I should also have said that I took seriously JohnH_in_OKC's post, and I've read the same elsewhere. A downside to disabling Java is that I notice that posts are not available for editing, else I would have put this follow-up message in the above post but as edited. After Java releases a version that takes care of the security flaw, I'm sure that I'll enable Java again.

Thanks Doug. I wondered why I wasn't able to edit my posts. That's why the links on my comment #61 on this thread had double links. I suppose I will enable Java again since I like being able to edit my posts to OKCTalk. According to CNET, two hours ago Oracle (around 6:30 pm Sunday 1-13-12) Oracle released an emergency fix. Tonight I'll be updating Java & reactivating it on my browsers. Oracle releases software update to fix Java vulnerability | Security & Privacy - CNET News (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57563730-83/oracle-releases-software-update-to-fix-java-vulnerability/)

Pete - you may want to ask the software company on which you base OKCTalk to see if they can reprogram it in HTML5 without Java. Although it is unwise to think that anything is not hack proof.

Thanks Doug. I wondered why I wasn't able to edit my posts. That's why the links on my comment #61 on this thread had double links. I suppose I will enable Java again since I like being able to edit my posts to OKCTalk. According to CNET, two hours ago Oracle (around 6:30 pm Sunday 1-13-12) Oracle released an emergency fix. Tonight I'll be updating Java & reactivating it on my browsers. Oracle releases software update to fix Java vulnerability | Security & Privacy - CNET News (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57563730-83/oracle-releases-software-update-to-fix-java-vulnerability/)

Pete - you may want to ask the software company on which you base OKCTalk to see if they can reprogram it in HTML5 without Java. Although it is unwise to think that anything is not hack proof.

I can edit posts without java's plugin on, not being able to edit posts seemed like it was one of the issues when the site was hacked that would not be restored till after the site was loaded from backups and your browser would clear the cashe.

OKCtalk does not use Java. There is a difference between Java and JavaScript. You turned JavaScript off (which is virtually harmless).

Java is an application (a program) while JavaScript is simply script that runs on a page to allow things to be interactive and not static. There is no harm in running JavaScript, every single website uses it and it would make the viewing experience very bland if this forum did not use it.

Pete - you may want to ask the software company on which you base OKCTalk to see if they can reprogram it in HTML5 without Java. Although it is unwise to think that anything is not hack proof.

Out of curiosity I checked, vBulletin's server side code is written in a language called PHP and their is no java plug-ins running on the client side for at least the common pages.

I'll offer a little more exposition on this, if anyone's interested. If not, just move to your next favorite post :)

Java and JavaScript are often confused due their unfortunately similar name.

The Java system is an entire "runtime" environment that was part of a notion from about ten years ago that embraced the concept of "write once, run anywhere" software. Some folks run Windows, some run Macs, some run (fill in the blank), meaning that the runtime and hardware environments of each system were unique. If someone wrote Really Cool Software 1.0, they had to write a separate version for each environment they wanted to support. The somewhat Plutonian "ideal plane" concept of Java was/is to create a "runtime engine" or "virtual machine" for those various environments that could translate a single set of instructions written in the same language - Java - on anyone's hardware. Write it, "compile" it into Java code, and distribute it to anyone and run it. That held out the tantalizing notion that if I wrote Really Cool Software in Java, any machine for which a Java "virtual machine" existed could run it.

Reality and idealism don't always mesh well, and such was the case with Java. Hardware differences became more real than many expected, and while successful, Java found more of a home on server-side software (less dependent on complex GUI interfaces and such) rather than user desktops. That's obviously not to say it isn't popular on desktops; it obviously is, but not quite to the extent most Java advocates of that era probably had hoped and envisioned. As Internet use blew up, and Java supported the notion of "applets" (mini-applications), a natural fit emerged that allowed java to be leveraged in that nascent Internet world, provided the Browser created a mechanism to access Java - hence the "plug ins" we see everyone talking about.

JavaSCRIPT, on the other hand (and as was noted by catch22), is a much more scope-limited tool, but is responsible for making web applications much more like "conventional" desktop applications, with a rich user interface experience. Where Java programs are "compiled," and run in a Java Virtual Machine, JavaScript programs are really just scripts that are never compiled, and run within the browser's host "script engine." It doesn't touch Java.

Early HTML-based web apps were crude and clumsy for the user. As HTML evolved, the ability to modify and manage the presentation to the user evolved as well, and "Javascript" was born. All "Javascript" is a scripting engine that, in a somewhat simplified description, allows the browser to interact with the page and customize things like colors, fonts, test values, formats and such. JavaScript is sometimes embedded in HTML script, but more contemporary sites roll it into a set of standard script files that are just pulled down from a server somewhere. Scripting languages live in a very specifically defined "sandbox" of rules that prohibit certain inherently dangerous actions with a user's environment outside the browser, such as launching executables. It certainly isn't to suggest JavaScript is foolproof or malevolence-proof, but the kinds of exploits possible in JavaScript are inherently different from those in Java.

JavaScript has become a vital component of probably 99.99% of contemporary websites. Java was never intended as a browser extension, but evolution of the 'Net rolled it into that position, so here we are. Some games do, in fact, depend on Java rolled into the browser, and I suspect at some point those authors are going to have to contemplate their future. HTML5 is emerging rapidly, and its feature set is targeting precisely the kinds of things that tools like Flash and Java have provided over the last several years, making them less vital and, therefore, less relevant. This kind of stigma on Java may well be the beginning of the end of it on desktops - particularly corporate desktops - where security folks have ever-decreasing tolerance these days for new kinds of insecure software. Juggling the problems Windows has presented over the years has been hassle enough....but that's a post for a different day.

The other tech folks on this thread will obviously recognize where I've simplified and condensed some notions (and even at that there's probably more techspeak in here than I intended) so I hope you'll forgive any such liberties, but I hoped in my own way to convey the difference between the two technologies that often confuses folks in the non-tech world...

Bottom line? On the "abundance of caution" side, its a good idea to disable Java now, and deal with the sites that require it on a case-by-case basis. Some places do, in fact, require it. The majority - but not all - of those sites are going to be game-oriented, so the choice may boil down to how important SuperGame23 is to you. My guess is that this issue will force the hand of those with sufficient resources to retarget their apps away from it, but that won't happen overnight.

Edit: One more bit of info on this - the more I read about this problem, the more I find that it is tied to the mechanism that allows Java applets to run within a browser. It's based on what techies call a "privilege escalation" attack, where Evil Code runs where it was never expected or intended to run, and it focuses (ironically enough) on the security mechanism intended to PREVENT those kinds of things. And that's why there's so much specific media attention (rightfully so) on disabling Java in browsers. This kind of attack would not affect installed Java-based applications (apps that have no interest, tie to, or need for an Internet browser), because they'd never touch that Browser/Applet security mechanism.

Is anyone still receiving the following notice when they try to visit www.okctalk.com?

3208

The other issues I was having appear to have been resolved, but I still get this page when I visit this website in Google Chrome. Anyone know why?

OKC Talk seems to be running perfectly on this ancient--and relatively slow--computer (Windows 2000 Professional/IE6/Free Avast version). No more Malware popups at every click or anything like that.

I did notice one thing: I poked around on the Control Panel, located the Java (turned out to be Version 6) icon, opened it, poked around on various tabs until I came to something indicating being able to shut off Java on IE and/or Mozilla, and deselected IE. I guess this disabled Java. As far as I can tell, the only thing not showing up on this site, that was accessable before, is that Census Dot Map on one of the threads.

BTW: I attempted to disable Java on my nearly new laptop (Windows 7/IE8?/Free Avast version) but couldn't even find the program anywhere on it. When I did a search for "Java" all it came back with was how to install the program if you wanted it. Is it possible that Java was never installed on it when the unit was set up?

OKC Talk seems to be running perfectly on this ancient--and relatively slow--computer (Windows 2000 Professional/IE6/Free Avast version). No more Malware popups at every click or anything like that.

I did notice one thing: I poked around on the Control Panel, located the Java (turned out to be Version 6) icon, opened it, poked around on various tabs until I came to something indicating being able to shut off Java on IE and/or Mozilla, and deselected IE. I guess this disabled Java. As far as I can tell, the only thing not showing up on this site, that was accessable before, is that Census Dot Map on one of the threads.

BTW: I attempted to disable Java on my nearly new laptop (Windows 7/IE8?/Free Avast version) but couldn't even find the program anywhere on it. When I did a search for "Java" all it came back with was how to install the program if you wanted it. Is it possible that Java was never installed on it when the unit was set up?

Very possible. There's not nearly as much financial incentive for manufacturers to include Java among the bloatware they insist on blasting most retail PC's these days. Some do, some don't, and if you're not seeing a way to enable/disable it, chances are it really isn't there. And the fact that you've had the machine running happily (presumably) for some time and not had any problems tells you just how prevalent Java isn't in reality - at least on the desktop.

Pete:

I am still getting the same warning from Google Chrome, stating Danger: Malware Ahead.

Only now it is saying OKCTalk contains malware from the website: www.mindyourowngodd***business.net

Just a heads up..

Pete:

I am still getting the same warning from Google Chrome, stating Danger: Malware Ahead.

Only now it is saying OKCTalk contains malware from the website: www.mindyourowngodd***business.net

Just a heads up..

Nick,

That's really not indicative of any current "infection" on OKCTalk. Lemme try to 'splain why....

Chrome tries to be a bit proactive about its malware filtering. Google's servers go out and routinely "test" websites for suspicious activity/payloads/behavior, and builds a "suspect site database" (for lack of a better term) if it thinks something malevolent is being hosted there. Then, when someone tells Chrome to navigate to a site, it runs the URL through that database, and if it finds a "hit", Google will tell Chrome, and Chrome will give you that warning. The warnings I've gotten talk about OKCTalk's having shown up so many times in 90 days. That just means it may take some time for OKCTalk to "clear" Google's test process and work out of its database. You can bypass that warning with a couple of button clicks.

Hope that makes sense.

Is anyone still receiving the following notice when they try to visit www.okctalk.com?

3208

The other issues I was having appear to have been resolved, but I still get this page when I visit this website in Google Chrome. Anyone know why?

SoonerDave, are you getting as well? Do you know what it is or why it's showing up?

Nick,

That's really not indicative of any current "infection" on OKCTalk. Lemme try to 'splain why....

Chrome tries to be a bit proactive about its malware filtering. Google's servers go out and routinely "test" websites for suspicious activity/payloads/behavior, and builds a "suspect site database" (for lack of a better term) if it thinks something malevolent is being hosted there. Then, when someone tells Chrome to navigate to a site, it runs the URL through that database, and if it finds a "hit", Google will tell Chrome, and Chrome will give you that warning. The warnings I've gotten talk about OKCTalk's having shown up so many times in 90 days. That just means it may take some time for OKCTalk to "clear" Google's test process and work out of its database. You can bypass that warning with a couple of button clicks.

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for the info. Obviously I bypassed it. I was just letting Pete know that I was still getting those messages.

SoonerDave, are you getting as well? Do you know what it is or why it's showing up?

Only, for me, I"m about 90% sure its because of an old/cached link to the site. During the earlier updates to the site (not the recent one), the ./forums path redirected to a valid page, but it doesn't anymore, so if you have a bookmark/favorite to the site that references it, you now get the "invalid forum" message. There are other possible explanations, so that's why I'm not 100%, but I'm reasonably sure (from the outside looking in) that it isn't related to any malware-related problem here. I've just been too lazy to kill and recreate the bookmark :)

If you are getting the invalid forum message, please copy and past the URL from your browser.

I suspect it's a cache thing but want to make sure.

If you are getting the invalid forum message, please copy and past the URL from your browser.

I suspect it's a cache thing but want to make sure.

Well, Pete, I dropped and recreated the bookmark, but darned if its not still coming up. So I opened up a fresh browser window, hand-typed the URL, and got it again, so I can tell you that I get the "Invalid forum" from a bookmark that takes me to:

http://okctalk.com/

If I prefix the okctalk.com with "www.", it routes correctly. Hope that helps!

-SoonerDave

Well, Pete, I dropped and recreated the bookmark, but darned if its not still coming up. So I opened up a fresh browser window, hand-typed the URL, and got it again, so I can tell you that I get the "Invalid forum" from a bookmark that takes me to:

http://okctalk.com/

If I prefix the okctalk.com with "www.", it routes correctly. Hope that helps!

-SoonerDave

This makes it seem even more like a caching issue. Neither recreating the bookmark, nor creating a new browser window would clear the browser cache. Plus different canonical names for the same site are treated nearly like different sites by the browsers.

This makes it seem even more like a caching issue. Neither recreating the bookmark, nor creating a new browser window would clear the browser cache. Plus different canonical names for the same site are treated nearly like different sites by the browsers.

Understand that the bookmark is not related to caching. I was seeing what was being returned for a query for the given URL, and didn't want to rely on what the bookmark might be sending behind the scenes.

And I see this behavior on three different computers and one Android phone, inside and outside my local network.

As one other level of curiosity, I just performed an network trace on a browser request for "okctalk.com", and the response is a 301 - Moved Permanently to "http://www.okctalk.com/forums". The same packet also shows an explicit X-Cache MISS from squid's cache (on my firewall).

The netmon trace is consistent with what Chrome reports as the information from its own cache:

http://okctalk.com/
HTTP/1.0 301 Moved Permanently
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:15:13 GMT
Server: LiteSpeed
Location: http://www.okctalk.com/forums/
Content-Type: text/html
Content-Length: 413
X-Cache: MISS from [my-firewall-name-removed]
Via: 1.0 [my-firewall-name-removed]:800 (squid/2.7.STABLE9)
00000000: 32 01 00 00 03 08 00 00 97 9d 8a 21 e3 31 2e 00 2..........!.1..
00000010: e7 d1 8d 21 e3 31 2e 00 f1 00 00 00 48 54 54 50 ...!.1......HTTP
00000020: 2f 31 2e 30 20 33 30 31 20 4d 6f 76 65 64 20 50 /1.0 301 Moved P
00000030: 65 72 6d 61 6e 65 6e 74 6c 79 00 44 61 74 65 3a ermanently.Date:
00000040: 20 54 75 65 2c 20 31 35 20 4a 61 6e 20 32 30 31 Tue, 15 Jan 201
00000050: 33 20 30 35 3a 31 35 3a 31 33 20 47 4d 54 00 53 3 05:15:13 GMT.S
00000060: 65 72 76 65 72 3a 20 4c 69 74 65 53 70 65 65 64 erver: LiteSpeed
00000070: 00 4c 6f 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 3a 20 68 74 74 70 3a .Location: http:
00000080: 2f 2f 77 77 77 2e 6f 6b 63 74 61 6c 6b 2e 63 6f //www.okctalk.co
00000090: 6d 2f 66 6f 72 75 6d 73 2f 00 43 6f 6e 74 65 6e m/forums/.Conten
000000a0: 74 2d 54 79 70 65 3a 20 74 65 78 74 2f 68 74 6d t-Type: text/htm
000000b0: 6c 00 43 6f 6e 74 65 6e 74 2d 4c 65 6e 67 74 68 l.Content-Length
000000c0: 3a 20 34 31 33 00 58 2d 43 61 63 68 65 3a 20 4d : 413.X-Cache: M
000000d0: 49 53 53 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 xx xx xx xx xx xx xx ISS from _______
000000e0: 65 00 56 69 61 3a 20 31 2e 30 20 xx xx xx xx xx e.Via: 1.0 _____
000000f0: xx xx xx 3a 38 30 30 20 28 73 71 75 69 64 2f 32 ___:800 (squid/2
00000100: 2e 37 2e 53 54 41 42 4c 45 39 29 00 00 00 00 00 .7.STABLE9).....
00000110: 98 26 ac d9 0b 2e f4 db 2a c8 63 84 4e 6d 9a dc .&......*.c.Nm..
00000120: 0f 00 00 00 31 39 39 2e 31 39 33 2e 32 34 35 2e ....199.193.245.
00000130: 32 31 37 00 50 00 217.P.


So, unless I"m missing something pretty fundamental, something on the okctalk.com side sure seems to be sending a 301 downstream, and the redirect URL is the one that causes the "Invalid Forum" message...

I was geting the Google Malware Danger Alert late last week. At first when I followed the link with the explanation, it said that they had tested x number of pages but nothing was found (so I don't understand why there was a warning label). I decided not to do it since I was on a work computer (on my break) and tried again from home (both Macs, running different versions of System X, using Firefox). Over the weekend, the warning message/link stated they had found maleware on the site. Tried today (Wed) and no such messages so I presume all is well again in the OKCTalk universe. Thanks Pete!

On edit, before this happened I noticed the ability to format text (bold etc) or "quote" things was missing completely but is back now

I can type in a title for a new thread on Midwest City/Del City, but then I can't enter any text for the message body. WTF?

there are still some issues okctalk.com directs to a mal site .. and the weather thread does as well

I can type in a title for a new thread on Midwest City/Del City, but then I can't enter any text for the message body. WTF?

I've noticed that when editing a post.


there are still some issues okctalk.com directs to a mal site .. and the weather thread does as well

Hmm. Not getting that at all. Have you cleared cache?

We are working on the editing / new thread problem as I'm having it as well.

Hopefully will be resolved soon.

I'm unable to send any private messages; the Subject and Message fields are hidden on the dialog page and only the To and Title textareas are visible. Is this associated with the editing problem?

Yes.

Should have this all cleared up soon.

The mobile style is different and more or less useless now for me on IOS 6

Ditto to flintysooner

Okay, looks like we have the problem solved in terms of adding new threads and writing PM's.

Please let me know if you are still experiencing problems.


Also, the mobile style works fine for me on my iPhone. If it still doesn't look right on your end, please provide specifics.


Thanks.

Also, the mobile style works fine for me on my iPhone. If it still doesn't look right on your end, please provide specifics.
On my iPhone 5 - Safari - iOS 6.02 - in Mobile Style - the message display is normal but when the right arrow link is selected a little box comes up with "loading" and the little loading icon spins and spins. Often for me the next page never displays at all and the loading icon spins forever or until I get tired of it. This may have to do with the length of a thread but I can't say that is always true. If the next page does appear it kind of slides over rather than the old behavior and it never goes to the hash.

On Safari on Windows 7 the mobile style works fine by the way.

I cannot get this problem to replicate on my iPhone 4 and iOS 6.0.1.

Works perfectly fine for me.

I cannot get this problem to replicate on my iPhone 4 and iOS 6.0.1.

Works perfectly fine for me.
I cleared history and cookies and performed a hard reboot of iPhone 5 including clearing all tasks from memory. All now appears to be working as it was before.

Great! Glad to hear it.

*digs for another major issue to cause Pete a few more gray hairs*

j/k :)

Thanks for all the hard work recently.

Pete - the mobile site on IPhone is functioning properly now - was able to post fine. Echoing Venture - thank you so much for getting this mess cleared up!

Pete, have we been hit again? I just tried to get to the Weather thread from What's New and it went off-site to a php script that showed only "ok" on the screen...

EDIT: The Weather thread is OK -- it's "What's New?" itself that returns "http://effect.home.pl/parts/dtd.php" as the result of any search...

Pete, have we been hit again? I just tried to get to the Weather thread from What's New and it went off-site to a php script that showed only "ok" on the screen...

EDIT: The Weather thread is OK -- it's "What's New?" itself that returns "http://effect.home.pl/parts/dtd.php" as the result of any search...

Yeah, when I click "what's new" I get redirected to an "ok" screen also.

Same here - think we've been hit again :(

Nearly every link I tried went to the "home.pl" site with "ok" on the browser, just happened to get this link that took me directly to this particular thread.

EDIT: Important note: I pulled apart the source on the "ok" page, and there's clearly some Javascript being pulled in, trying to do something on the client. Looks like it tries to launch Flash or display an image file, either of which are vectors for what's called a "buffer overrun" attack by constructing a specially formatted image file that has potentially malevolent code in it. Now, I'm not seeing any evidence of anything installed on my box, but just be aware of what might be going on when that "OK" page hits.

Working on it.

Looks like it's contained to threads accessed through the "what's new" tab.

That's my impression also.

I understand that vBulletin has a number of vulnerabilities and I see that the copyright notice at the bottom of each page shows 2008 as the most recent year. Do you have any alternatives? It's obvious that somebody is intent on pwning the site...

EDIT: FWIW, I run Linux here, xubuntu to be exact, and so am a bit more resistant to infection than are Windows users. I'll be glad to help troubleshoot if there's any way I can assist, Pete...

Should be fixed now.

Please advise if you have any other problems.

I'm still having issues with the Bike Bar thread if I try and view it from the New Posts page.

Pete - cleared cache and everything is displaying correctly for me today. I was also getting weird "ok" from new post search.
Thank you for all of your work on this!

Seeing it again on the "New Posts" page.

Guys, many links here are redirecting to "mtiusa.com" to a stock 404 page. I couldn't get a link to the other thread to work , so I posted here while I could. This was on, ironically,.a clean box, and can be repro'd on my phone, so I fear something r is amiss..

Yes, we are aware.

Sorry for the trouble... Working on it now.

Yes, we are aware.

Sorry for the trouble... Working on it now.

Yes, we are aware.

Sorry for the trouble... Working on it now.

Yes, we are aware.

Sorry for the trouble... Working on it now.

Should be cleaned up now.

We are narrowing in on finding the source of this crazy problems.

Pete, most everything is working fine for me. Two things I did notice (within the last 15 minutes):

The "like" options aren't clickable and if you want to send a private message to someone, you can create a title but you can't create the message.

Clear out the cookies?

I'm still having problems starting a new thread. I can enter a title but can't put anything in the body of the post.

I'm still having problems starting a new thread. I can enter a title but can't put anything in the body of the post.

Same...hence why the Feb weather thread isn't up yet. LOL

Working on it...

Should be resolved soon.

Should all be fixed now.

Please let me know if there are any residual issues.

I just tried to "like" your post but I can't.

Same here...

How come the "Maywood Apartments (NE 4th & Oklahoma)" thread comes up with zilch when I click on the last post in the What's New Area? Even if I try to just access it at Page 1, the whole thread is empty.

and after posting this, the link is in red (basically saying it doesn't exist) :(

the sandrige commons thread acts the same way

I, too, am receiving the same blank page/empty thread as OKC and Boulder when visiting "Maywood Apartments" and "SandRidge Commons" and I can't like any posts in this thread.

Those threads should be fixed now.

Please let me know if that's not the case on your end.

Thanks.

Still cannot "like" this message...