Forum security

General Chit Chat about Sinclair Computers and their Clones
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1024MAK
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Forum security

Post by 1024MAK »

StarDot Forum recently went off line for 36 hours :(. But it is back up and running okay and has been for a little while now :D.
StarDot Admin wrote:The forum database was compromised. The upshot of which is that the contents of the database user table was stolen, resulting in everyone's username, email address and hashed password being harvested.
StarDot Admin wrote:The breach was a result of letting our underlying server software get out-of-date. We were three minor upgrades of the forum software behind, but I postponed the last forum upgrades because the underlying versions of PHP, the database and the operating system itself were all getting very old and would have broken the upgraded forum software. Unfortunately, the old version of the operating system we were running made it very hard to do an in-place upgrade of the OS. We've been well aware that a migration to a brand-new server was required, but due to the complexity of some of the sites we run that live on the same server as this forum, I have been putting it off. This breach - which was undoubtedly the result of an automated malicious software scan - is a result of that laziness, and I'll have to hold my hand up to it. :/
On another forum (Atari-forum), the admin has discovered how bad Tapatalk is at abusing the phpBB software. TapaTalk extension breaks some fundamental phpBB API rules. So that admin has completely removed it.

I don't know how up to date the phpBB software is here, but I thought it wise to let everyone know about these problems, so if actions are needed, they can be taken.

Mark
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XorA
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Re: Forum security

Post by XorA »

And anyone with the same password for both forums better start password change process, those hashes don't tend to last long against rainbow tables attacks.
RWAP
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Re: Forum security

Post by RWAP »

Thanks for the general heads up anyway - it has pushed me to upgrade the forum software to the latest version :D
dinosaur
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Re: Forum security

Post by dinosaur »

Problem after this update: the forum doesn't use any more the full width of my browser window (the widow is 1670 pixel wide and the forum is only using 1172 pixels, with two margins on each side)... I find it annoying... :cry:
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Paul
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Re: Forum security

Post by Paul »

dinosaur wrote:Problem after this update: the forum doesn't use any more the full width of my browser window (the widow is 1670 pixel wide and the forum is only using 1172 pixels, with two margins on each side)... I find it annoying... :cry:
I like the new look and features. And I have absolute no problems with the width of the forum. I guess the Problem isn't the new Forum Software but your Hardware which seems a bit too new for a retro forum :mrgreen:
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dinosaur
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Re: Forum security

Post by dinosaur »

Paul wrote:
dinosaur wrote:Problem after this update: the forum doesn't use any more the full width of my browser window (the widow is 1670 pixel wide and the forum is only using 1172 pixels, with two margins on each side)... I find it annoying... :cry:
I like the new look and features. And I have absolute no problems with the width of the forum. I guess the Problem isn't the new Forum Software but your Hardware which seems a bit too new for a retro forum :mrgreen:
Because you are reading the forum on a ZX81 ?... :lol:
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PokeMon
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Re: Forum security

Post by PokeMon »

Size is okay for me - no problem with some border. 8-)
sirmorris
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Re: Forum security

Post by sirmorris »

I can no longer see a 'show all unread' button - this was useful.
RWAP
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Re: Forum security

Post by RWAP »

sirmorris wrote:I can no longer see a 'show all unread' button - this was useful.

Use the Quick Links drop down in top left of the forum bar - just above Board Index.

This contains Unread Posts and Unanswered Posts amongst other things :D
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