Dedicated attack on server 13/10 04:30

fermi

One big problem is we are stuck on an outdated vbulletin. It's not the whole problem, but being 2 full versions behind means that every month you become more vulnerable.

Saying that, the newer vBulletin versions have their hacks as well, as some other high profile site have found. ubuntuforumns being a notable one.

Suspending or additional user verification would be the way to go for just today?

Allowing this to continue looks very poor.

[Deleted User]

warehouse wrote: »

Is it just me who thinks that perhaps Browntoa closing that thread but still making derogatory comments in the thread AFTER closing it was acting totally unprofessionally?

Browntoa is not a moderator, he's a volunteer board guide.

I do think his comments were unwise.

mystic_trev wrote: »

But it couldn't be viewed while it was being 'amended' hence my comments.

I could view it the whole time, the original link provided by the other poster was simply not the correct one.

Pollycat

Whilst we're on the subject of the website, does anyone know why some threads have a 'spam' button and others just have a 'report' button?

Or maybe it's not threads, it's different boards...

But why?

ampersand

It's because so many of us are trying to help by reporting these attacks as soon as we see them.
mse team is getting to them as fast as possible.
Just keep hitting away on spam, then reporting each one by copying the http from your search bar and bunging that in for your reporting reason.

Pollycat

ampersand wrote: »

It's because so many of us are trying to help by reporting these attacks as soon as we see them.
mse team is getting to them as fast as possible.
Just keep hitting away on spam, then reporting each one by copying the http from your search bar and bunging that in for your reporting reason.

Sorry, I don't think my post was very clear.

I've been hitting the spam button on these threads but some of the ones I've opened don't actually have a spam button to click on.
They just have a 'report' button.

I know this because I've reported at least 3 of these threads & have the automated reply email from MSE.

I've noticed this before and just wondered why the difference.

fermi

The spam button is a 3rd party addon for these forums. It is enabled on a board by board basis rather than site wide.

Quite why MSE haven't just gone through all the boards and switched it on by default is something that has puzzled me as well.

I would email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com with a request to put it on any board you see it missing on. The forum team has obliged and added it in the past to some boards, so if just an oversight I would imagine they will sort any missing ones.

R34GTT

fermi wrote: »

One big problem is we are stuck on an outdated vbulletin. It's not the whole problem, but being 2 full versions behind means that every month you become more vulnerable.

Saying that, the newer vBulletin versions have their hacks as well, as some other high profile site have found. ubuntuforumns being a notable one.

Suspending or additional user verification would be the way to go for just today?

Allowing this to continue looks very poor.

Suspending new registrations would stop the problem for today but also any genuine new users registering. I think that needs doing until someone has put in new verification code which if they knew what they were doing could be done in a day or two.

Mallotum_X

R34GTT wrote: »

Suspending new registrations would stop the problem for today but also any genuine new users registering. I think that needs doing until someone has put in new verification code which if they knew what they were doing could be done in a day or two.

Yes it would stop some new real users, but in the circumstances today its the best option available.

Anything to delete the new users set up today? or at least stop them from posting until there is more time for the team to resolve.

Atidi

Mallotum_X wrote: »

Yes it would stop some new real users, but in the circumstances today its the best option available. ...

It seems MSE have gone for an alternative approach.

There's a lot of new accounts that recently seem to have fallen over on the create new thread stage; some have even tried multiple boards.

Perhaps there's an extra verification stage been put in (for new users)?
If that is what was done, I think it's only a 'sticking plaster' solution - I'm sure someone with even a basic computing knowledge will soon reprogramme the bot to overcome that.

Mallotum_X

It may have been possible to block IP's from certain countries. A lot of spam comes from china/Indonesia etc