canaryforum hacked

[Owen]

I am pretty sure all the regulars know by now that someone got into our server and managed to either edit something or upload something in order to gain entry every time we restored our site.

Whilst our forum and all the members and messages is backed up, we believe this backup may be the problem and can't risk restoring all the data only for the site to be deleted each time we do it.

The hacker will be pleased to hear that as he/she got root access and access to the log files on the server and delted those too, we can't see how it happened or where the vunerability.

Our html files are safe to put back but pretty much everything else has to be checked, updated or completely changed which will take a couple of weeks of constant work.

An anonymous email explaining why you did this would be nice as otherwise, it doesn't make any sense to me why we've been targetted.

Anyway, the forum is back, a bit of a new look and sorry it's starting from empty but I'm going to work hard on supplying lots of info and answers myself and hoping the regulars will help me do the same.

Apologies to the regulars and new visitors for the lack of info to begin with and sorry we haven't been able to save the old info.

[rab_c.]

agree completely with all you say owen why anyone would go to all the bother of ceating havoc on an excellent holiday forum is really sad.
looks like someone in need of serious medical attention
rab_c.

[askimref]

Yes he / she must be very SICK and JEALOUS

[Alan T]

Sorry to hear about this Owen. Had my own site hacked last month. Down for 2 weeks, so I know what it feels like.
At least the hacker(s) didn't do it just for fun, they turned my site into a PayPal phishing site!!!
I'm sure with the help of your members the forums will soon be busy again.

Al

PS At least your running 3.5.2 now :)

[libbyo]

Really dont understand peoples logic in hacking. :confused: :mad: Lets hope they go else where in future. Owen keep up the good work, I for one really appreciate the site, and am well happy to see it back.

Libbyo :)

[John]

Just a quick note to say a big thanks, Owen, for all your hard work in getting the site back up and running. :)

I'm sure that I speak for all the people who are frantically re-registering.

All the best,
John + Emma

[mary]

Well done again Owen. And a note to everyone else - if you were waiting for an answer to something, put it on again and the regulars will try and help you out asap.

Well it'll keep me busy!!! Maybe dont expect too much from us over Christmas

[fee]

Owen, you must be furious - I don't know what these sickos get out of doing this kind of thing. This forum is the best and everyone really appreciates all the hard work you've put in especially in getting it back up and running. Well done and thanks.

:)

Fee

[hyram]

Hi all,
sorry to hear about the problems thats been caused by the hacker. Its dissapointing that someone has nothing better to do than trash this site which has been a great help to us when we are looking for places to go on our hols.

We have been to PR for over 12 years but always found something new or some great friendly advice on this forum. Not to mention Rab.c 's photos ( though i have tae say rab the music is no the best ).

In the current climate of PC its maybe not the done thing to voice an opinion but i feel i have to say simple that the person responsible for this is ( to use a quaint wee phrase) nothing but an ERSE

[redswanlady]

A big thank you to Owen for working so hard to get the forum back up & running:)

[swifty]

great for it to be back, it has been missed thanks to someone who has nothing better to do.

[magic]

Well done for getting the site back Owen

[irisheyes]

Well done for restoring site, this happened to my husbands site quite recently, his list of contacts, (with all their details) were all emailed asking them to register with a similar site, which does not exist! idiots with nothing better to do

[Owen]

Thanks again for all the comments and support - lots and lots of hard work getting everything up and running and lots of lost business in the middle of the Christmas rush so they timed it nicely too :(

[mary]

I love the Christmas theme - snowy buttons and little men on/offline

[BigBaz]

Well ,,,,,,,

Glad to see its all sorted ,,,,,, nice 2 everyone back

Some people do need help ,,,,, :mad:

[quizmaster]

Just a quick note to say a big thanks, Owen, for all your hard work in getting the site back up and running. :)

I'm sure that I speak for all the people who are frantically re-registering.

All the best,
John + Emma
my sentiments exactly ,John

[quizmaster]

just like to say Owen, well done for all the hard work you put into getting the forum back online :santa: Hopefully the members list will build back up to how it used to be and we can all start havin fun again,etc.
a huge thumbs up to you.

[Ghoulie]

i wonder if the hacker managed to get email addresses for members of the site? i have just had a trojan via email ( I know I shouldn't open unsolicited emails!!) from one telling me 'confirmation my payment received' - turns out to be for a visa payment which i don't use - so deleted - but sure enough there was a virus involved with this particular email - trojan downloader win32.small.ccj.

my kaspersky Labs av nailed it & deleted it

[BlonDane]

Thank you Owen for your hard work putting the forum back together!!:boozy:
And thank you Ghoulie for the warning!
:boozy:

[sonalf]

welcome back ,you dont realise how much you miss something untill it is not there,great news you are up & running again,merry xmas to you all:boozy: :boozy:

[Jayme]

Hi Owen

I'm sure you are aware but just in case you aren't...

There is a major security flaw in one of the versions of VBulletin board. You need to make sure you are using the most up to date version.

At work we have our own servers and provide hosting for sites, some of which use the same software as you and recently got hacked.

As a hosting company we had to suspend sites that were using older versions of the software until they updated the software.

If you need any help feel free to drop me an email and I will pass it onto to our hosting chaps at work.

Jamie

[karen0603]

well done owen it wont be long untill its full of imformation again i really missed it when it was off
karen:santa:

[krissuke]

Must be a very sad person doing this indeed. I have found lots of brilliant info on this forum and it is brilliant as want to go over there and like to be organized...
Brilliant people in this place. Thanks to all who have helped me so far!

[Owen]

Hi Jayne,

I personally think that's how it happened; whilst I was using a previous version somone got on to my server and uploaded a hack / backdoor that would always get them in even after VB was updated.

In the end I was using the latest version but took a while to update though this time round did a fresh install with the latest version.

Thanks though and it's a good warning to anyone else with a website - always make sure every script and process you have is the latest version as soon as a new one is released otherwise all the hackers discover the flaw and trawl the Internet looking for places to upload a file that gives them access to your entire website :(

[sandie]

hi long time no hear, hope you are well had a prob getting back on had to re register not to worry, even though were in benidorm now you aint keepin me off your site.
hi to all in g.c.
have a great new year owen and hope to see you over hear next year. xx
sandie

[ginty69]

yes Owen thank u very much for ur hard work i have been in hospital just recovering,and the forum is keeping me sane,im out in PR in 3 weeks so if i bump into u i will say a big hello to u,so keep going m8 hope arcade comes back soon kept me going many a nite once again thank u:fatgrin:

[askimref]

Anyone know why when I click on the post by glitter girl on Accommodation (Marina Suites) posted to-day at 4:15 I get the post by Tucker posted on 5th August 2008

[BIG TONY]

Yeah definate problem there with that thread "Ref", Rab has since posted and that does'nt show up either ??????????????????

[twinkletoes1471]

think my hotmail account got hacked this week, had about 40 e mails come through all supposedly sent from me?
seemed quiet weird so i warned all my msn contacts not to open anything thats supposedly from me :(

[rf9rider]

I can`t see the last 2 replies on that thread either?

[Owen]

Sorry about that - the thread was merged incorrectly. The old thread was merged into the new one when it should have been the other way around.

Sorry!

[richardmclarke]

Hello - can we have a weather update please? Now that we might actually get to come over :D