Current Site Issues

[Sonic 295]

This topic will be listing the current issues with the site and/or forums, problems that are being worked on and efforts we have taken to solve them.

• [RESOLVED] 08/12/2015 - Forums Can't Send E-Mails
  This has now been fixed. All e-mail notifications should now be working. New users registering should also receive the validation e-mail.
  ---- Original Issue ----
  The forums can't send notifications e-mails or e-mails to verify new members or changes to your account. This is currently being investigated.
• [RESOLVED] 08/12/2015 - Problems When Editing Topic's Title from Full Editor
  This issue has now been fixed.
  ---- Original Issue ----
  There are currently configuration problems on our server that is effecting our forums. At times you may have problems when editing a topic's title when using the Full Editor (not the Quick Editor). This is currently being investigated.
  
• [NEW] 17/09/2015 - Broken Navigation Menu on iPads/Tablets
  We have discovered that the main navigation menu doesn't work or display correctly when browsing the site on on iPad or tablet PC. This is currently being investigated.
  
• [RESOLVED] 16/04/2015 - Forum Links Redirecting from Search Engine/Social Network Links
  This issue has been resolved. More details.
  ---- Original Issue ----
  For the last few weeks we have been battling a problem were links from search engines or social networking sites to our forums get redirected to some spam rubbish spam site. The problem very random and doesn't happen to everyone. If it does happen to you please close the browser window immediately, you can safely click the same link and it won't bother you again, but it can happen again the next day or after a 12 hour period of time has passed (I think). Other than you seeing happen it does not comprise your forum account here or your computer.
  I have been actively trying to find ways to remove this but it keeps coming back. Normally such issues are not discussed publicly but I felt it was important to inform you all of this problem. It is the nasty work of the internet spammers out there, it is not us attempting to gain gain easy money by flooding the site with advertising. We hate it as much as you probably do.
  It should also be noted this problem only happens on the forums. Not our main site.
  
• [RESOLVED] 12/06/2015 - Slow Loading on the site and Forums at Times
  Since we have moved to some new hosting this should no longer be a problem. Considered fixed.
  ---- Original Issue ----
  This one is hard to solve but I'm exploring some options. At random times you may experience slow loading of the site and forums. It is mostly due to high traffic on our server. Unfortunately there is not much that can be done about this at this time other than to endure it. Like you I find it hard to work with but it out of my hands for the foreseeable future.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Sonic

[zunnie 3]

That sucks man, hopefully you can get this fixed.

Maybe talk to the guys from http://www.jelly-server.com they had a simular problem which they fixed now i believe, perhaps they can assist you in finding the cause.

[Sonic 295]

That sucks man, hopefully you can get this fixed.

Maybe talk to the guys from http://www.jelly-server.com they had a simular problem which they fixed now i believe, perhaps they can assist you in finding the cause.

 

I found a thread on their forums about the exact same issue, http://jelly-server.com/forums/index.php?/topic/22566-links-to-the-site-from-google-are-being-redirected-to-other-sites-edit-should-be-fixed-let-me-know-in-this-topic-if-it-is-still-redirecting/

I don't think they have solved it. But I will contact them.

 

I know the source of the SQL injection in the database tables and which template cache file this damn thing hides itself in. I've changed every password that we have as well as all Admin/Moderators passwords.

[Tore 33]

I don't know how your server is set up or how much access you have to the server. But this issue could be a problem with Apache or rather servers that haven't been updated in a while. Someone could've got high enough access to the server through vulnerabilities in old code to install a malicious Apache module.

 

Many such modules have similar behavior (redirecting people to certain nefarious sites). Though if there are several sites hosted on the same server and only one of them have issue then this sounds more unlikely.

 

If this turns out to be the case try and purge and reinstall Apache.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Tore

[Sonic 295]

Thanks for the advice there Tore. Luckily I don't think this thing goes as deep as what you have described. It takes advantage of vulnerability in the IP.Board software. This is what I have done. I shared the same info with the Jelly Server guys.

• It only injects in the current primary forum skin (I think)
• Removed the injected code from these tables ibf_skin_cache > skin_global and also ibf_skin_templates > skin_global > includeJS
• Since the same code gets added to the /cache/skin_cache/cacheid_X/skin_global.php file, recached templates via AdminCP
• Changed all FTP/SQL Database passwords, changed all Admin and Moderators account passwords

Its roughly 24 hours later since I made all those changes and I haven't seen it come back yet.

[Sonic 295]

I'm confident in saying the annoying forum link redirect issue has been fixed. It would seem the steps I described above have worked. I will still be checking it from time to time though.

[Tore 33]

I'm glad the root of the issue didn't go that far

 

Remember to update software regularly especially popular web facing ones.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Tore

[PurpleGaga27 40]

This forum is still having some long loading issues recently. It's no wonder why this forum is inactive lately.

[Sonic 295]

Yes I understand its frustrating. There are times when either the main site or forums take forever to load. Unfortunately its out of my hands at this time. My solution is to move everything to some new hosting but I'm not in position to do that just yet.

 

The slow load times are probably part of the inactivity of the forums of late, but could also be because there really nothing happening in the C&C community these days.

[Inferno 22]

No problems here

[PurpleGaga27 40]

Sonic, is there any way you can reverse the forums/site back to default before all of this has happened? I wonder if you could do try something with the cache system for IPB and make the site load a little faster.

[Nmenth 290]

That wouldn't accomplish anything, it's not CNCNZ.com's fault that the server is slow.

[Sonic 295]

If only it were that simple. Long story short.... the server is somewhat overcrowded I think. With things C&C:Online also calling this server home, everything is fighting for resources and there isn't enough to go around. When C&C:Online launched, it was around that time the problems started. But I'm not blaming C&C:Online, even though it may appear that way.

 

As I said before, the best solution is some new hosting, and that's going to cost money. I'm exploring options and I think I could be better placed to commit to something in a month or so.

[Banshee 28]

CNCNZ's problem with the server is the same problem that PPM had a while ago, although PPM's situation was fairly worse.

 

In order to prevent the server from being overloaded, it limits each account to a pre-defined number of processes. That amount is not low, however, when you centralizes all your sites, services and hostees in a single account, you'll get trouble, specially with a popular place using a heavy forum software.

 

CNCNZ needs to move its forums into a different account. Moving hostees into different account helps, but the forums needs its own account. Do that and your problems are gone. PPM is loading quite fast nowadays. Revora forums that are much more popular than PPM and CNCNZ together runs fast in the server, because it is split into several accounts.

[Sonic 295]

Sorry I have not addressed this sooner.

 

Thanks for your feedback Banshee. Moving the forum sounds like that needs to be done ASAP. However we have a certain PHP script that is a potential roadblock. I have sent you some extra details via a PM.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

Has the issue been fixed? As of now, I have no problems with the slow loading issues into this forum.

[Sonic 295]

Nothing has been done just yet. Since the loading speed issue is random you're just catching it a good time. We will make an announcement when things will happen because there will probably be some down time for the forums.

[Sonic 295]

So I got to test the main the site on a iPad today and found the main navigation menu is totally broken and basically unusable. I will be looking into this. It will some missing or broken coding somewhere.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

I have a problem editing the first post (including thread title), because an odd error occurred saying I must enter a post: http://forums.cncnz.com/topic/14298-c-c3-mod-sdk-and-wb-faq-updated-362014

 

But I already posted a later one and it still wants me to enter a post. I tried editing the title only and it still wants me to enter a post.

Edited November 25, 2015 by zocom7

[Sonic 295]

I was able to replicate what you have described. I'm not sure why it would do that or what has changed to cause this error. I'll will look into it further though.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

No matter what browser I used, I still get the same error.

[Sonic 295]

Two new items have been added to the list. Current problems with the forums...

• [NEW] 07/12/2015 - Forums Can't Send E-Mails
  The forums can't send notifications e-mails or e-mails to verify new members or changes to your account. This is currently being investigated.
  
• [NEW] 07/12/2015 - Problems When Editing Topic's Title from Full Editor
  There are currently configuration problems on our server that is effecting our forums. At times you may have problems when editing a topic's title when using the Full Editor (not the Quick Editor). This is currently being investigated.

[Sonic 295]

The issue of the forums no sending important e-mails has now been fixed. All e-mail notifications should now be working. New users registering should also receive the validation e-mail.

[zunnie 3]

Nice, good work. And thanks for re-validating me after email change, two times lol

[Sonic 295]

Well getting the e-mail system for the forums working correctly was important. Without it, new people can't register, you don't get e-mails letting you know you have a new PM waiting, and as you discovered Zunnie, you can't validate your account when you change your e-mail address.

 

And I think the editing problem has also been corrected now.

 

You can always check the status of reported problems in the original post of this topic.