WinXP calls back to Microsoft

From: Max Vision (visionat_private)
Date: Mon May 14 2001 - 13:54:46 PDT

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    WinXP Pro default install is really noisy.  In a typical boot in a Windows
    environment you will probably see the following:
    
     1 udp dhcp/bootp request  [0.0.0.0:68 -> 255.255.255.255:67]
     3 arp wh-ohas for my new ip [ARP who-has x.x.x.x tell x.x.x.x]
    20 udp netbios broadcast (many types) [x.x.x.x:137 -> x.x.x.255:137]
     8 udp netbios broadcast (many types) [x.x.x.x:138 -> x.x.x.255:138]
     1 udp dns query for time.windows.com [x.x.x.x:1026 -> your.dns.server:53]
     1 udp ntp update request [x.x.x.x:123 -> 207.46.228.33:123]
     1 icmp echo request to dns server [x.x.x.x -> your.dns.server]
     2 igmp broadcast to IGMP.MCAST.NET [x.x.x.x -> 224.0.0.22] (ttl = 1)
     3 printer solicitations [x.x.x.x:3004 -> 239.255.255.250:1900]
     1 ethernet II broadcast type 0x888e (similar to arp, local only)
    
    The ethernet ii packet is only considered such based on the value of the
    type/length field being more than 1500, otherwise it might have been
    intended to be a IEEE 802.3 packet.  Either way there is no meaningful
    payload - the destination mac was some unassigned broadcast or multicast
    mac 01:80:c2:00:00:03.
    (not listed at http://www.cavebear.com/CaveBear/Ethernet/multicast.html)
    
    The above is all based on a session I captured a few weeks ago when
    troubleshooting a dhcp problem I had with a winxp beta2 box. What caught
    my eye was the time.windows.com request.  It seems a good way for
    microsoft to gather the IP addresses of WinXP users.  It is probably worth
    noting that this is the default but falls back to time.nist.gov.
    
    Paranoid smarties will go to the registry and remove the time.windows.com
    request (depending on how you feel about microsoft having your info:)
    Possible keys of interest:
    HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers\
    HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\
    
    I saw the 239.255.255.250 broadcast but I assumed the first router out
    would drop it as not publicly routable (mine does).
    
    Max Vision
    http://whitehats.com/
    http://maxvision.net/
    
    On Sun, 6 May 2001, George wrote:
    > Running Windows ME or Whistler/Windows XP I have noticed that upon bootup I
    > see packets addressed to 239.255.255.250 port 1900. Upon investigating this
    > I find that this is some sort of multicast or broadcast network address
    > that's meant for UPnP devices but for some reason if you are connected to
    > the internet these packets are routed out to the internet (the local 224
    > route does not cover them).
    >
    > I've posted more information about this at
    > http://www.nthelp.com/upnpscrewup.htm and was wondering if anyone here can
    > explain to me what this is all about? I believe it has something to do with
    > IPP, UPnP, and SSDP but I don't understand what any of this has to do with
    > the general internet which is where the packets are headed.
    >
    > Geo.
    >
    



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