Question

UDP 137 Flood from XP Pro Client

Asked by: KlickSuperfly

Hello Experts,

I have a problem on our company LAN that I'd like some help with.  I've Googled, I've checked configurations, I've scanned for viruses, and now I've lost my sense of humour with this situation.

First some background:
- Small network (4 client machines - XP Pro, 1 server - Windows Server 2003 SBS, 2 HP workgroup printers (shared on SBS, listed in directory), Astaro ASG120 Internet Appliance.

The problem:
One of my XP clients is continually (~1 per second) sending UDP packets on port 137 to the broadcast address.

Here is a small sample from the enormous packet filter log on the Astaro:
Time       Source IP       Port               Dest IP       Port       Proto       Header       Payload       TTL       Misc
16:54:10       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       
16:54:10       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       
16:54:11       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       
16:54:11       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       
16:54:13       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       
16:54:13       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       
16:54:15       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       
16:54:15       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       
16:54:16       192.168.1.50       137       ->       192.168.1.255       137       UDP       20       58       128       

(Sometimes the Misc column has the text "CE" in it.)

Now I know that the router is dropping all of the offending packets but I'd really like to attack the source of this NETbios assault on my network.  Right now my router's packet filter logs can easily exceed 32MB / day!

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Asked On
2007-09-24 at 16:07:58ID22849757
Tags

udp

,

137

,

flood

Topics

Net BIOS and NetBEUI

,

Windows XP Operating System

Participating Experts
1
Points
250
Comments
3

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Answers

 

by: that1guy15Posted on 2007-09-24 at 16:12:47ID: 19952352

Install wireshark on the XP box so you can monitor the packets being sent out to the network. YOu can also use proccess Explorer to get a better idea of what services are running on the box.

 

by: KlickSuperflyPosted on 2007-09-24 at 18:52:50ID: 19952908

Thanks for the quick reply that1guy15,

Process Explorer showed something truly evil... something that I overlooked and should know about: HPTLBXFX.EXE was running.  This nasty little app is part of HP's Toolbox application that resides in the system tray.  Sure enough, when I killed the process the flooding stopped immediately.

I would assume that HP designed this software to advertise the All-in-One device attached to that client however it seems that it is a little more than overzealous in it's advertising... (apparently it can take down a Samba server with this flooding in a matter of minutes if left unchecked).

I used Process Explorer to Google and found this thread: http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/01/24/hp-lj-3055-software-is-garbage-hptlbxfxexe-issues/
(I'll save you the read: the HP Printer Toolbox software creates a nasty flood of UDP 137 traffic on the network)

The thread in that link suggests installing the latest version of the HP software but unlike the device in that thread the one we have here is a HP LaserJet 3030 and hasn't had it's software updated since 2004.

I uninstalled the Toolbox and there we have it; no more flood.  FIXED!

 

by: that1guy15Posted on 2007-09-25 at 06:50:00ID: 19955666

good job

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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