vBulletin 3.x and 4.x Redirect Security Exploit

[Wayne Luke]

This thread is simply too long and too convoluted to provide individual support at this time. If you have an issue that you feel is caused by this or a similar problem, please open your own thread. It is a lot easier to handle support in individual threads instead of large convoluted threads that are a year old.

[Zachery]

Mikesite, that is not the vbcms. That is vBadvanced.

[MikesSite]

For anyone using vBCMS that is having this issue, check this out http://www.vbadvanced.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44720

[Trevor Hannant]

To check a site for compromises follow these steps:

1) Run Suspect File Diagnostics under Maintenance -> Diagnostics. Replace any files not containing the expected contents. Delete any files that are not part of vBulletin and that you can't identify as belonging to your addons.

2) Check the config.php for any suspicious code. It isn't checked by the suspect file diagnostic.

3) Search all templates for iframe tags. They should only appear in the following templates: bbcode_video, editor-ie.css, member.css, stylegenerator.css, vbcms.css, vbulletin.css, help_bbcodes, humanverify_recaptcha, search_common, and search_common_select_type

4) Check all your plugins for rogue include, require, include_once, or require_once code. All files should come from your server and be known to you. See step #7

5) Check your plugins for any base64 code. I recommend using against using any plugins or products that include base64 code in them. However some "lite" or branded addons will include this as a means to prevent you from cheating the author. You'll have to make a personal call on these if you use them. This is often a sign of a hacked site.

6) Make sure that your plugins do not include calls to exec(), system(), or pass_thru() or iframes. These are also often signs of a hacked site.

The following query can be run in phpMyAdmin and will provide results for steps 5 and 6 -
SELECT title, phpcode, hookname, product FROM plugin WHERE phpcode LIKE '%base64%' OR phpcode LIKE '%exec%' OR phpcode LIKE '%system%' OR phpcode like '%pass_thru%' OR phpcode like '%iframe%';

If you a plugin that you can't read or the code is obfuscated then you should probably contact the addon author. If it is assigned to the vBulletin, vBulletin CMS, vBulletin Blog or Skimlink products, delete it.

7) Using PHPMyAdmin run this query: SELECT styleid, title, template FROM template WHERE template LIKE '%base64%' OR template LIKE '%exec%' OR template LIKE '%system%' OR template like '%pass_thru%' OR template like '%iframe%';

It checks the templates for compromising code. You will need to review the results from this. If you can't read it or the code is obfuscated then you should revert the template in the Admin CP.

8) Check .htaccess to make sure there are no redirects there.

9) Check all plugins in reference to cache or cookies. If they are similar to any of the above, delete them.

[FourTwenty]

How do we test to see if we are effected?

[niteflyer32]

The Remote YUI is set to Google.

[Trevor Hannant]

Are you still using the Remote YUI or has it reverted back?

[niteflyer32]

We upgraded to 4.1.5 from 4.1.1 and have the Google myfilestore.com redirect. I don't see any funny files on the server. We set the User Remote YUI to Google before the upgrade and that appeared to fix the issue. Now after the upgrade we seem to have the exploit again.

We are not running vbSEO

[Lee G]

I found that the forum display edit was something to do with me.
Found that one edited on my hard drive.
Had a hard drive take a permanent vacation since that happened.

The strange thing with the other two files, they were only found on the forums and none of the other websites I own
Files similar to those would have been in other locations, local websites etc
Looking at the wording, they look like some kind of hacker tag
Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are all easy to see who they are for
Im watching my error logs to see if any hits do show for those files

The good news on the remote database access on localhost, it has not come back in two weeks

[BirdOPrey5]

Im going deeper and deeper into the files now

Found two html files on the server which I cant find any mention of on the net

Phrase: "# when back again awoke it came the sounds i and rainedslowly"
File: "ydnGKPFcq.html"
Url to Check: "http://www.thespainforum.com/ydnGKPFcq.html" 

That file was called ydnGKPFcq.html

And

Phrase: "# spirits but of troop blest a"
File: "ydnA6MIKw.html"
Url to Check: "http://www.thespainforum.com/ydnA6MIKw.html" 

File called ydnA6MIKw.html

Both files have been on the server for over year
12 December 2008, 19:46:24
07 February 2009, 23:23:20

It is possible those are files used to confirm you owned your website... sites like Google Webmaster Tools, Alexa, and others require a webmaster to upload files like that to prove ownership. While I haven't seen this specific format of file before, it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw what you posted. Are you sure you didn't upload such files to "prove" ownership in the past? Is there anyone else with FTP access who may have had reason to do so?

[Lee G]

It gets better. I have now found a forumdisplay.php file which has April last year as its date
April last year I had a definite redirect in place
If there had been need to edit it for a mod, there would normally be a note in there
Just uploaded the original
I run the file checker on vb and it never picked up that file
I dont think any mods from the org have ever required that file to be edited in any way
I have a copy of the file if anyone wants to look it over
Looks like another password change is on the way

[djbaxter]

If this were me, I would:

1. delete those files immediately; and

2. change all my server and FTP and database passwords.

[Lee G]

Im going deeper and deeper into the files now

Found two html files on the server which I cant find any mention of on the net

Phrase: "# when back again awoke it came the sounds i and rainedslowly"
File: "ydnGKPFcq.html"
Url to Check: "http://www.thespainforum.com/ydnGKPFcq.html" 

That file was called ydnGKPFcq.html

And

Phrase: "# spirits but of troop blest a"
File: "ydnA6MIKw.html"
Url to Check: "http://www.thespainforum.com/ydnA6MIKw.html" 

File called ydnA6MIKw.html

Both files have been on the server for over year
12 December 2008, 19:46:24
07 February 2009, 23:23:20

[Lee G]

Posted before checking my hard drive, there was a pol1 release with the file in it

[BirdOPrey5]

Envolve uses base64 encoding to encode usernames, that's why it set off the check 4 hack mod.