HELP Please!!! Instant Messengers Being Hacked

[rmlj63]

Snodog you may have a static ip like stated before. This is your address given to you by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Most ISPs use Dynamic ip addresses, but if you do get a static ip, it wont matter how many different computers you use your address given to you by your ISP will be the same. You could contact your ISP and ask them if it is static or if you could get a different one.

Just a thought

[nanodog]

Have you tried installing the latest updates for your Windows OS from Microsoft? You may have an old vulnerability that the "hacker" is using that is now patched by those updates. If you have no Idea what I am talking about...there should be a little globe icon in your lower right corner near the clock that says 'Windows Update'. Click on it once or twice and you should be on your way to gettting all patched up.

And your messenger client...do you have the newest versions? (MSN Messenger 5.0+), or (Yahoo Pager/Messenger 5, 5, 0, x+)? There are alot of security upgrades between releases sometimes. If there is a widely known vulnerability in an older version, then it will most likely be complained about and fixed in the new version.

Hope this info helps,

nanodog

[snodog311]

I have checked my IP and it is not static... I get a new one every time I sign on... I have switched my firewall to Zone Alarm Pro and will see if that helps... it has been blocking quite a few access attempts so I will see... I have the most recent windows updates and the newest versions of the messengers.... any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated... thanks

SnoDog

[doc crontab]

"I have heard that there are programs out there that will allow a hacker
to access a chat client and password"

She or he (never know) could have penetrated you or your
friends computer by exploiting a bufferoverflow related to a specific
feature within the instant message client sometimes it doesn't matter
if the vendor fixes the hole or not because the hacker just makes a
few adjusment or modifies things and he/she still in buisness
are you using the latest version of the software is your friend?

I've cleaned up systems still running ICQ and AIM all the way
back to 1997 gotta wonder why people don't update there
stuff

Doc

[snodog311]

hi Doc.... yes we are both running the latest version of both AIM and Odigo messengers... everything on my PC is updated and I just switched my firewall to Zone Alarm Pro... I also installed PestPatrol and Essential NetTools today to help try to track the hacker or at least be able to tell when and how they are connecting... I hope they work but I won't know for sure until I chat with my g/f again tonight and see if anything happens.... very frustrated with this whole thing

SnoDog

[redhawk14506]

Hey snodog,
I don't know why anyone hasn't already mentioned this but maybe it's your g/f's computer?
You're own computer can have the most accurate and powerful firewall in the world, but if the hacker found out your G/f's IP and if she hasn't changed computers or installed any type of firewall and scanned for trojans then the hacker can still annoy you. So get a firewall on your girlfriends computer, and a good antivirus program. Then make sure she uses them. Hope this solves the problem!!!

[snodog311]

thx redhawk I will definitely double check with her to make sure she's all updated too, but I think she is... however, I don't think she runs a firewall all the time... I will have to get her to install Zone Alarm too... if they are accessing us through her computer, is it possible for them to send IMs to her as me though???

SnoDog

[redhawk14506]

The sad thing is that if you can think it up you can usually do it (computers that is!) All you need is time and intelligence. It is possible, though unlikely, that the hacker is going through her computer. If you or your G/F are on a network it may even be easier to view and possibly edit messages. But it does not sound like you are.

[ianbigboy]

Have simply tired running the netstat -an command when this happens? Try this on your system and your girls system next time it happens and look for any connection that should be. This would at the least let you know the what port someone is tunneling in on.

Here's a tool that basically does the netstat command, plus gives you a couple ways to organize what your looking for..

http://www.foundstone.com/index.htm?...desc/fport.htmFPORT

[snodog311]

no, neither one of us is on a network... I use one of the more popular ISP's dialup and have also tried netzero but that didn't make a difference... my g/f was on aol but switched to a local ISP and that didn't help either... we have tried everything we can think of but are running out of ideas another thing that sucks that I didn't mention before, is that the hacker can also intercept our emails to each other and even prevent us from getting mail from each other...

SnoDog