<img style="float: right" src="http://www.iexbeta.com/images/news/logos/iexMsnMessenger.gif">According to Neowin, Msn Messenger Team has delayed the release of an external beta, but they're planning to remove crucial new features temporarily. MSN Messenger 7 beta will not have 'winks' and deluxe display pictures. Currently it's easy for people to exploit the code of winks to display any flash movies on a users computer for any amount of time.

MSN took the decision following the public announcements of the exploits. We're unsure whether 'winks' are going to be axed from MSN Messenger 7 or whether MSN are merely revamping them to be included in later betas.

In other news, The Messenger team will be implementing a CVR update that will force all existing MSN Messenger V7.0 users to downgrade to V6.2. This CVR is scheduled to start on 6 Oct 2004. Anyone running MSN Messenger V7.0 build 0205 will need to downgrade. If you do not downgrade, you will be unable to sign into the Messenger service. We're unsure whether this will effect other builds.

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News source: NeoWin

*Topic Moved, Edited*

hmm its Wendsday, october 06 2004 here, 10:34PM (GMT+1) and I can still be on msn (perhaps if ya stay online your not kicked form msn and so stay onlien with msn 7.0)

Heh.

i think it mus tbe OR the 6th of NEXT month or 7th of this month as its 10:46PM here, just CLOSED msn (and thus signing off), re opened msn, and just logged in....

Ditto on the sign in with MSN 7 thing. And as for my opinion on the whole issue, it's aa alpha program meaning that it is going to have security flaws. MS should just let us use it at our own risk.

I know it was Cream that posted the news, but maybe it was just a scare and isn't really gonna happen.

its happening. when you sign in now, you are asked to upgrade immediately to "a newer version" which is MSNIM 6.2

If you dont want to upgrade, Please read this:

Thanks to <b><a href="http://forum.mess.be/index.php?showuser=152" target= _blank_">Inky</a></b> inky for submitting this!

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Inky made a little simple VB app which patches your MSN Messenger to fix the block from Microsoft. It dumps 11 random characters over the MSNMSGRBETA string send on the Notification Socket, which tricks it into thinking it's some random other client (I made them random so Microsoft can't block the patch as well).

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You need to close MSN Messenger completely (no taskbar icon anymor either). Download the zip file and store it on your PC. Open the exe file in it and click "Find target" to look up the Messenger executable (usually c:\program files\msn messenger\msnmsgr.exe). Click "Patch" to patch it. Making a backup is optional.

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Patching it is your own responcibillity. Remember, if you do and keep using Messenger 7 you will still be vunrable to the Winks exploits</b>!

Thanks to <i>Inky</i> for making a patch to unblock this. You can find the post/download links <a href="http://forum.mess.be/index.php?act=ST&f=25&t=846&st=0#entry7285">here</a>.



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[Source - <a href="http://forum.mess.be/index.php?showtopic=846&st=0&p=7286&#entry7286">Mess.be Forums</a>]<br>
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[<i><em>Submitted by <a href="http://forum.mess.be/index.php?showuser=152" target= _blank_">Inky</a></em>]

no point in using it if their going to such great lengths to block it out ... uninstalled mine and went back to 6.2

Given that thay're doing this to fix exploits and not to spite people, it's best to roll back for now (afore someone writes a nasty virus and sends it to ya - garr!!).

I thought it was a bit strange for MS to do somethng like this - they've never cared enough before about leaks to do something so drastic as remove it from everyone's machines.

i admit tho i do like their heighten care about security.

Only the people who don't know their contacts well will get exploited by this exploit.

Don't make stupid assumptions. All it takes is grandma or the GF's 7-year old sibling to get a machine infected that's on your list, and then YOU are - winks open automatically.

Well, ran the patch, and it works perfectly! I was a little worried, because my company changed their proxy setup and it blocked the old MSN's (well, anything other than 7, actually). Now I can use it again without have to resort to WebMessenger.

well yogi, it works for everyone with the patch, but theres still the risk

Ya, but I'm aware of it, and I only talk to a handfull of people on there anyways, and I've got anyone not on my list blocked. There's still a risk, yes, but I'm willing to take it.

Edit: Oh ya, and I disabled Winks playing automatically. Personally, I'm glad they're killing that 'feature'