Gathering forum hacked again and again

[PJay]

Ha(ked by NoPWD Team
Greats: l4w, k2h, s3t & 0thErz...
Fuckz: phpBB
PM: im gonna make you MAD!!!! (somebody STOP ME!!)



Every forum's title + description is changed to the above text.
Every message on the whole forum is changed to the above text.
The passwords of every user are changed.


Oh my god. If Gathering doesn't have a backup, we're screwed. Bad.

[AZ Rail Rat]

BURN YOUR BACKUPS STATION MASTER :!:

[PJay]

This forum uses phpBB 2.0.11 , they are not vulnerable. The gathering board still used 2.0.6 or .7 , with a lot of security issues known to the hackers community. A week ago a new serious issue was found, and apparently a lot of phpBB boards were the victim of similar attacks.

[BigMac]

Looks like the previous attacks were simply web based assaults and the back end MySQL database was untouched.

This looks like a phpBB based assault using the known vulnerabilities of the older version. If this is the case then it's the backend database that will have been modified, obviously this is a much more serious problem for "Gathering".

To be honest, I'm leaning more towards vBulletin these days as I'm using that on another forum but to be honest, phpBB is generally fine for the level of traffic I'm getting here.

[BigMac]

Ok folks just to be nice to "The Other Place", if you're desparate to look/post at the forums, here's the way to do it.

1) Go to http://www.gathering.com/forums/login.php and follow the "I Lost My Password" link.

2) Follow the instructions to re-set/send a new password.

3) Follow the instructions in the e-mail to re-activate your account.

3) Go to http://www.gathering.com/forums/login.php to login

4) Access the indexes of the forums using the direct links below:

http://www.gathering.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=19

http://www.gathering.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=52

http://www.gathering.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=65

http://www.gathering.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=66

http://www.gathering.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=67

[hawkdawg]

Just for the heck of it, I tried the above.
I guess they've taken it down all-together. None of the links appear to work.
Oh well! Maybe this forum will grow now. :wink:

[BigMac]

Yup, looks like they took the whole server down now.

[Wolverine@MSU]

We can only hope that they have backed up all the threads and that it will come back shortly.

[PJay]

Well, they are hacked 2 times in a row.


First, by the noPWD team, which changed every single message into the text I wrote above.
Next, by the unroot crew, who just changed the homepage (like the previous attacks).

It's logical they take the server down now. It's better to give your users a "404 - can't be reached" message than a "hacked by the unroot crew" message :-)

The unroot crew will not have done a lot of damage, but the noPWD team destroyed all information over there. So, our only hope is they had backups of the database. Hopefully some recent ones. There was lots of usefull information in the threads around there.

[Casey]

As of Monday November 29, 2004 at 12 noon Eastern Standard time none of the Gathering sites would load. Period.
Casey

[AZ Rail Rat]

The silence about this is DEAFEING. I tried a post on the Beta Test site - - - no answer. Not sure if anyone reads it anymore. Just sent an email to Dev Dan to see if he answers or even knows anything. There's the usual NON-NEWS from PopTop, Take2, RockStar and GlobalStar too.

Last time things went to heck in a handcart there, they were up and running faster than this. It's hard to know what kind of disaster recovery procedures they have in place, but I have always thought the "other place" was a BLIVIT. (Air Force term for two pounds of SH** in a one pound bag.)

Having so many games in one place was just inviting something to happen, not to mention the game mix. As far as RRT goes (my only reason for being "there"), I felt like the Honor Society-Chess/Debate Team (us) was sharing the stadium with the football, baseball, basketball and La Crosse teams AT THE SAME TIME the ROTC was DRILLING.

Time will tell I guess. Not affecting me much as I'm on a siding waiting for the new computer, so I don't have a lot of need for info there . . . just miss the socializing, even though it is sort of boring since Bonnie and Mack got kicked out.

Where would we be without the STATION MASTER :?: :D :D :D :D :D

[Wolverine@MSU]

So what did you finally decide on Rat?

[AZ Rail Rat]

Spent five hours the Friday after Thanksgiving researching cases at NewEgg. Only took an hour for the rest. I think I'll buy the case, CPU (Athlon 64 3400+) and MB locally at Fry's. Learned enough about cases I don't trust my judgement looking at an Internet picture.

Also, not real happy with online return policies for the guts and heart, not with prices so close (not that Fry's has a great return policy either - - - least shipping is only gas money to get there). Might still use it for memory and drives.

Oh the hazards of ANALYSIS PURRRRRALYSIS :!:

Problem now is, funds I set aside are almost drained. Wife wanted "window treatments" for two in our former "master" bedroom upstairs (soon to be the mother-in-law suite). $380 was DOWN PAYMENT - - - HALF :!: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

At least I won't need the entire budget all at once building it in pieces.

I told her for that, my new PC is going to LIGHT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. She did not laugh.

[PJay]

Athlon 64 3400+

Isn't that a 754 socket? They won't be made anymore after this year (= 2 more weeks). You should buy a 939 socket Athlon 64 (the 3500+) if you think you might upgrade the CPU once.

Same story with AGP, PCI-X: Try to get a PCI-X slot on the motherboard if you think you might upgrade the vid-carde once.

=> Now, more analyzis to do AZ ! :P


=> BTW, Gathering is still down.

[hawkdawg]

PJay,
Do you mean they're doing away with AGP slots?

[PJay]

PJay,
Do you mean they're doing away with AGP slots?

Yes, next year you'll still find some odd (old) AGP cards, but don't expect any new video cards to be released in an AGP version. It's like some years ago when they changed from PCI vid cards to AGP. Now they are changing back to PCI-X.

If you don't intend to upgrade, AGP and a 754 socket are good, because they are at bargain prices now. If you do intend to upgrade, get PCI-X and a 939 socket.

[AZ Rail Rat]

Thanks anyway PJay. If I was into "upgrading" I would not be tooling around town in a 1986 Town Car and 1987 Dodge Pickup (which won't pass emissions because it needs a new tranny).

Rig I got now (free with a company-paid computer class five years ago) was obsolete when we built them (Celeron 600, WIN98SE). I "upgraded" to 256 memory, a $200 19" CRT and Plexor 8/4/32 CD-RW drive. Last Christmas when RRT3 needed a 3-D card, I "upgraded" with a Radeon 8500LE. (New case and 400W PS were REPAIRS, not upgrades.)

Even though my "new" one will be obsolete before it's built, by the time I'm ready for an "upgrade" (5+ years from now) I can get an obsolete Socket 6459822 and a 21" Plasma Monitor which should be down to $600 by then. :P :P :P

State-of-the-orb video by 2009 should be Surround-View holographics like Holideck on Star Trek - The Next Generation. Remember it? At least I know they have already built the car I'll drive then (a 1996 Something) and it will be WELL broken in.

In any case, I went from NOTHING in 1999 and it thrilled me. Plan on being just as thrilled in 2004 and same of the same in 2009.

ANAYLIS PARALYSIS OVER - I'm like the buzzard on the fence: "Patience my a$$, I'm going to KILL SOMETHING :!: :!: :!:" (before the wife spends ALL my budget).

Maybe she will leave me enough for an Athlon 16-bit and a 64K hard drive. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Silverback]

Gathering forums are now back

[BigMac]

I told her for that, my new PC is going to LIGHT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. She did not laugh.I've been looking at a 10 channel 12V sequencer to add to "Cold Neon", that should allow me to make the neon tubes light up in various patterns :)

[AZ Rail Rat]

I was thinking of a 2GIG candlepower strobe light that flashes from inside the case every time she logs on to PAY PAL :!: :!: :!: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[hawkdawg]

I was thinking of a 2GIG candlepower strobe light that flashes from inside the case every time she logs on to PAY PAL
Don't forget the audio.

WARNING! DANGER! Please step away from this computer. Serious difficulty can arise!

:D

[AZ Rail Rat]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: