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Under Attack

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 12:37 pm
by Andrew Davie
The forum is currently being targeted by users apparently from Poland and Russia.
These users are registering and somehow managing to message other users - often with a faked return address to yours truly.
If you have received any message from me within the last few days, please ignore it and assume it is junk.
I am actively hunting down and destroying these bogus accounts. If I could inflict physical harm to these idiots... I would.
Apologies to all for the inconvenience - management are on top of it and we will do what we can to minimise this.

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 12:44 pm
by Andrew Davie
For the while, I have disabled private messaging through the forum.
I have also been deleting tens of bogus users who joined the forum yesterday.
These actions should keep us relatively safe for now.

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 12:54 pm
by Andrew Davie
I have deleted a bunch of bogus users.
I plan to delete all users who have zero posts to the forum, unless I get any objections.
I think it would be good policy to expect new users to introduce themselves with a post, so it's clear they're real.

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:18 pm
by gary
Andrew Davie wrote:I think it would be good policy to expect new users to introduce themselves with a post, so it's clear they're real.


I think that's great idea. Ask new users to introduce themselves and give us some of their background - other forums do it and it's a friendly thing to do as we can give them a welcome message. Those forums often have a forum category called "Welcome Centre" (or similar) and ask the newbie to post an introduction post there.

Some forums also prevent newbies PMing until they have made a few posts in the forums.

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:27 pm
by Steve Anderson
Yep, I've weeded a few out over the past few days. Totally off-topic posts, often commercial or just simply crap no-one wants.

I agree with deleting those with zero posts, I don't mind 'lurkers' as it were, but why don't they contribute, or at least seek information. Waiting for a specific thread to pop up that you would like to see is probably futile - go ahead, ask a question! Even if you feel you have nothing to contribute, you will in time. You have to start somewhere, I strongly suggest here. We don't bite - honestly!

But if you're a troll or a commercial trader - you'll be gone PDQ.

Steve A.

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 7:06 pm
by Dave Moll
This would presumably explain the email I received this morning:
Hello Dave Moll,

You have received a new private message from "GaiverWailt" to your account
on "Narrow-Bandwidth Television Association" with the following subject:

Downloads Music

You can view your new message by clicking on the following link:

http://taswegian.com/NBTV/forum/ucp.php ... iew&p=5081


... where clicking on the link gave the following result:
General Error
Module not accessible

BACKTRACE

FILE: (not given by php)
LINE: (not given by php)
CALL: msg_handler()

FILE: [ROOT]/includes/functions_module.php
LINE: 439
CALL: trigger_error()

FILE: [ROOT]/ucp.php
LINE: 327
CALL: p_master->load_active()

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 7:48 pm
by murphyv310
Hi.
Yes I've had the same PM as Dave. I thought it rather odd for a forum like this.
Its hard work keeping spammers out, have first hand experience of it while moderating on a car forum.
Good luck.

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 8:14 pm
by Monochrome
I also received a similar message to the one Dave quoted...

[quote] This would presumably explain the email I received this morning:
Hello Dave Moll,

You have received a new private message from "GaiverWailt" to your account
on "Narrow-Bandwidth Television Association" with the following subject:

Downloads Music [/quote]


I deleted it suspecting it to be "spam" and reading this series of posts confirms it was indeed spam. The clue to the message being spam was the off-topic subject matter.

Regards,

Monochrome. (AKA Des M0AYF & NBTVA Member)

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:47 am
by Andrew Davie
I have taken a number of counter-measures which seems to have quelled the problems we have had the past day or so.
There was no collusion. Fake users!

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 3:41 am
by rbairos
Glad its under control, but I think my account was one of the casualties!
I love mechanical tv concepts, I swear! ;)

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 6:59 am
by OmegaProductions
Oh dear... there's some Polish and Russian trolls on this site! I remembered that there was a Russian scammer in my channel at one point last year, I did translate the sentence and was asking something very suspicious. Later on, I deleted it. Well actually, two suspicious comments from Russian users! That's why I don't really trust some Russians at all. I hope that argument could be fixed soon as possible! :( :!:

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 7:26 pm
by gary
Andrew Davie wrote:I have taken a number of counter-measures which seems to have quelled the problems we have had the past day or so.
There was no collusion. Fake users!


Well done, you have made the forum great again!

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 11:24 am
by Harry Dalek
Hi Andrew FlyMario Peter has messaged me on Facebook hes account is disabled looks like it too looking at hes posts avatar ,he was asking why he couldn't log in any more .
i also noticed PM is no longer on the menu on my account ? so hope you see this ~!

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 11:51 am
by Andrew Davie
Harry Dalek wrote:Hi Andrew FlyMario Peter has messaged me on Facebook hes account is disabled looks like it too looking at hes posts avatar ,he was asking why he couldn't log in any more .
i also noticed PM is no longer on the menu on my account ? so hope you see this ~!


I seem to have killed a few genuine users, though I'm not quite sure how that happened. I do recall starting to delete accounts and then instead disabling accounts. I have received an email from Peter and have explained the situation. I suspect I have deleted the account, which is disappointing. I have disabled PM capability on the forum due to the attackers using this as a vector to get their advertising to members.

Re: Under Attack

PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 12:36 pm
by FlyMario
It's cool. Never fun dealing with attacks.

Peter