for a zero-day vulnerability in the instant messaging (IM) application. The bug, rated "highly critical" by tracking firm Secunia, can be exploited when a victim accepts a malicious video from an attacker, prompting a heap-based buffer overflow. Results may range from a system crash to arbitrary code......
[more] Microsoft to release five fixes on Patch Tuesday Microsoft announced yesterday that it will release five security bulletins - one for a flaw deemed "critical" - next week as part of its September Patch Tuesday distribution. The critical flaw exists in Windows and can be exploited for remote code execution, according to Microsoft's advance notification.Four "important" patches will also be released. Two of the bulletins fix bugs allowing remote code execution in Visual Studio and MSN Me......
[more] Lazy Tuesday for Microsoft patchers Patch Tuesday was quieter than usual for Microsoft users this month, with the company issuing just four security bulletins yesterday. Four vulnerabilities were fixed in Windows, Visual Studio and the MSN and Windows Live Messenger software, setting a 2007 record for the fewest flaws fixed in a month's scheduled updates. Only one of the four flaws was pegged critical, Microsoft's highest threat warning, while the other three were all labelled important, a notc......
[more] Microsoft forces Messenger upgrade for 'security' reasons Users of Windows Live and MSN Messenger are being forced to upgrade to the latest versions due to a security patch in the new releases Microsoft is forcing Windows Live and MSN Messenger users to upgrade to the newest version due to a security update included in that release, according to a posting on a Microsoft blog. Anyone using 6.2, 7.0 and 7.5 versions of MSN Messenger or Windows Live Messenger 8.0 will be guided through the upgrade......
[more] New Trojan scans for virtual machines A Trojan appeared at the weekend that uses MSN Messenger to grow a botnet, but more worryingly the malware also tries to scan for virtual machines in order to increase the botnet’s number of connections. In an eWeek.com article, the eSafe CSRT (Content Security Response Team) at security vendor Aladdin, warned that it had detected the new threat propagating around noon EST on Sunday. At 18:00 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), eSafe had apparently detected......
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