Spambots

[JonPurpleHaze]

During the past 2 weeks I've received about 15 emails from Users that received emails from Pinball Nirvana about failed login notifications, these are sent automatically from the forums to the User when someone tries to login with an incorrect password 5 times. These users all reported that they did not try to login and I have verified this. I've only received about 3 of these failed login reports from users in the previous 10 years!

After some research, these are a new rash of spambots trying to login to existing users accounts from China and Russia but they change their IP addresses easily, I have banned the failed login IP addresses of the bots I know about.

If a bot succeeds in logging into an existing user account (use strong passwords!) the reported actions of these bots are to try and send out many PM's (Private Messages) containing spam to other members.

Kindly let me know if you receive a spam PM and/or a invalid failed login notification email from the site. Most of these users emails to me were from folks that have never posted to the forums and it was suggested by other forum operators that the bots were getting Usernames from the members list so I have disabled that list to guests as well as disabling the forum leaders list until this can be resolved.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

funny thing is (well, not really), it comes right from the top these days...

vladimir putin and xi jinping might as well include their signatures with every attack upon your acct.

 

[Itchigo]

Thanks Jon. I did get one such PM a while ago, but I deleted it, and didn't think anything of it. Haven't had a problem since.

As long as I have you, did you get my message about being able to edit other people's tables? If you know the process to edit your table, it works on anyone's tables, not just your own. Potentially, someone could go in and start deleting tables. I'm sure it's an easy fix, like something unchecked.

Tim

 

[StevOz]

Ah but we trust you Tim, you are real, that permission you have was granted.

 

[Itchigo]

I'm a Mod (soul)??

 

[JonPurpleHaze]

Hello Tim, I don't recall getting a message from you but StevOz is correct, there is a special group of users on the home page called Trusted Uploaders.
These are users that have to update files or needed to make edits to their own files.

 

[Itchigo]

Hi Jon! No worries, I think I hit something like "Contact Us?" and it took me to something like Webmaster@ Pinball Nirvana. I got lazy as I couldn't find a post from you quickly to hit your profile and send a PM.

'Trusted Uploaders" I can see as having permission to Upload and Edit my own files. But I was able to edit someone else's file, which wasn't mine. I went to a friend's file (Pbecker1946) and added a period to the description to check this. Then I re-edited it back the way it was. I wasn't going to mess with the file itself. But even as a Trusted Uploader I think only You and Steve should have this power. (What, I don't want power?!):)

See, this isn't my file.

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Hey guys
I got an email about somebody trying to log on as me
Good to see you are on top of it Jon

if it is any help IP address: 101.254.210.167

 

[JonPurpleHaze]

Hello TMFP!

Thanks for the information, the IP address has been banned.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

"themanfrompost"... hmm, isn't that another one of those pesky spambot accts?

recommend immediate deletion, jon!

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Sexy naked girls

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Sexy naked girls

thank god this site finally got a bit more interesting. :D

 

[Itchigo]

Nothing happens when I click on the link........ That's false advertising!

 

[Zig]

Just received a notification. The IP is 198.100.144.75

 

[JonPurpleHaze]

Just received a notification. The IP is 198.100.144.75

Thanks for the information Zig, that IP address has been banned.

Just an update about the failed login notices, they really tapered off during April and May but this is the 3rd one I know about that happened during the past 2 weeks.