My RL name has appeared in IM's

[WolfFeather]

My RL name has appeared in IM's with a friend, and his RL name has appeared to me, it is on the end of each message he sends to me, as far as i am concerned this is a huge security breach, is there a way to stop our RL names from appearing in chat?

I am using the latest version of Firestorm and i have IM'ed the same person today and it did not happen, so i dont know what is going on, either way i think it is something LL should be investigating.

[Freya Mokusei]

This is not possible using the SL Standard viewer, available from http://get.secondlife.com. Any security concerns about third party viewers should be made directly to Linden Lab via Report Abuse.

If you need more help, please Paste the contents of Help > About Second Life from the menu at the top of your viewer screen and add it to your post by editing it (top right, where it says 'Options'). I would suggest you don't click 'Login' on that viewer, get the official one.

[Nyll Bergbahn]

In all my years in SL, I have never come across this and I have no idea how it could even happen with the LL viewer. Is it only occurring between the two of you and not IMs with other residents? What viewer are you using and are you both using the same viewer? (Use Options/Edit to add comments to your post) Anyway, I suggest you treat this in the same way as your accounts being compromised but will result in your accounts being on hold while LL investigates.

What to do if your account is compromised

Your account may have been compromised if:

• You can't access your account.
• You suddenly notice a reduced available balance on the payment source you have on file.

If this happens, contact us immediately!

Here's what to do:

1. Go to the Second LIfe Help page and log in if you can. If you can't access your account, use the Forgot your login information? link on the right to recover your username and reset your password. Then log in.
2. On the Second LIfe Help page page, click the Contact Support link on the right.
3. On the next page, click Submit a a Support Case form.
4. Under What type of problem are you having?, select Account Issue. A second dropdown appears.
5. Under Account Issue, select I believe my account has been compromised.
6. Fill in the rest of the fields as directed.
7. Click Submit.
8. Check your email for your case number.
9. Call our fraud number: 800-860-6990.

Once you do this, Linden Lab will place your account on hold and investigate the relevant transactions. This may take a few days. Once we have concluded the investigation, we'll send you an email explaining our conclusion and the action we will take. Note that all transactions involving Linden dollars are subject to Linden Lab's Terms of Service.

Tip: Even if you are able to log into your account, we recommend that you change your password immediately to something secure and unique.  Changing your password regularly is one good way to protect the safety of your account.  For information on how to change your password, see the How to change your password section of this article.

[KarenMichelle Lane]

If you are using the Official SecondLife Viewer from Linden Research, then you need to file an Urgent Support Case with LL. Additionally, your Real Life name information isn't even made available to the viewer using the published viewer functions and services. Are you using a non-approved 3rd party viewer?

Please update your question with additional information as follows: Select the Options drop-down menu to the right of your question and select Edit Question.

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WolfFeather wrote:

I am using the latest version of Firestorm and I have IM'ed the same person today and it did not happen, so I don't know what is going on, either way I think it is something LL should be investigating.

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Reply to edit by OP...

OK - Firestorm - Now this is a wild guess. Were you looking at your Chat History and is your PC User name the same as your real life name? You may have been seeing that name in the data path as a reminder of the PC Account you are running under.

e.g. -  C:\Users\Michelle\AppData\Roaming\SecondLife\karenmichelle_lane - Michelle is my real life name

Sometimes a program will shorten the display of the path to C:\Users\Michelle\...

Just a thought.

P.S. Is is remotely possible you were capturing your chats on your hard drive? Can you review your chat log with this other party?

[steph Arnott]

This is not possible and is a load of rubbish. Two people out of all SL, If it happened LL would be mobbed with complaints and shut the servers down.

Added: It has nothing to do with third party veiwers becouse they have to be approved before LL will even let them be used.

[KarenMichelle Lane]

Sometimes we get trolls who have been in-world a while but this one didn't seemm to meet the normal MO for one other than this was his 1st post in SL Answers. Mmmmmmm. Interesting. He hasn't added to his post either as we have requested. I IM'd him in-world and have heard nothing back.

[Griffin Ceawlin]

"Added: It has nothing to do with third party veiwers becouse they have to be approved before LL will even let them be used."

 

Incorrect.

 

TPVs listed in the TPV Directory are not necessarily "approved" by LL. "Being listed here means only that the developers of the viewer have represented that they comply with the Policy on Third-Party Viewers and the Second Life Terms of Service." "The Viewer Directory is a self-certification program. Linden Lab does not represent or warrant any independent testing or verification of compliance of any application listed in the Viewer Directory."

 

And viewers do not have to be listed in the TPVD to connect. "Unlike the other sections of this Policy, participation in the Viewer Directory is currently not a requirement for connecting to Second Life.?

[WolfFeather]

Who the hell are you (Steph) to say that its a load of rubbish? if you cant help by saying something intelligent then dont say anything at all.

[Nyll Bergbahn]

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WolfFeather wrote:

I am using the latest version of Firestorm and i have IM'ed the same person today and it did not happen, so i dont know what is going on, either way i think it is something LL should be investigating.

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Just read your edit about the viewer in question being Firestorm. Linden Lab does not support Third Party Viewers and while it permits their use subject to self-certification of compliance with the Third Party Viewer Policy and TOS, it very firmly places the responsibility of using them on their users and developers.

I don't know what went on either but you should take this matter up with Firestorm Support http://www.firestormviewer.org/ 

[WolfFeather]

Thank you, but i have already been told by them that there is no way firestorn can access that information, and it could only have come from LL.

[Freya Mokusei]

...Or whoever you were in IM with

This is not a conspiracy. Unless you downloaded your viewer from an obvious hack site (instead of the official download site for Firestorm) it is unlikely to be some complex security fault.

[Nyll Bergbahn]

You would need to reproduce this while using the LL viewer. Given what I have read about Linden Lab's security measures on protecting RL information, it can't happen. The Lab uses some serious encryption, it's not stored in a way that would suddenly appear unencrypted in a viewer chat window. I suggested earlier you regard this as your account having been compromised, maybe by phishing. Freya raises a good point. How well do you know this friend?
PS. I assume you've changed your password, if not, do so.

[WolfFeather]

I am friends with this person both in SL and RL that's why i know it was his real name that i was seeing, and regardless of how good a companies security measures are, the can be hacked or corrupted or just not work properly sometimes, and i have proof of that in my chat logs, ill report my account as being compromised and see what happens, but i already know the answer to it, nothing is going to happen.

[Freya Mokusei]

Your statement about information always being able to be hacked or corrupted is not relevant, your real life name is never communicated to the viewer, there is no need for it. It isn't a case of security, obfuscation or encryption - the viewer never needs your real life name, the systems are separate at the most fundamental level.

 

Good luck with your case, I recommend keeping track of your account info, recent friends you've made, recent L$ you've added to your account (and your current L$ balance), and of course ensuring that your account information is accurate/provable.

[WolfFeather]

" your real life name is never communicated to the viewer" ???? well if that is the case, why has it happened? or are you calling me a liar? i saw it on my screen and i have it in my chat logs, whether you think it is possible or not is irrelevant because it has happened.

[Freya Mokusei]

Apologies, I am not calling you a liar. I am sure you saw exactly what you saw. I am saying that the viewer does not have this information, and that a clean viewer cannot obtain it. If it's not possible then... it can happen, but the viewer cannot be the cause. I don't see reason to argue this point further; your account is not available to a TPVP-signed viewer.

The fault is more likely to lie in social exploitation (i.e., your friend), security breaches on your own computer (not through the viewer), the downloading of a malicious/non-legitimate copy of Firestorm, or some other local security issue that does not involve LL (virus, some other hack of your personal information not via SL). Opportunity for account compromise does exist, but I find this massively unlikely when faced with the far more probable alternatives.

Good luck, again. I'll leave you to it.

[Nyll Bergbahn]

Linden Lab retains copies of chat logs for 14 days on its own servers far as I know so can easily check this. Nobody here has ever heard of RL names or other information suddenly appearing in viewer chat, or understand how it could happen, and many of us have been in SL for 6 years +. Only LL has the means to investigate this matter so if you wish to pursue it, you will have to make out a report but just be aware you will probably find both your account and your friend's on hold until investigated.

[WolfFeather]

Ok, thank you all for your help, i will report it to LL now, be well.