Our sister site - WW2Forum message: site may harm your computer?

It is truly vexing. I wish there were some way to "downgrade", or at least fix the site. Ah, but "if wishes were horses, even beggars would ride."

 

Yeah......I'm all over that and I am sure he is, also.

 

I just ran Malware Bytes, and cleaned some trojans and spyware from my computer. Then I tried to access WW2f, and guess what.....?

I was still redirected to a dangerous site, which Malware Bytes blocked.

At this juncture I can only assume I am being intentionally redirected to a dangerous by the powers that be on WW2f. Why am I not surprised?

If that was indeed the case, some of us would have been banned and redirected many moons ago.

The ww2f site has its problems like any other...One of them is not clowning around...The mods and admin leave that to the rest of us..And use good judgement in doing so. Believe me..I've had my run ins and still attain to that site being one of the best and most deserving of support on the net.

 

Thanks for the spport, urqh. I ran Malware Bytes on two computers and found nothing. I've been a regular visitor at WW2F and never had a problem. I hope to see you there, soon.

 

Just say the word.....

 

Otto has just posted that he is back at work, addressing the issues with ww2f.

Sorry for the disgracefully long absence.

The warnings you are all seeing are NOT a false. They are confirmed malware infection passed through from another site.
The good news is that the probability of infection is really quite low.
If you are having problems/have suggestions/want to chat, email me at the email in my sig.

I am working to repair the problem and upgrade the software so we no longer have these issues in the future.

Sentinel, I hold the title of custodian of the site. Of late it has been just that; a title. I will henceforth fulfill the actual duties of that role.

 

Yeah......I'm all over that and I am sure he is, also.

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To the rest of you that call this forum home, be thankful that Otto decided to "update" WW2F to version 4 of vBulletin first, instead of WW2Talk, or you would be dealing with this set of issues instead the membership there.

You think I'm kidding, but that is not the case. I've got a guy who can fix the site and keep it clean.

 

You think I'm kidding, but that is not the case. I've got a guy who can fix the site and keep it clean.

Maybe you could set up a site of your own if that's the case?

 

You think I'm kidding, but that is not the case. I've got a guy who can fix the site and keep it clean.

I really don't care if you are kidding or not.

 

Maybe you could set up a site of your own if that's the case?

No, I'm too lazy. I'd rather buy one that is up and running.

 

I blame the admins on the other site. If you choose not to upgrade security..you pay the price...

If life were only so simple.

Unfortunately the admins have very little control in many security vulnerability situations.
In 6 weeks Vbulletin 4.x had 4 security vulnerabilities identified. Only 3 of them have been fixed by the vendor.
This year VBulletin 3.x has only had 1 security vulnerability identified.
VBulletin is good software, with a strong community and good security response.

As admin's it is often the case that their hands are tied until the vendor releases a patch to fix the issue. Sometimes, but not always a work around can be implemented, such as disabling certain functionality. However, in most cases the patch must be created by the vendor, tested, possibly altered, tested by volunteers on live sites, and then it can be released.
It must then be reviewed, tested and finally implemented by the admin's of the site the software is running on.

Obviously this process takes some time, and hackers are all over the vulnerabilities much quicker than security companies can get out advisories, never mind fixes.

The fact WW2f is infected is not a result of admin negligence, but simply being attacked by a hacker using a vulnerability in the software. The hackers have inserted code that redirects you to an infected site when you visit the page.
WW2f IS NOT an intermediary and does not host the malicious code that would infect your computer. It is a simple redirect to another site hosting the malicious code that was injected by the hacker. And it doesn't care who you are.

Otto is working at the resolution, and I'm sure he is managing the process appropriately with the guidance of VBulletin when needed.

If WW2f provides even half the value to you that WW2Talk does to its users, for free, one should be thanking the volunteer admins, not beating them up.

Wayne

 

If life were only so simple.

Unfortunately the admins have very little control in many security vulnerability situations.
In 6 weeks Vbulletin 4.x had 4 security vulnerabilities identified. Only 3 of them have been fixed by the vendor.
This year VBulletin 3.x has only had 1 security vulnerability identified.
VBulletin is good software, with a strong community and good security response.

As admin's it is often the case that their hands are tied until the vendor releases a patch to fix the issue. Sometimes, but not always a work around can be implemented, such as disabling certain functionality. However, in most cases the patch must be created by the vendor, tested, possibly altered, tested by volunteers on live sites, and then it can be released.
It must then be reviewed, tested and finally implemented by the admin's of the site the software is running on.

Obviously this process takes some time, and hackers are all over the vulnerabilities much quicker than security companies can get out advisories, never mind fixes.

The fact WW2f is infected is not a result of admin negligence, but simply being attacked by a hacker using a vulnerability in the software. The hackers have inserted code that redirects you to an infected site when you visit the page.
WW2f IS NOT an intermediary and does not host the malicious code that would infect your computer. It is a simple redirect to another site hosting the malicious code that was injected by the hacker. And it doesn't care who you are.

Otto is working at the resolution, and I'm sure he is managing the process appropriately with the guidance of VBulletin when needed.

If WW2f provides even half the value to you that WW2Talk does to its users, for free, one should be thanking the volunteer admins, not beating them up.

Wayne

I guess you have dealt with vBulletin before.

 

I guess you have dealt with vBulletin before.

Not specifically, but many apps, servers, and user machines. It's all the same, hackers find and take advantage of vulnerabilities before they are even publicly known sometimes. I can think of several viruses that this happened with.

If your interested, or can't sleep , the attached is an analysis of the Microsoft RPC/DCOM vulnerability that occurred in 2003. It was a buffer overflow resulting in full control of the machine.
A small piece of code allowed this exploit to happen, not something the admin's did or didn't do, same thing that happened with the VBulletin exploit a month or so ago, change the code a bit (patch it) and the problem disappears.
Pages 1-14, 24-28, and 59-66 cover it, with some pictures, everything in between is the really geeky stuff that you really don't need to read unless you love analysis of packet data.

The hacker code was out well before the alerts and patch. Even seasoned admin's couldn't stop this one with all the security in the world until they figured out what was happening. If an internal network machine was compromised your entire network was, even if you patched your machines and blocked ports on the firewall.

The same thing continues to happen today, to servers, websites, databases, and anything else connected to the internet.

Wayne

 

Talkin' 'bout Jackson: Johnny Cash & June Carter - Jackson - YouTube Jacksun is the man. ..Hello Alberta...Jacksun has the best bits regarding what's going on over yonder. HELLO JACKSUN.

 

Otto

Pleased to see that you retain your delightful sense of humour !

Good luck with your efforts and please keep us posted.

Best regards

Ron

 

Nice to see you Otto!

 

You are quite astute Mr. Lankford, I am the leader of an array of powerful hooligans scheming against you over at WW2F.com. It is in your best interest never to visit there again.

I just wish I had some sway with the powers who run this site! If that were the case I'd have you banned & infected here also. If only...

...and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped.

 

Watch out for the Holy Hand Grenade!

 

You are quite astute Mr. Lankford, I am the leader of an array of powerful hooligans scheming against you over at WW2F.com. It is in your best interest never to visit there again.

I just wish I had some sway with the powers who run this site! If that were the case I'd have you banned & infected here also. If only...

Your threats and admission of guilt are duly noted, and I have taken the precaution of making a hard copy of them for future use.

Just the other day while having coffee with a retired dean of a major American university, we somehow got off on the subject of how as we get older we tend to have less and less tolerance for fools, poltroons and bullies. I used you and your hooligans as a unified example of all three, and we had a good laugh at your (pl) expense.

Have a nice day.