DDOS Attack on the site???

Troubleshooting
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srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by srkris »

Hi All,

It appears there are a huge number of phantom users trying to overload the site and cause memory issues, which is why you may sometimes see a '500 Internal Server errors' message.'

In internet terminology, this is called a DDOS attack -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack

On the front page of the forum, I can see this suspicious number of guests trying to access the site in the last 5 minutes:
WHO IS ONLINE
In total there are 530 users online :: 6 registered, 0 hidden and 524 guests (based on users active over the past 5 minutes)
Most users ever online was 567 on Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:09 pm
As a result of this the site may function less optimally than normal and give you unintended errors until I figure out how to fix the issue. I request your patience.

aaaaabbbbb
Posts: 2273
Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 14:19

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by aaaaabbbbb »

Respected Sir,

Thank you for your efforts and wishing you all the best.

I have observed that the number of postings by all memberes have also got deleted.

The number of postings has started from number 1.

I request you to check this also.

Thanking You.

Regards

Savitri

{aaaaabbbbb}

srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by srkris »

Hi Savitri,

Can you explain a bit further (or give an example) of what that means? I dont find anything deleted?

aaaaabbbbb
Posts: 2273
Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 14:19

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by aaaaabbbbb »

Respected Sir,
Thank you for your quick response.
This morning, when I was posting in a thread, I found that the number of my postings which were
around 1690 were reduced to post 0.{!}
Now when I checked it has come back to the old number, 1690.
Thank you Sir, for your kind concern and observation.
Thanks once again.

Regards
Savitri
{aaaaabbbbb}

srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by srkris »

That is a relief to hear.

I think the issue is now fixed, most of the phantom guest accounts were China based proxy users (whom I have banned using their IPs). Not sure what they were trying to attack this site for but hopefully hereafter we wont see the errors frequently.

srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by srkris »

Some people have reported not being able to access the site last night (some side effect of the blocking of the Chinese bots).

The problem went away on its own for all of them when they refreshed their browsers.

Apologies again for these inconveniences.

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by Nick H »

I was "forbidden" today --- but I'm in now :)

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by rajeshnat »

Just a quick note for all after DDOS
--------------------------------------------
When you type rasikas.org or click the login link, there appears a first the usual page which will say after a new popup , that page will say

You will be redirected to the forum in 10 seconds.
Rasikas Forum Rasikas Wiki

Donot immediately click the link Rasikas Forum link within 10 seconds , then you get at times the error the site has an error. Allow the site itself to load to the page https://www.rasikas.org/forums/ it will load.

We used to have a counter that counts from 10,9 ...to 0 but that is not up. As such before if you click the link prior to 10 second count down it used to work but now it does not work.

Bottom line wait patiently after either typing in rasikas.org to load the page https://www.rasikas.org/forums/
or
better yet directly type https://www.rasikas.org/forums/

In general follow the below suggestion
-----------------------------------------------
And as usual when ever you type a post and prior to hitting the submit button , select your post with select all and a copy (ctrl C) or better yet if you are typing a long post like say review of a concert or meaning of a song have the habit of typing in notepad ,saving it in your local copy and then do a copy and paste into the site. select all and ctrl c should go to your muscle memory, prior to hitting submit.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by rajeshnat »

srkris,
Let me know if you want any help .For now I am only playing Chinese raga and krithi mohana rama in mohanam .If you can bring the reverse countdown timer it is good . Also next to submit buttton if you add a caution label like

Please "select the type text with select all(right click) , do a Copy (ctrl C )and then hit submit button" , that would be great . I keep hearing that many are typing directly in the forum text box and then hit submit and then login button comes again and many have lost the typed content.

Just add this concise text label next to submit button
"Select the typed text using select all, do a copy and save locally in notepad prior to submit click"

All,
If you encounter problems do let us know but wait patiently for the implicit 10 second countdown. Please state all your problems explicitly. Srkris is doing his best.

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by Nick H »

Yes, thanks... The wait ten seconds works.
Please state all your problems explicitly.
You really, really mean that? :lol: :lol: I've wasted enough of the internet's time over the past decade or two :oops:

srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by srkris »

rajeshnat wrote: 01 Dec 2018, 20:03 Donot immediately click the link Rasikas Forum link within 10 seconds , then you get at times the error the site has an error. Allow the site itself to load to the page https://www.rasikas.org/forums/ it will load.
This has now been fixed and the error will no longer show whether you click on the front page link or allow it to load on its own.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by rajeshnat »

srkris
those who have hit error and those decode to continue to hit F5 refresh will continue to have error.ithink mobile and tablet folks still have problem. if u can admin broadcast an email asking them to close all browser sessions and type in new browser that would be great that too preferably rasikas.org/forums that would be great

srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by srkris »

If anyone still gets the access denied message occasionally despite clearing your browser cache or refreshing your browser - please let me know your IP address. (nobody should be getting any errors now).

I will force-logout everyone again for once now so their sessions are no longer active so they would not get any errors when they try to re-login. That might be better than asking them to do something (some people may not understand what is causing the error and what we are asking them to do).

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by rajeshnat »

srkris wrote: 01 Dec 2018, 22:52 If anyone still gets the access denied message occasionally despite clearing your browser cache or refreshing your browser - please let me know your IP address. (nobody should be getting any errors now).

I will force-logout everyone again for once now so their sessions are no longer active so they would not get any errors when they try to re-login. That might be better than asking them to do something (some people may not understand what is causing the error and what we are asking them to do).
There are two sets of problems here:
-----------------------------------------------
1.Without logging in most of the crowd browse right. Can you bring the count down to very minimal 1 0r 2 seconds instead of 10 so that prior to impulsively hitting the rasikas forum link the page loads to rasikas.org/forums. that will take care of many users OR just change the text from
You will be redirected to the forum in 10 seconds. to You will be redirected to the forum in 10 seconds.Please donot click the rasikas forum link and wait for 10 seconds

2. I am not sure how we can help those who are having error message in an already opened tab, there was one forumite who kept keeping the same browser tab with error and repeatedly refreshing the page with F5 for the last 36 hours. I had to tell him to kill that browser session and start fresh and wait for 10 seconds. for this type unless you communicate by email i am not sure how they will know what we are communicating. Atleast can you put some key content in facebook rasikas.org please for troubleshoot critical steps. Take your time and decide by your end of day.
Last edited by rajeshnat on 01 Dec 2018, 23:09, edited 1 time in total.

srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by srkris »

I left it at 10 seconds as some people may want to get into the wiki (to look at the kritis).

I could directly let the forum load (without a 10 second wait), but that would mean no one would notice the existence of the wiki.

I have truncated the sessions table so nobody should be getting an error now (regardless of whether they refreshed or not).

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by rajeshnat »

srkris wrote: 01 Dec 2018, 23:08 I left it at 10 seconds as some people may want to get into the wiki (to look at the kritis).

I could directly let the forum load (without a 10 second wait), but that would mean no one would notice the existence of the wiki.

I have truncated the sessions table so nobody should be getting an error now (regardless of whether they refreshed or not).
I just checked now truncated session table works in my machine, I just tried now typing rasikas.org and within a second or two i clicked the forums link it worked. But that is my machine only. Thanks .Just curious with this fix will those who have kept a tab open in mobile or tablet for the last 48 hours and those who refresh will they get the error again or will the page direct to rasikas.org/forums

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by Nick H »

My direct to unread link works now, amending the path to forums plural

search.php?search_id=unreadposts

Thanks, skris: it must have been a real pain to deal with all this and do the day job too.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: DDOS Attack on the site???

Post by rajeshnat »

An unrelated issue this DDOS attack on the site since it is made sticky is not appearing in Active Topics link when we have posts, can that also be brought into active topics please.

Also please provide Just add this concise text label next to submit button
"Select the typed text using select all, do a copy and save locally in notepad prior to submit click". I just forgot for a change once when i typed previous post in quick reply, it asked me to login again, i lost the post . I think reminding again to locally save is crucial please just a simple label text will do next to submit button.

Thank you for fixing the core issue at your leisure take this two please.

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