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+--- Thread: Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? (/showthread.php?tid=18377)
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Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - BluntForceTrauma - 02-24-2019
Need some computer experts to help me understand what this issue is.
I open my Gmail connected to the forum, and I find a zillion error messages from my hosting service.
Pretty weird.
Anyone know what's going on? Vbulletin error? Hacking attempt?
See attached screen shots.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - Frontier Gear - 02-24-2019
BFT,
Those could be actual errors. I’d have to know more about the forum database to know for sure though. First thing I’d do is see if those errors actually make any sense. I see some errors with a specific username. Does that username actually exist? What is the error reporting level set to for the database?
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - MrDraco - 02-24-2019
The forums did crash yesterday. I tried to get on around that time and kept getting a 404 error, failure to connect to database. Looking at how those e-mails mention the same user name, maybe it was intentional?
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - Frontier Gear - 02-24-2019
BFT,
Ok, now that I'm a bit more awake I have some more troubleshooting ideas. First determine if they are fake emails or if they are legitimately coming from your host/database.
If they are fake, then block them and move on.
If they are legitimate, then you need to find why they are being generated. It could be a database problem, a server problem, a network problem, a script problem, or a hack attempt.
Fake or Not:
Where are the links in the email actually pointing to? If you right click on one of the embedded links and select "copy link location", then paste that into a notepad text document, do the two links match? Are the links in the email actually pointing to your server?
Who are the emails really from? Sometimes looking at the details of an email will reveal that the sending address is being spoofed.
Does this forum actually use the version of MySQL that the emails state?
Try to verify if these error messages make sense for the structure and content of your database. Things such as usernames, table names and field values should match ones that you are using in your database.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - BluntForceTrauma - 02-24-2019
Thanks, guys, will check into your suggestions.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - grayfox - 02-24-2019
ok, Im at a Panera, couldnt get thru at home. Not on laptop, 2 browsers, nor iPad. My phone I think got in but didnt log in. Now at Panera and I can get in. Logged in. So heres a possibility... either Verizon (my isp) or somehow someone has put a big block on the site? I dont know who Paneras isp is however. There has been some isps etc doing blacklisting... political style... dont know for sure but look for some common thread in isp or web services, thats my thought. Maybe google...
eta, old n rusty former IT and dB systems PM.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - grayfox - 02-24-2019
O, I also did some pings and they all failed, but some servers you turn off the pings. But tracert got thru ok to the ip#.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - grayfox - 02-24-2019
only able to see the site on my phone.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - Frontier Gear - 02-24-2019
Any update BFT?
Gray,
The site is working fine for me on all devices. The errors look like the SQL calls are failing. Like the PHP script is working, but that it can not connect to the MySQL database every time it tries to. This could be due to the SQL server having too many used connections or simply needing rebooted.
I had a similar problem with a site that I wrote and manage for a company. Basically the host was overselling their servers. Even though I didn't have a lot of traffic on my site, they were hosting other sites with too much total traffic for the servers to handle well.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - rabiddawg - 02-24-2019
Well now we know who the nerds are
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - Frontier Gear - 02-25-2019
![[Image: ShrillAggravatingHoverfly-small.gif]](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ShrillAggravatingHoverfly-small.gif)
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - BluntForceTrauma - 02-25-2019
It could be the SQL server has too many connections. That seems to be the gist of some messages.
And, yes, some wi-fi locales will block this website cuz it's firearms related. I've had that happen numerous times at restaurants or coffee shops.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - rwh - 02-25-2019
I would take the MySQL error at face value, your SQL server has gone away and your server was unable to process requests. Looks like MySQL came back.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - Frontier Gear - 02-25-2019
I'm assuming that it is a shared server. There are plans out there for dedicated servers or dedicated instances of MySQL, but they cost more. My guess is that it is not this site that is using all the resources. This is a popular forum, but I don't think there is THAT MUCH traffic on it. After all, this is a dying cartridge
All joking aside, did the emails stop coming in? Your host may have been experiencing some difficulties that are now resolved, as rwh says.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - grayfox - 02-25-2019
still blocked to me. exc for doing it bia my phone.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - grayfox - 02-25-2019
update, i have a chat w verizon in progress. vzn has blocked this site due to tech issues.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - grayfox - 02-25-2019
can someone find out from vzn on this? i'm in chat w them now.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - VASCAR2 - 02-25-2019
Grayfox, Im on Verizon Wireless and I just connected to this forum with no issue. The tower/site is owned by Horvath communications but leased to Verizon Wireless.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - grayfox - 02-25-2019
talked to vzn tech support. the signal gets thru their network but is filtered at the 65 site. vz says possible out of date bogon filter. they renewed my lease to new ip but no help, same thing. i can give that info to server tech spt if you want. problem now seems inside of the 65g web system.
Calling Nerds And Geeks! Is This Hack? - LRRPF52 - 02-25-2019
At least one forum member has sent me emails saying he can't log on, when he tries, it says the forum doesn't even exist.