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Pavel Zhovner
@zhovner
July 4, 2020

SRX1365288845ID — Account blocked by mass abuse reporting

This is an email conversation about Skype account blocked by fake abuse reports from 3rd person. Full story here https://hub.zhovner.com/geek/how-skype-fixes-security-vulnerabilities/

Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 8:11 AM

Hello Pavel,

Thank you for contacting Skype.

I understand that your Skype account was blocked. I apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused, but I will be more than happy to look into this for you.

Our automatic systems detected that activities which are contrary to Skype’s Terms and Conditions have taken place via your Skypeaccount. As a result, your account has been restricted and will remain restricted until further notice.

For details on Skype’s Terms of Use, please click on this link.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Ivan M.

Skype Customer Service

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Pavel Zhovner <pavel@zhovner.com>

Mon, Dec 5, 2016 at 6:48 PM

Your automatic system is affected to fake reports from attackers.

My account was a target of this kind of attack.

Please check carefully. I don't do ANY illegal activity

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Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 8:18 AM

Hello Pavel,

Thank you for contacting Skype!

I understand that your account has violated Skype Terms of Use and this is the reason why it shall remain restricted. I am sorry to hear that. Let me provide you some information.

To inform, Skype has strict security measures that are programmed and systematized that sensitively detects any unusual, out-of-ordinary and suspicious activities on all accounts. Once there are activities detected which are not aligned with our Terms of Use, it automatically restricts the account for safety and security measures on our system and for the users itself. After we verify the ownership, this is the time that will intensively review the account. We check the reason for its blocking, or what were the cause. We take considerations with orders, payments methods, calls, SMS, log-ins made, IP used, reports by other users, Node, device used, email address, webID’s, Skype Manager, etc. Everything is actually recorded in our system.

To keep you up and running I suggest that you create a new account.

To create an account, you will have to use either the phone number or email address. Preferred Skype name (Skype ID) is no longer applicable in creating an account.

To create a new account.

Thank you for using Skype!

Best regards,

Reynaldo C.

Skype Customer Service

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Pavel Zhovner <pavel@zhovner.com>

Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 10:21 AM

>I understand that your account has violated Skype Terms of Use and this is the reason why it shall remain restricted

No, you understand it incorrectly. Please read this very carefully.

To violate Terms of Use user need to do some active operations, right?

It's impossible to violate it by do nothing just be logged in Skype

and keep program running.

My account was a target of planned attack by 3rd party person.

The goal of this attack is to simulate malicious activity from me.

The attacker performs massive abuse reports to my account by adding

them and pressing "block --> Report abuse from this person".

After many reports created the account is blocked automatically.

You can find a service that offer to block any 3rd party Skype account for 30$.

Just search this address in Google "block_service@xmpp.jp" and you can

find many posts around the web that offer to block any skype account.

My account was blocked by this service too.

Please forward this information to security team and check it carefully.

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Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 3:56 PM

Hello Pavel,

Thank you for getting back to us.

We understand that you’re concerned about the restriction on your Skype account caused by massive abuse reports to your account. We know how frustrating and disappointing it is how your account has been blocked and will remain as such.

Please be informed that we have checked and investigated case like yours based on the information that we have gathered. Like what I said we have detected activities on your account which have violated our Terms of Use and that your account will remain restricted.

Anent this, Skype reserves the right to terminate or suspend accounts immediately if our policies have been breached. We appreciate your understanding and hope that this experience does not discourage you from using Skype.

Regarding your request to forward you issue to the Security Team, we are the Account Safety and Security Specialized Team that deals on various suspicious and illegal issues on Skype.

Best regards,

Reynaldo C.

Skype Customer Service

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Pavel Zhovner <pavel@zhovner.com>

Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 4:00 PM

Can you please tell me what exact activities you mean?

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Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 7:40 AM

Hello Pavel,

Thank you for contacting Skype!

You have specifically and comprehensively mentioned it already how your account has been restricted in your previous mail. You are correct in saying that.

I hope that it’s now clear

Thank you for using Skype!

Best regards,

Reynaldo C.

Skype Customer Service

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Pavel Zhovner <pavel@zhovner.com>

Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 12:48 PM

I'm using this account about 10 years.

So you tell me that my account was blocked because of many abuse

reports from some users.

And you can't tell me what exactly activity caused this abuse reports.

You can't say if this reports is real or fake. Is this correct?

Do you know that abuses can be send from anyone even without adding

user to contact list?

So you confirm that this blocking can be result of targeting attack

and you can't do anything?

This means that any person can be affected by this attack?

Is this totally legal? I'm planning going to law with this.

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Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 7:22 AM

Hello Pavel,

Greetings from Skype!

I acknowledge that you want to regain access to your restricted account and just like you I am also saddened that your account will remain blocked. I apologize for that.

As I have checked your account, you are currently restricted in accessing your Skype account because of suspicious activities that has happened in accordance with your current usage. To protect your privacy and security, we restrict accounts as soon as we receive information about the said suspicious activities and this is also based on our Terms of Use which can be found on this link.

To assure you that we are taking action on this restriction, we have checked and investigaged your case for objectivity and to find out the veracity of the said charges against your account.

As per Skype Security Team is concerned, we found that your account is positively identified based on the reports that we have gathered, hence the restriction will cannot be lifted with finality. Otherwise, if there is an urgent need for you to use Skype’s products and services, you also have the option to create a new account until further notice.

Thank you for your understanding about the said matter.

Best Regards,

Reynaldo C.

Skype Customer Service

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Pavel Zhovner <pavel@zhovner.com>

Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 8:46 PM

Can you tell what EXACT suspicious activities you are talking about.

What are the results of your investigation? Can you tell me the specific

REAL facts of terms violation?

Not just common phrases about suspicious activities but the real

examples and facts.

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Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Fri, Dec 9, 2016 at 7:39 AM

Hello Pavel,

Thank you for contacting Skype!

I think I have provided you enough information regarding you queries and like what I have said time and again that Skype reserves the right to terminate or suspend accounts immediately if our policies have been breached. We appreciate your understanding and hope that this experience does not discourage you from using Skype.

To keep you up and running the best option for you is to create a new account instead. To create a new account.

Best regards,

Reynaldo C.

Skype Customer Service

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Pavel Zhovner <pavel@zhovner.com>

Mon, Dec 12, 2016 at 7:45 PM

This is very serious security vulnerability and you try to ignore it.

You may not believe me, but I can prove that this is real security flaw.

Here are steps that I suggest:

1. You give me Skype account that has never abused Terms of

Service. For example your account.

2. I pay for account deletion to attacker.

3. When account will be automatically blocked we will start investigation.

I have previously reported several security vulnerabilities. You can check:

SCW-2778 Remote DoS exploit

SCW-3328 Remote Microphone Unmute

So if you really interested in fixing security flaws please take my

report seriously.

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Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Wed, Dec 14, 2016 at 1:11 AM

Hello Pavel,

Thank you for your email.

I acknowledge that you want to regain access to your account and as your specialist, I will be more than willing to look into the information provided for you.

Under the Microsoft Services Agreement, Skype reserves the right to restrict any accounts that are not following the user obligations listed under the Code of Conduct (section 3).

For more information, please check the link below:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement/

We are hoping for your patience and understanding about the said matter.

Thank you for contacting Skype.

Best regards,

Vrenelli C.

Skype Customer Service

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Pavel Zhovner <pavel@zhovner.com>

Wed, Dec 14, 2016 at 1:36 AM

I ask you to name the PARTICULAR rule, which was breached by me and

give me the EVIDENCE of this violation. I'm absolutely sure, that I

didn't break any of Skype Condition of Use.

Please, pay your attention on the fact, that my account was suspended

only after attacker started to make attempts to be authorized by me.

If he gave you the falsified screenshots, then I can provide real chat

logs, to make you sure that I didn't anything wrong.

There is no actual terms violation on my side.

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Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Wed, Dec 14, 2016 at 10:17 PM

Hello Pavel,

Thank you for your response.

I understand that you would like to know the exact reason why your account has been restricted.

As we already mentioned before, Skype has strict security measures that are programmed and systematized that sensitively detects any unusual, out-of-ordinary and suspicious activities on all accounts. Once there are activities detected which are not aligned with our Terms of Use, it automatically restricts the account for safety and security measures on our system and for the users itself. Everything is actually recorded in our system.

Thank you for your understanding about the said matter.

Best Regards,

Vrenelli C.

Skype Customer Service

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Pavel Zhovner <pavel@zhovner.com>

Thu, Dec 15, 2016 at 4:34 AM

Okay, what if say that I want to report a security vulnerability?

I know that on blackmarket websites in hidden networks (tor, i2p and so on)

and even on common web exist many services that offer deletion of any

Skype account.

This service usually costs 30-50$.

Here are links to their advertisements.

It's in russian but you can use translator.

http://darkmarket.bz/threads/blokirovka-ljubogo-skype-akkaunta.763/

http://forum.benderbay.com/index.php?showtopic=4180

https://forum.xeksec.com/f64/t88243/

I know people who were victims of this services, so I can say it really works.

As security officer you must investigate this vulnerability.

I offer my assistance in investigation of this issue.

For example we can look on this attack by ordering the deletion

service of specific account that you will provide for testing.

So you can find out how attacker exploits vulnerability and fix it.

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Skype Customer Support <SKYPE.SKYP.WW.00.EN.CVG.MEG.CS.T01.REC.00.WB@css.one.microsoft.com>

Fri, Dec 16, 2016 at 12:10 AM

Hello Pavel,

Thank you for your email.

To inform, online companies such as Skype takes every precaution that only valid and legal transactions, are being processed. However, we cannot deny the fact that there are certain individuals who still does whatever is not aligned in our Terms of Use for their own personal reasons. Hence, Skype also set processes as to how this can be taken into action.

If you need further information on what has occurred on the account for a criminal investigation, you will need to ask the law enforcement agency in charge of the investigation to contact us and we will provide details on how the law enforcement agency in charge of the investigation contact us.

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Best regards,

Vrenelli C.

Skype Customer Service

Pavel Zhovner
July 4, 2020, 19:30
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