Joomla Templates Club 406,261 posts

[aurelia01 Friend aurelia01Join date: January 2013Posts: 11Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanked: 1 times in 1 posts]

#186908

We are experiencing a problem with our site where we are using JA Zite as the template. There seems to be unauthorised access to the site which is causing a large volume of rubbish articles being created on the site. These articles are uploading to the site at a pace of about 200 items within 15min. We have probably deleted over 1000 items already and they just keep coming. Please can you advise where the problem could lie as we are struggling to find the source. Here are some examples of the type of files that are being uploaded. Please advise what can be done.

Linuxworld Expo San Francisco 2006

(Alias: flickr-id-photo319539778)
Unfeatured article Uncategorised Public

(Alias: Joomla!)
2006-12-11 0 All 12353
Linuxworld Expo San Francisco 2006

(Alias: flickr-id-photo319539721)
Unfeatured article Uncategorised Public

(Alias: Joomla!)
2006-12-11 0 All 12354
Linuxworld Expo San Francisco 2006

(Alias: flickr-id-photo319539654)
Unfeatured article Uncategorised Public

(Alias: Joomla!)
2006-12-11 0 All 12355
Linuxworld Expo San Francisco 2006

(Alias: flickr-id-photo319539604)
Unfeatured article Uncategorised Public
(Alias: Joomla!)
2006-12-11 0 All 12356

[phong nam Friend phong namJoin date: May 2015Posts: 3779Downloads:1Uploads:587 Thanks: 499 Thanked: 974 times in 888 posts]

#490428

Hi aurelia01,

try this :

1. Find the author of the articles above & disable that author’s username. (Or remove).
Because it seems that the articles of this author look like the spams.

2. Remove User Registration on you website.
http://docs.joomla.org/Disabling_user_registration

3. Be strict in assigning Access Level to new users.

Regards,
—
Leo

[aurelia01 Friend aurelia01Join date: January 2013Posts: 11Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanked: 1 times in 1 posts]

#490459

Is it possible for a Super User account to be compromised? Is so is there a way of determining how and where the problem lies?

[phong nam Friend phong namJoin date: May 2015Posts: 3779Downloads:1Uploads:587 Thanks: 499 Thanked: 974 times in 888 posts]

#490472

Hi aurelia01,

My guess is that your website allows public users to register with permissions to post articles.

For closer look to find the root of your problem, can you send me PM with your admin ?

Regards,
—
Leo

[aurelia01 Friend aurelia01Join date: January 2013Posts: 11Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanked: 1 times in 1 posts]

#490521

Hi Leo

Thanks for the reply. The author of the spam articles is shown as myself only. I had Superuser status but then downgraded the status to register only and then blocked the account entirely. None of the steps helped. I have subsequently created a new user account for myself and still the content pours in.

We do have many users registered on the site that are all working on the site, but their access has been carefully checked. We have even tried to block everyone and still the content pours in.

It is a very troubling situation for us.

[phong nam Friend phong namJoin date: May 2015Posts: 3779Downloads:1Uploads:587 Thanks: 499 Thanked: 974 times in 888 posts]

#490670

Hi aurelia01,

Can you PM me with your admin login access for checking this issue ?

If the author of the spam articles is shown as myself only, as you mentioned. So, the question is: Do you use Feed Gator plugin which automatically imports content articles into your Joomla categories & database ?
But I still need to check out your back-end, pls send me a PM.

Regards,
—
Leo

[Kevin Collins Friend Kevin CollinsJoin date: September 2014Posts: 54Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 5]

#490957

I’m having the same problem with my Zite site. I need to know what the solution for this is. This should be a high priority as the access was given with the default data in the Quickstart.

[aurelia01 Friend aurelia01Join date: January 2013Posts: 11Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanked: 1 times in 1 posts]

#490992

Hi Teleactive1

My problem also came from the Zite template. You need to disable the JA System Social Feed Plugin for J25 & J30. It is running an automatic CRON job that is pulling in all the articles.

[aurelia01 Friend aurelia01Join date: January 2013Posts: 11Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanked: 1 times in 1 posts]

#490993

Hi Leo
Thanks for coming back to me. We found the problem as explained below. I was very happy to discover that it was not a security breech:)

1 user says Thank You to aurelia01 for this useful post

1. Kevin Collins

[Author]

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