Fixing the "No Thread Specified" Error -- Removing the Enctype

[Mike Sullivan]

Fixing the "No (Forum/Thread) Specified" Error

Why it's happening
There was recently a security issue discovered in PHP's file (POST) uploading function. As a result, many hosts not running the secure version (4.1.2) have disabled file uploading (specifically, the file_uploads php.ini setting). With file uploads off, it seems that all POST data coming from a multipart/form-data encoded form (the type required for file uploading) is not correctly set.

How it can be fixed
The best way would probably be to get your host to upgrade to PHP 4.1.2 and reenable file_uploads, but that's not always feasible. Thus, the workaround is to remove the encoding from 4 templates in vBulletin: editpost, modifyavatar, newreply, and newthread.

Procedure (click the images for a full size version)
Note: this example only shows the procedure for newthread; it is *very* similar for the other templates.

1) Login to your control panel and click on "modify" in the Templates section of the left frame.


2) In the resulting page on the right frame, click "show all" by the appropriate template set (normally "Default")


3) Scroll down until you find the newthread template (it's in alphabetical order despite the groupings). Click either "change original" or "edit" next to the template name as appropriate (you'll have one or the other).


4) In the text area box, search/look for the following text:
enctype="multipart/form-data"

Simply remove (or comment out) this text and submit.

5) Repeat for editpost, modifyavatar, and newreply.

Note that you won't be able to attach any files without this encoding even if file_uploads is on. You'll need to replace it before any uploading functions will begin to function again.

[leibhart]

should i upgrade if i'm not having problems with 2.2.2?

my hosting company installed the php patch & everything is fine since then. i didn't change templates.

so do i still need to do this upgrade? thanks j

[Steve Machol]

Originally posted by leibhart
should i upgrade if i'm not having problems with 2.2.2?

Version 2.2.3 also contains a fix for a security hole. Read the announcement for more information.

[amsch]

If we have upgraded to 2.2.4 and our php is PHP 4.1.2 the files are on. And we are still having this problem? I am bit confused by do we need to edit those files? because I no longer have those variables in those files. What do we need to change it to?

[Steve Machol]

Originally posted by amsch
I am bit confused by do we need to edit those files? because I no longer have those variables in those files.

What files? What variables?

[amsch]

enctype="multipart/form-data"
that is not there to remove it has the $enctype instead with 2.2.4.
and I am still having the posting problems. It times out and gives me the no thread specified error.

[Steve Machol]

Revert these templates:

editpost
modifyavatar
newreply
newthread

[amsch]

the revert before I upgraded to 2.2.4 and did not make any changes to them since. so what should I do to them now so people can reply? I appreciate you taking the time to answer me.

[Steve Machol]

I don't understand. If you reverted those templates, then they will already have enctype in them.

[amsch]

I am sorry if I wasn't clear in my first post.
Here is what I am running,
linux 6.2
PHP 4.1.2
apache 1.3.23
mysql 3.23.49

VB 2.2.4 and I am still having the no thread specified problem.
file_uploads is on.

Here is my settings also.
[mysqld]
port=3306


set-variable = max_connections=500
set-variable = key_buffer=16M
set-variable = myisam_sort_buffer_size=64M
set-variable = join_buffer=2M
set-variable = record_buffer=2M
set-variable = sort_buffer=3M
set-variable = table_cache=1024
set-variable = thread_cache_size=512
set-variable = wait_timeout=7200
set-variable = connect_timeout=10


[safe_mysqld]
open_files_limit=8192
#err-log=/var/log/mysql/error.log
pid-file=/var/run/mysqld.pid


[mysqldump]
quick
set-variable = max_allowed_packet=64M


[myisamchk]
set-variable = key_buffer=32M
set-variable = sort_buffer=32M
set-variable = read_buffer=16M
set-variable = write_buffer=16M

[Steve Machol]

Create a phpinfo.php file with the following content, upload it to your server, then post the URL here.

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

[amsch]

http://www.20ishparents.com/phpinfo.php

[Steve Machol]

The major differance I see in your phpinfo from mine is that I don't have a value for 'upload_tmp_dir' while you show this as '/tmp'

If you have access to /tmp. try chmod'ing it to 777.

[amsch]

I do not think I have access to that but letting them know. On a side note? what are the permissions that my boards should be set to in directory? could that be the problem?

[Steve Machol]

Well if your system is using the /tmp directory for all file uploads, then this directory needs to be set to be world-writeable and readable, i.e., 777.