NYCPHP Meetup

NYPHP.org

[joomla] several 1.0 sites hacked this week!

Atir Javid atirjavid at gmail.com
Thu Mar 26 18:19:08 EDT 2009


I posted the 10 top things for fun, its a funny thing.  Don't take it
as condescending please, its not meant like that, instead learn from
it.  Just good fun :)

On Thu, Mar 26, 2009 at 4:39 PM, Mark Simko <masimko at verizon.net> wrote:
> On Thu, 2009-03-26 at 12:00 -0400, joomla-request at lists.nyphp.org wrote:
>
> Top posting because of the length of the prior post.
>
> The tone of this response appears condescending, although it may not
> have been meant that way. Perhaps it's just the title that gives the
> post that appearance.
>
> I can think of several reasons why a site may still be running an older
> version of Joomla! than the latest and greatest. It may be that the
> client does not want to pay for the work involved in an upgrade, or that
> the client cannot afford to pay for it. Or, perhaps the extensions being
> used on the site do not have stable 1.5 versions yet.
>
> There may be reasons why the site is run on a shared host. To some that
> may seem like a less than ideal situation, but for others, shared
> hosting and low hosting fees may fit them better.
>
> I think the original post about being hacked was meant to be informative
> and perhaps intended to spark a discussion. This reply seems like a
> lecture. If so, it's unwarranted. If I'm wrong about the intent, then I
> apologize, but sometimes the elitist tone gets my ire up.
>
> Mark
>
>> Top 10 Stupidest Administrator Tricks
>> >From Joomla! Documentation
>>
>>
>> 10. Use the cheapest hosting provider you can find.
>>
>>     Preferably use a shared server that hosts hundreds of other sites,
>> some of which are high-traffic porn sites. Don't check the list of
>> recommended hosting providers.
>>
>> 9. Don't waste time with regular backups.
>>
>>     Maybe the hosting provider will help you out.
>>
>> 8. Don't waste time adjusting PHP and Joomla! settings for increased security.
>>
>>     Hey, the install was brain-dead easy. How bad could the rest be?
>> Worry about those details only if there's a problem.
>>
>> 7. Use the same username and password for everything.
>>
>>     Use the same username and password for your on-line bank account,
>> Joomla! administrator account, Amazon account, Yahoo account, etc.
>> Hey, who has time to keep track of so many passwords? And anyway,
>> since you don't change passwords, it's easier to just use the same one
>> all the time, everywhere.
>>
>> 6. Install your brand new beautiful Joomla!-powered site, and
>> celebrate a job well done.
>>
>>     Don't worry about it again. After all, if you don't make any more
>> changes, what can go wrong?
>>
>> 5. Do all upgrades on the live site right away.
>>
>>     Who needs a development and testing server anyway? If an
>> installation fails, you'll just uninstall it again. That will
>> hopefully also undo any damage the installation caused.
>>
>> 4. Trust third-party extensions.
>>
>>     Install all the cool-looking stuff you can find. Anyone smart
>> enough to write a Joomla! extension will provide perfect code that
>> blocks every known exploit attempt, now and forever. After all, almost
>> all this stuff is provided for free by well-meaning, good-hearted
>> people who know what they are doing.
>>
>> 3. Don't worry about updating to the latest version of Joomla!
>>
>>     Hey, nothing has gone wrong so far, and if it ain't broke don't
>> fix it! Same plan for the third-party extensions. Too much work;
>> life's a beach.
>>
>> 2. When your site gets cracked, panic your way into the Joomla! Forums.
>>
>>     Start a new post with a very familiar title: "My Site's Been
>> Hacked! (sic)" Be sure not to leave relevant information, such as
>> which obsolete versions of Joomla! and third party extensions you
>> installed.
>>
>> 1. Once your site's been cracked, fix the defaced index.php file and
>> assume all else is well.
>>
>>     Don't check raw logs, change your passwords, remove the entire
>> directory and rebuild from clean backups, or take any other overly
>> paranoid-seeming action. When the attackers return the next day,
>> scream loudly that you've been "hacked again," and it's all Joomla!'s
>> fault. Ignore the fact that removing a defaced file is not even step
>> one in the difficult process of fully recovering a cracked site.
>>
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> New York PHP SIG: Joomla! Mailing List
> http://lists.nyphp.org/mailman/listinfo/joomla
>
> NYPHPCon 2006 Presentations Online
> http://www.nyphpcon.com
>
> Show Your Participation in New York PHP
> http://www.nyphp.org/show_participation.php
>



More information about the Joomla mailing list