mIRC question

[PCFetish]

I know this has been around for ages.. but I dont usually use this.
I heard that when I'm in the chat room, other users can hack into my computer? get my infomation, like ip address and stuff...
is that true?
I need to know what other experienced user can do as far as getting my info.
Anyway to block everything?

 

[Ben50]

First of all, don't put your real info into the setup. That way they can only get your IP. Make sure you have a firewall up and running and you are fairly secure. If you want to be really secure, you'll need to get a shell account that allows a bnc (bounce) so your real ip will remain hidden and people would only see the IP of the shell account. If you want to be even more secure, you should only talk in a channel that is password protected with people you know. Beyond that, you should probably look for other methods of communication such as encrypted chat/email. Or you could just quit speaking altogether, your brain is the only place safe from peering eyes.

BTW this probably isn't the right forum for your question but I answered anyway since I'm not a mod and don't care.

 

[Diable]

Getting someone IP is simple on IRC, all I have to do is right click on you name and pick Tools-->Information-->Resolve IP in the script I use and in a couple of seconds I have your IP. Can I hack your box with that info, maybe if you don't run a firewall or have your ports closed.

If you want to stop a person form getting your info do as Ben50 said and get a BNC. Also use a script that offers flood protection.

 

[CrazySaint]

If you're gonna use IRC, be sure you run a firewall program like ZoneAlarm, it would also be a good idea to make sure you've downloaded all the security updates for your OS. The only real information they can get is your IP, also, depending on how your ISP sets up their naming schemes, they might be able to tell what city you're in, and they'll almost certainly be able to tell what country you're in. But in reality, with all the script kiddies and things out there scanning IP ranges, being on an IRC server isn't *that* much more of a security threat than just surfing except that you're possibly a more visible target and if you make the wrong person made then they might try to use their 'l33t h4x0r sk33lz 0n j00'. It would probably be a good idea to run a protection script like Peace 'N Protection.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

first off, mirc is a program. mirc is not irc in the same sense that internet explorer is not the web.

second off, you're way too paranoid.

via irc someone can get your ip, and from there they can guess what operating system you're running (i'm sure they can tell that by other means anyways), and they can check if you have any ports listening. in general, barely anyone is smart enough (or perhaps just motivated enough) to even get that far. and the rest would get that far and then fall asleep. the only real threat would perhaps be someone dcc'ing you a trojan and telling you its some w4r3z pr0ggi3 and then you run it and screw yourself. but if you had some common sense you would know that running executeables from strange people on irc is hardly an intelligent thing to do.

so we can conclude the following:

there are not that many smart people on irc.
the smart ones dont give a crap about hacking you.
even if someone was motivated to 'hack' you, they probably couldnt.

so chill out, there are hundreds of thousands of people on irc all the time, no one cares about hacking you.

oh, and there is really no need for a bnc unless you have: 1. something to hide, 2. something questionably illegal or at least mischevious to do.

so relax and irc like its 1999.

 

[DaFinn]

so relax and irc like its 1999.

Yep! (+ this is not relly General Hardware related.)