UPDATE: I don’t want to jinx myself, but everything has been quiet on the Eastern front since yesterday around 3 pm. We tried a lot of different things, and one of them apparently did the trick. Temporarily, anyway. We go through this exercise every few weeks, it seems.
Thanks to everyone who has donated to the cause. It’s sincerely appreciated. I’ll keep you updated on what’s happening, and the changes we’re implementing. You guys are making it possible for me to hopefully fix this issue once and for all. So, thank you.
Some more good news… Our dryer is now fixed. We called The Man a few days ago, and he was here this morning. Within 30 seconds he had the dryer tipped over, the back off, and the heating element removed. He only charged $70, and the problem is solved. It kinda pisses me off that we didn’t call sooner. Seventy measly dollars?! Grrr…
In any case, it feels like Ritz Carlton-level luxury to wash and dry my enormous jeans, right here in the house. I no longer have to drive to the laundromat with my basket of sadness, sit there and watch people with neck tattoos SLAM dryer doors (why all the slamming?), and try to avert my eyes as a construction worker folds a stack of inconceivably stained undergarments five feet from my head.
So, there’s a glimmer of hope. And I’ll take a glimmer at this point.
This is Day 6 of my big 12-day work marathon, and I’m holding up. It hasn’t been too bad, so far. We’ll see how I feel on Monday or Tuesday, but it’s been remarkably easy to this point. You adjust to the current reality, I think, and just deal with it. When something changes out of the blue, it’s much worse. But my inner-sensors are set for 12 days, and that feels completely doable at this point. Again, I don’t want to get cocky…
I’ll post a real update tomorrow, my friends. Thanks for all your help, and your patience.
I won’t bore you with all the details, but this Russian problem is ongoing. I remove the code, and it comes right back. I have a knowledgeable person working with me on it, and even he’s frustrated. We don’t know how the bad guys are getting in, but they clearly have full and complete access to my shit. It’s not good.
The nuclear option, of course. is to take everything down and move it. It’s something I’ve been trying to avoid, because I have a loyalty to my hosting company. It’s a small outfit, and they know me by name. I’ve been with them for years, and they’ve been great. But this is happening way too often, and we can’t get a handle on it.
The problem? It’ll take a few hundred bucks to switch to another host. And it’s not in the budget right now. Heck, I’m in the middle of working twelve 10-hour days in a row, just to keep the garbage barge afloat. Three or four hundred ain’t much, in real life, but it’s a lot in the tragicomedy I’m living right now.
So, I hate to do it, but I’m going to ask you guys for help on this. If you can spare a few dollars, I’d be very appreciative. You can “buy me a beer” at this page, or just send a donation of any size, via PayPal, to jeff@thewvsr.com
I know I badgered all of you to buy holiday gifts through my Amazon links, and it was fantastic. Unfortunately, I won’t see any of that money until the last week of February. And the thought of dealing with this hacking crap for another six or seven weeks is a depressing one.
So, if you can spare a few bucks, I thank you in advance. And, if not, I understand. Oh, I understand real good.
Shit, I feel like a panhandler… But I’m experiencing a low-grade panic over here. In the past we’ve been able to stop this, at least for a while, but now it’s relentless. Someone or something is able to edit the site’s code, at any time.
Thanks, folks. I’m going to go warm up the hot water bottle now…
Good Afternoon Surf Reporters!!
Might have to update my PayPal account. I feel for ya, JK, I do.
May it’s an inside job? Ever considered the wife or kids is tired of the attention you give thewvsr and sabotaging you?
I get paid on Friday. Let’s meet for a few beers.
Oh, screw it, I will just send them to you.
Have you changed your password?
Did you check to see if Andy is wearing any especially nice neck wear recently. He could be letting them in for the simple payment of a milk bone and a plate of noodles.
I’ll buy you some fancy-assed beers, Jeff!
I hate to be Debbie Downer, but the beginning of this year is SUCKFEST 2012. The lady I sit with up and retired leaving everyone in the lurch. My workload has increased tremendously. There is a friggin stray cat terrorizing my cat in beating the ever loving shit out of her. We’re setting up a Have A Heart trap (although I’d like to set up a Have A Boot In The Ass trap…). My boss’ division just changed dramatically and now he has to report in to a real drip. An Area Manager just died of lung cancer – suddenly and very quicky – she never even smoked. My personal family life is in complete shambles. How the hell did all of this happen in a mere 11 days?
Died suddenly and quickly = lucky.
NPR could use your talents during their next fundraiser drive.
In that spirit, I will leave you with a WVSR “driveway moment”
Last week our extended family drove from DC to PA for my father-in-laws funeral. It was a long two days of multiple wakes (good Catholics take their grieving seriously in PA), and a military funeral ceremony. It was about 1am on the night of the funeral, lights out, and our exhausted family was spread out all over my mother-in-law’s living room floor, ready to get some sleep. My 17yo daughter asked me what I was looking at on my phone. I told her I was reading the WVSR. She asked me if I could find the story I read to her a while back about the Mickey D’s sweet T. I had it up in about 10 seconds, and in 20 seconds I had my entire family giggling and laughing out loud. Nice way to end a rough weekend.
Beer money is forthcoming.
Thank you Jeff.
Sorry about the loss in your family but what an awesome story. WVSR – grief counselor!
Catholics love a good funeral. We tailgated my grandma’s funeral 2 yrs ago.
Ain’t it the truth! We usually end up at the K of C after the wake, and after the funeral. There are always lots of croccodile tears.
Hah – for a second I thought you said “KFC”.
.
Well, sometimes it’s KFC after K of C!
From the sound of it, your problem could be either:
– a security vulnerabilty of your hosting servers (this would be apparent if multiple sites hosted by that company is getting infiltrated)
– a security vulnerability of the software that you use to post your site (php & wordpress?)… this could be the most likely cause
– small chance that your pc is infected or that the russians have access to the email account which contains your credentials.
I would:
1 – check the versions of the installed php and wordpress to see if it can be upgraded.
2 – identify the problematic files which holds the bad code, fix those files. when the site gets infected again, look at the timestamp on those files to see exactly when they were updated, then ask the hosting company the access logs to your account within the same time frame.
I think the main question is:
– are the russians using valid credentials to break your site
– or are they using other means to change the files (system vulnerability)
you should also unplug the internet from your computer everynight. that will keep the Pinko’s from getting into your house all the time.
Donation done!
Happy to help! I pay for books, I pay for satellite, makes sense to float a little your way for all the laughs. Granted, it’s a very little, because we also struggle to keep our heads above the waves. So far our year has blown, so you are in good company.
How about I get a honorary lifetime membership? At least with the pledge drive we get crap.
But what you give me is better than crap!
Crap doesn’t make me laugh and you do. I am happy to help!
Jeff, the donation is in. Kick dem Russkies in the tochus.
Also – what JFC says sounds correct. I know more about computers than most people, although not about Windows and WordPress. To his advice I’d add: use a good strong password and change it often. Don’t email it.
May the Sauce be with you.
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I commented in a negative manner about WordPress yesterday. After reading JFC’s excellent post, I’m relieved to know I’m not the only one who suspects that software. After all, it’s frequently referred to as TurdPress by those affected by it’s splatter…
If your problem is in your home system or your website software, moving to another hosting provider isn’t going to solve your problem. Make certain your system and website related stuff is all squeaky clean before sending (other people’s) hard earned $$$ to another hosting provider.
Consider stripping out social media bullshit, too – at least temporarily.
You’ve made several interesting points, but I must quibble with one thing in the above comments. It’s Jeff’s money, and well-earned.
Tell your hosting guys that I just did a very shallow and fast scan of your website’s IP addy and clearly see 14 (!) open ports.
Translation: the Internet equivalent of wearing a BANG MY ASS HARD sign on one’s back.
Jeff, how about giving us the mailing address again? Sorry but I have refused to use paypal since the earliest days. They screwed up the account I opened, then told me i wasn’t who I said I was when I tried to get them to fix it. And the way they feel they have the right to just grab money out of accounts or freeze accounts at will just rubs me the wrong way. Never conducted a transaction with them, never will. Closed me semi-lucrative e-bay account when it became mandatory to use the online payment scam. I’ll send you a check, if that will help, but sorry, paypals out.
I second this motion. Not a fan of Paypal and I don’t have an account. But I’m a fan of you, Jeff, and the WVSR, so I’d be happy to pitch in. Any other way?
Jeff, I just hit the link and paid with my card without a PP account. Still don’t like PP but it’s going to get to you quicker this way. Deep, you can pay with a card without an account, still benefits PP some way I’m sure but I figured Jeff shouldn’t wait because of my personal aversion to the asshats at PP
Same here- did it via Credit Card – PP can eat my toe jam.
I’m on it, Thanks!!
Done!
Jeff, I hope you get enough to find a new host AND get drunk. Really drunk.
I just used my PP account. Unfortunately, I have to have it for my business. There are still a lot of people out there that swear by it and defend the bullshit they pull. All for the sake of convenience.
Sneaking in from work today…
You’ve been ripped off again! (well, it may be the same one that someone brought up in comments last year since yahoo does recycle articles)
“How Fast Food Ads Stack Up to Real Thing”
http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/photos/how-fast-food-ads-stack-up-to-real-thing-1326218366-slideshow/burger-photo-1326217451.html
tinyurl if the link gets mucked up;
http://tinyurl.com/7jzvoyx
Got your back, Jeff. Sent some sheckles your way. You’ve been entertaining me for years for free. It is the least I can do.
Basically came to post what JFC said. You should get your host involved with the investigation if you haven’t already, and then have your geeky assistant do the things in that post (especially step 2). That method will definitely tell you how the Russians are getting in.
I bet it’s the government.
Damn government.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
And the hippies.
Check your RSS Feed too!
It’s like Stephen King’s Under The Dome!
Definitely get a new hosting company. If the site had only got hacked once, that is one thing. The problem here is that it keeps happening over and over which indicates, to an IT guy like me, that your current hosting company is lacking in certain respects. Even if the problem was in your site’s code and not a server security issue, they should be identifying the problem for you since your site is causing problems for their service as a whole. I totally understand wanting to give small homegrown companies our business, but there a ton of small homegrown webhosting companies out there. Like my momma told me, you better shop around.
I think my pc got infected with this crap on Tuesday, half the desktop icon’s dissappeared and I’m getting all kinds of error messages. Do you tech folks have any advice on how to clear things up?
@Kevindust: check out http://www.malwarebytes.org/
They have a free version you can download. Good application. Good results most of the time.
This is also very good.
http://www.superantispyware.com/
Just had a friend with a laptop infected with a java exploit.
Spybot identified several questionable entries,
malwarebytes saw a few more.
Recovered the icons with this technique:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html
After all was done laptop was still slow, I believe a Windows 7 reformat & reinstall is in my friend’s future.
Good luck!
Can I claim FIRST on the update to yesterday’s post?
I dunno know, we better check the rule book!
Laptop locked up tighter than a GULAG on 12/28. Still is. I’ve got Malwarebytes and Kespersky but something wacked me. I’ve been OTR (over the road…aka everyfuckingwhere) since then. I’m back home now (just yesterday) and at the desktop checking in. Installed a new kitchen faucet this morning ( nice Moen w/sprayer…$80…and took Bev’s MPV up to Pagosa for belts and left it because the oil pressure sending unit is kafucked and the oil filter adapter thing has the “O” rings shot. I’ll go back tomorrow and get it after handing the folks $325. I can survive on a couple apples, a banana and a granola bar or two. What the hell is it with all the necessities draining us.
Anyway…glad to be home (and back at the wvsr). Rolled around on the floor with doggie whenever I wanted and am presently drinking some Breckenridge Avalanche…aka liquid mental floss.
Hey Jeff, just threw a few bones in the pot. I figured it worth it to hear about nostrils and the translucents! FYI, the book was great, hope there is a squeal! Also , did you actually live near Nancy? Ugh, your a saint if you did!
thanks for the laughs and keep em coming!