> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: morning_wood 
> To: dos cerveza ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 8:17 AM
> Subject: Re: [Full-Disclosure] Odd Behavior - Windows Messenger Service


> > The service starts before you login.
> > This is normal behaviour.
> > Please read the previous replies you have recieved.


> > The service starts before you login.

> imho it is iresponsible default behaivor for a workstation OS to allow
> remote resources / services / enumeration
> before any interactive user or administrative login.


Exactly my point from my posting on this issue last week and this is why that payroll 
machine was open to inspection when it should not have been. XP allows you to have a 
standard system come up to a Welcome page and sit there waiting for you to click on an 
icon and provide a password if that is how you choose to logon to your own machin 
locally. However, as an example, if you are just a user/abuser who works with a 
machine not on the machine and come in, turn your local machine on and then walk away 
while it is booting to get your morning coffee and come back then click an icon and 
provide a password, if the machine is fast enough, it is sitting at that welcome 
prompt allowing others on the local LAN at the very least, access to whatever programs 
and files you have on it in a standard XP home or Pro issue. Yes, it should be set up 
better but I think that, by now, we all know of the companies cutting corners who have 
an employee "who knows about computers" who can set up a l!
 an to work but bugger-all else. You reading this may think that isnt your problem as 
eventually you will be called in and paid to fix it BUT the problem is that if just 
ONE person on that lan is stupid enough to "click on an attachment" in the standard 
infecting style, it is possible the whole lan is open to inspection and whatever else. 
Then we have the "Echo Valley" scenario from there - you know the one where you yell 
"Hello" and it rebounds off everything you can see in the same way as an address book 
worm sends to all and sundry and catches many with the same tired old thing? At that 
point who will be complaining about the lost packets and stuffed up networks?

This is the issue I reported to Miscrosoft and their reply was that they will fix it 
in the next SP or full Windows whichever comes first, not as a fix but as an option. 
Eg, you will have a tick box somewhere that basically stops lan connection until the 
username/password are typed at logon or retyped in the case of a screen saver or 
program taking the local machine back to a welcome screen. IMHO this is the way it 
ALWAYS should have been. 

Greg.
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