Bizarre Blog Comments

trishworks4u · 10-25-2009, 08:26 AM

I am becoming more cautious and jaded by the day. One of my affiliate sites was hacked last month and my main email account was hacked this week.

Anyway, I have a new affiliate site and one of the pages is a wordpress page that just pulls in ebay auctions. I have pending comments that I can't decipher and am curious more than anything else because I am sure that they won't be the last. Here is what they look like:

The links go absolutely nowhere. I don't get it. Anyone?

AaronJones · 10-25-2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trishworks4u

I am becoming more cautious and jaded by the day. One of my affiliate sites was hacked last month and my main email account was hacked this week.

Anyway, I have a new affiliate site and one of the pages is a wordpress page that just pulls in ebay auctions. I have pending comments that I can't decipher and am curious more than anything else because I am sure that they won't be the last. Here is what they look like:

The links go absolutely nowhere. I don't get it. Anyone?

I get those also...not sure either.

Aaron

Sumit Menon · 10-25-2009, 09:11 AM

I get those too.. Akismet just weeds them out usually.

trishworks4u · 10-25-2009, 09:26 AM

yeah - but I wanna know what it means??? there has to be a point to that...

Jagged · 10-25-2009, 09:30 AM

I get one's that are like those...a bunch of non-sense, jumbled letters...or just a bunch of question marks...strange stuff....
If it's nothing, there's a lot of really bored people out there...

Sumit Menon · 10-25-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagged

I get one's that are like those...a bunch of non-sense, jumbled letters...or just a bunch of question marks...strange stuff....
If it's nothing, there's a lot of really bored people out there...

I got 1,000 of these in 3 days...

globalpro · 10-25-2009, 09:50 AM

Hi,

A lot of times they are test runs from someone that is getting ready to spam blogs. No sense entering real info, unless it works.

Thanks,

John

DogScout · 10-25-2009, 10:11 AM

Did you run the IPs thru an IP checker. That would at least tell you where they came from.

The 1st one is Texas: DILLIG ENTERPRISES LLC (looks to be out of business)

2nd is UK: RapidSwitch Ltd (also out of business, at least the URL re-directs to a health blog!)

Both are listed as 'suspected network sharing devices' Both are suspected of Geo cloaking. The 1st one looked like a Danish origination. Strange.

DogScout · 10-25-2009, 10:14 AM

looks like they are using proxy servers; either Philippines or Singapore?

Sumit Menon · 10-25-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DogScout

looks like they are using proxy servers; either Philippines or Singapore?

Now, that's just plain rude.

Johnathan · 10-25-2009, 10:30 AM

It's a combination of things:

a) Some individuals are testing your system for exploits
b) Some script kiddies ("hackers" who really have no clue what they are doing, but like to be called a hacker because it sounds 'cool') -- use other peoples software to test for exploits, with really no clue what they are doing
c) Sometimes testing/probing for proxy servers/relaying

etc, etc.

It's not really anything to 'worry' about, unless of course you have your own server in which case you need to make sure no rootkits, etc, are installed on your system.

Johnathan

sbucciarel · 10-25-2009, 10:34 AM

Looks like a comment bot doing a test run, but all of Jonathan's suggestions are relevant. I get this crap all the time.

trishworks4u · 10-25-2009, 12:30 PM

very helpful - so it's "pre-spam" perhaps... toe-dipping before the hack. comforting.
thanks for the insight.

jendoe · 10-25-2009, 12:50 PM

On my very small niche content site I have a "feedback" form - it goes to my email, nothing gets posted on the site itself...

And during the course of about 1 or 2 weeks, I got a couple of these too! But, nothing since then!

I assume it was some sort of auto-bot testing places to leave comments, and when my site "failed" by not posting anything, it moved on...

Weird to see though, isn't it?

Johnathan · 10-25-2009, 08:15 PM

PPS --

Not sure how much of a programmer you are -- but if you want to remove
that question -- add a very simple get/response question.

I.e., before someone can make a post, add something like "What is 2+2?"
Obviously the answer is 4. But the bot won't know that, so if the answer
is incorrect, simply don't post.

mgkimsal · 10-25-2009, 10:12 PM

I always thought the purpose of this junk was to lower the efficacy of spam filters in general. A few years back "bayesian filtering" became the rage, and this sort of spam (both from email and comment spam) seemed to take off. Bayesian filtering requires a list of 'spam' (bad) and 'ham' (good) - someone needs to identify each, and as each body of ham or spam grows, the system can do a better job of identifying which is which by comparing to know spam or ham. If your ham body is overrun with this sort of junk, it makes the filters far less effective.

That's been my take, but the "probing for holes" is probably another good theory. Probably fact - I've never talked to spammers to figure out why they do this sort of stuff!

Profit-smart · 10-25-2009, 10:55 PM

It's software crawling through a list of blogs looking for vulnerable targets; thats all.

Add a captcha function.

10-25-2009, 08:26 AM	#1
trishworks4u HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 151 Thanks: 11 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help I am becoming more cautious and jaded by the day. One of my affiliate sites was hacked last month and my main email account was hacked this week. Anyway, I have a new affiliate site and one of the pages is a wordpress page that just pulls in ebay auctions. I have pending comments that I can't decipher and am curious more than anything else because I am sure that they won't be the last. Here is what they look like: The links go absolutely nowhere. I don't get it. Anyone?

10-25-2009, 09:11 AM	#3
Sumit Menon Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed! Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 491 Thanks: 135 Thanked 33 Times in 30 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help I get those too.. Akismet just weeds them out usually.
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10-25-2009, 09:26 AM	#4
trishworks4u HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 151 Thanks: 11 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help yeah - but I wanna know what it means??? there has to be a point to that...

10-25-2009, 09:30 AM	#5
Jagged Ken Perry War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 481 Blog Entries: 11 Thanks: 92 Thanked 151 Times in 82 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help I get one's that are like those...a bunch of non-sense, jumbled letters...or just a bunch of question marks...strange stuff.... If it's nothing, there's a lot of really bored people out there...
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10-25-2009, 09:50 AM	#7
globalpro John Burnette War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: S.E. USA Posts: 532 Thanks: 94 Thanked 68 Times in 58 Posts	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help Hi, A lot of times they are test runs from someone that is getting ready to spam blogs. No sense entering real info, unless it works. Thanks, John
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10-25-2009, 10:11 AM	#8
DogScout Self-Unemployed War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 405 Thanks: 42 Thanked 95 Times in 56 Posts Social Networking	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help Did you run the IPs thru an IP checker. That would at least tell you where they came from. The 1st one is Texas: DILLIG ENTERPRISES LLC (looks to be out of business) 2nd is UK: RapidSwitch Ltd (also out of business, at least the URL re-directs to a health blog!) Both are listed as 'suspected network sharing devices' Both are suspected of Geo cloaking. The 1st one looked like a Danish origination. Strange.
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10-25-2009, 10:14 AM	#9
DogScout Self-Unemployed War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 405 Thanks: 42 Thanked 95 Times in 56 Posts Social Networking	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help looks like they are using proxy servers; either Philippines or Singapore?
	www.HealingGarden.net - New England Breast Cancer support www.PSPTubeDepot.com - 24,000+ images for personal (and some commercial) use www.Community-Feedback.com - P2P computer help group with 2 expert guides to help you clean malware free (& No, I make no money from any of these sites.)

10-25-2009, 10:30 AM	#11
Johnathan Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 702 Thanks: 214 Thanked 56 Times in 49 Posts	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help It's a combination of things: a) Some individuals are testing your system for exploits b) Some script kiddies ("hackers" who really have no clue what they are doing, but like to be called a hacker because it sounds 'cool') -- use other peoples software to test for exploits, with really no clue what they are doing c) Sometimes testing/probing for proxy servers/relaying etc, etc. It's not really anything to 'worry' about, unless of course you have your own server in which case you need to make sure no rootkits, etc, are installed on your system. Johnathan

10-25-2009, 10:34 AM	#12
sbucciarel Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: , , USA. Posts: 1,161 Thanks: 51 Thanked 176 Times in 130 Posts	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help Looks like a comment bot doing a test run, but all of Jonathan's suggestions are relevant. I get this crap all the time.
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10-25-2009, 12:30 PM	#13
trishworks4u HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 151 Thanks: 11 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help very helpful - so it's "pre-spam" perhaps... toe-dipping before the hack. comforting. thanks for the insight.

10-25-2009, 12:50 PM	#14
jendoe Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 58 Thanks: 25 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help On my very small niche content site I have a "feedback" form - it goes to my email, nothing gets posted on the site itself... And during the course of about 1 or 2 weeks, I got a couple of these too! But, nothing since then! I assume it was some sort of auto-bot testing places to leave comments, and when my site "failed" by not posting anything, it moved on... Weird to see though, isn't it?

10-25-2009, 08:15 PM	#15
Johnathan Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 702 Thanks: 214 Thanked 56 Times in 49 Posts	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help PPS -- Not sure how much of a programmer you are -- but if you want to remove that question -- add a very simple get/response question. I.e., before someone can make a post, add something like "What is 2+2?" Obviously the answer is 4. But the bot won't know that, so if the answer is incorrect, simply don't post.

10-25-2009, 10:12 PM	#16
mgkimsal Active Warrior Join Date: May 2006 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 85 Thanks: 9 Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts Social Networking	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help I always thought the purpose of this junk was to lower the efficacy of spam filters in general. A few years back "bayesian filtering" became the rage, and this sort of spam (both from email and comment spam) seemed to take off. Bayesian filtering requires a list of 'spam' (bad) and 'ham' (good) - someone needs to identify each, and as each body of ham or spam grows, the system can do a better job of identifying which is which by comparing to know spam or ham. If your ham body is overrun with this sort of junk, it makes the filters far less effective. That's been my take, but the "probing for holes" is probably another good theory. Probably fact - I've never talked to spammers to figure out why they do this sort of stuff!
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10-25-2009, 10:55 PM	#17
Profit-smart Aut Inviniam Aut Faciam Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 57 Thanks: 1 Thanked 13 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Bizarre Blog Comments - Spam? Hack? Pls Help It's software crawling through a list of blogs looking for vulnerable targets; thats all. Add a captcha function.
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