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Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:45 am
by 03Lightningrocks
I noticed the site going down a few times over the past couple days. Are we under attack? :fire

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:34 am
by Rafe
If we ever see big photos of Michael Bloomberg or George Soros in pop-up windows, I'd say we'd need to get a big can of Raid and douse the website.
:biggrinjester:

But the errors I've seen seemed to all be related to probable SQL database errors, not denial of service attacks or the kind of direct file injection stuff that most non-NSA-level hacker types use. I have zero information, but my guess would be more likely database corruption. The databases for boards like this that have active members and long histories get really big and can get cantankerous if some little something sets a flag wrong somewhere.

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:35 am
by Rafe
Heh! And this was a duplicate post that automatically generated and was accompanied by a debug error (in case anyone wants to see it):

Code: Select all

[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions_messenger.php on line 506: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 1836: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3268)
So we're still having problems, and I'll bet this is what caused the multiple duplications of Carl's post about pepper spray in prison.

Edited to add: Got another error when posting this one:

Code: Select all

General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysqli ]

Table './texaschl_database/phpbb_search_wordmatch' is marked as crashed and should be repaired [145]

An SQL error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact the Board Administrator if this problem persists.

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:11 am
by C-dub
I’ve been wondering about this. I can’t seem to get logged in from my computer and tried selecting the “forgot my password” link to reset it, but no email to fix that was either sent or received.

However, I am still logged in on my phone.

:headscratch :headscratch

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:13 am
by striker55
I was wondering the same thing, logged on this morning and saw a bunch of posts by carlson1.

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:14 am
by Paladin
I had one error message this morning

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:42 am
by parabelum
Honestly looks like a SQL backend database issue. There may be DB/table maintenance upcoming...
Right now I am not seeing from my vantage point any indicators of compromise.

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 10:24 am
by 03Lightningrocks
Rafe wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:35 am Heh! And this was a duplicate post that automatically generated and was accompanied by a debug error (in case anyone wants to see it):

Code: Select all

[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions_messenger.php on line 506: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 1836: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3268)
So we're still having problems, and I'll bet this is what caused the multiple duplications of Carl's post about pepper spray in prison.

Edited to add: Got another error when posting this one:

Code: Select all

General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysqli ]

Table './texaschl_database/phpbb_search_wordmatch' is marked as crashed and should be repaired [145]

An SQL error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact the Board Administrator if this problem persists.
That is the type of errors I get also. Usually when making a post. I could not log on at all on Sunday. My only knowledge of the IP of web sites involves pointing and clicking so I will leave the why to you folks that apparently know far more about it than I.

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:11 pm
by C-dub
Seems to be working fine tonight. It even remembered me without having to login again.

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:12 pm
by C-dub
Seems to be working fine tonight. It even remembered me without having to login again.

Maybe not. It just gave me a bunch of this.
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions_messenger.php on line 506: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 1836: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3268)

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:12 pm
by C-dub
Double post? That's weird.

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:36 pm
by jrs_diesel
C-dub wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:11 am I’ve been wondering about this. I can’t seem to get logged in from my computer and tried selecting the “forgot my password” link to reset it, but no email to fix that was either sent or received.

However, I am still logged in on my phone.

:headscratch :headscratch
The email thing has been an issue for some time now. Last email I’ve received from this site was in 2018. It also affected my ability to log in to the site earlier this year as with the email issue the Forgot My Password tool does not work.

There’s a running thread on it here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=99018

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 9:42 pm
by C-dub
I still get the following after every post and it doesn't return to the forum.
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions_messenger.php on line 506: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 1836: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3268)
Is it something in my settings or what?

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:36 am
by srothstein
C-dub wrote: Sat Dec 19, 2020 9:42 pm I still get the following after every post and it doesn't return to the forum.
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions_messenger.php on line 506: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
[phpBB Debug] PHP Warning: in file [ROOT]/includes/functions.php on line 1836: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [ROOT]/includes/functions.php:3268)
Is it something in my settings or what?
I do not believe this is anything in your settings. There is another thread just on this error where a lot of people have had it occur. For some time, I was getting it on every post. It stopped for most posts but I now get it intermittently. When I get it, I just hit the back arrow and refresh that page and my post is there. Since it works, even if not a convenient way, I stopped worrying about it.

Re: Are hackers attacking the web site?

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2020 10:54 am
by Charles L. Cotton
I've had a tech support ticket open on this issue. Apparently, it's an issue with the software and I need to load an update that is designed to fix the php error. I haven't done it because I need to back up the database and files first. That's not a minor tack with a forum that will be 16 years old in two days. I'll try to get it done in the next week or two.

Sorry for the inconvenience this causes.

Chas.