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View Full Version : ntl:home Customer Alert - Microsoft Messenger Security


Theodoric
29-01-2004, 21:32
I received an email with this subject heading a couple of days ago. It looks authentic, but what puzzles me are the links which allegedly lead to a security patch. As you have to be paranoic nowadays, I first RH clicked the link to see if I could find anything in properties, but there was no Properties option. So, I used the Copy Shortcut command and pasted in the IE Address Bar to see what came out. What appeared is the address below (all one address).

emarketing.eqtr.com/email_tracker/ctr3.asp?eid=1211402&cid=778&sid=0&url=http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx&FamilyId=F02DA309-4B0A-4438-A0B9-5B67414C3833&displaylang=en

Now, what I can't understand is the 'emarketing' bit in front of the Microsoft part; this immediately set the alarm bells ringing. Why is this necessary if the link is allegedly to Microsoft? Is the whole thing actually a scam and nothing to do with ntl?

EDIT I've had to cut out the http:\\ bit at the beginning of the address as it doesn't display properly otherwise.

Proppinupthebar
29-01-2004, 21:41
Oops sorry posted in wrong thread!!!

Ramrod
29-01-2004, 21:52
Interesting, it takes you to microsoft downloads, presumably via emarketing...

homealone
29-01-2004, 22:03
sorry Theodoric, if you do a search on the 'Microsoft Messenger Security' part of your thread title, you'll see there has already been lots of discussion in the forum, about the e-mail you mention.

Paul
29-01-2004, 22:05
It's a way to track if you opened the e-mail and accessed the MS site via the link provided - presumably to see how effective the e-mail was, and no doubt mark your address as in use as well ......

MadGamer
29-01-2004, 22:41
Email scams??? Why do people do it??? It's a waste of time.

Neil
29-01-2004, 23:03
http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/search.php?searchid=40599

Frank
30-01-2004, 00:37
This is just ntl measuring how effective their e-mail campaign is. Shame the actual link they sent thru doesn't work (at least copying and pasting the above microsoft.com part), not to mention the fact they were over three months too late...

Buffer Overrun in Messenger Service Could Allow Code Execution (828035)

Issued: October 15, 2003
Updated: December 2, 2003