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Thomas R. Shemanske - [webwork-user] server hack attempt

Thomas R. Shemanske - [webwork-user] server hack attempt

by Arnold Pizer -
Number of replies: 0
inactiveTopic[webwork-user] server hack attempt topic started 1/23/2004; 7:45:22 AM
last post 1/23/2004; 8:22:02 AM
userThomas R. Shemanske - [webwork-user] server hack attempt  blueArrow
1/23/2004; 7:45:22 AM (reads: 915, responses: 1)
I am posting this for Richard Bayne (bayne@scs.howard.edu) who posted it to webwork-user@math.dartmouth.edu instead of this list.

-TRS


Dear list,
Being new to running a WeBWorK server, there are new things happening every day causing me no end ofwonderment. This afternoon I received the messages below from my server. I am wondering what steps I should now take. Thanks.
                        Richard Bayne


Attempt to hack into WeBWorK
 Remote Host is: 138.238.83.23
probSetKey=136582;probNum=3;Mode=HTML;show_old_answers=1;user=aadams;key=yg%2FJ9d3j9wsrss3%2Fuh2%2FFXrUOAl145%21t1xAia9VV;course=math026;x=47;y=4


Attempt to hack into WeBWorK
 Remote Host is: 64.12.96.234
AnSwEr1=;AnSwEr2=6x;doNotRecordAns=0;ShowHint=0;ShowAns=0;ShowSol=0;probNum=7;probSetKey=598106;show_old_answers=1;answer_form_submitted=1;course=math026;user=jjohnson;key=egTmffBCJdc%2FOoXf0JcBy7n3ArdZk0nfXhAImhdz;action=Submit%20Answers;Mode=HTML_dpng
_______________________________________________

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userArnold K. Pizer - Re: [webwork-user] server hack attempt  blueArrow
1/23/2004; 8:22:02 AM (reads: 1132, responses: 0)

Hi Richard,

You can probably safely ignore this.  It indicates that the student tried to access WeBWorK in a strange way that could be an attempt to "hack into WeBWorK".  For example the student may have tried to access WeBWorK pretending to be someone else.  WeBWorK's response is to send the student a message "Please do not attempt to hack into WeBWorK" and to email you (the webwork administrator).  This in itself is usually sufficient to stop such attempts.  You see such messages very rarely and I haven't seen one for several  years at Rochester.  In fact it's been so long that I really would have to look at the code to tell you precisely what triggers the message.  The point is that if WeBWorK is accessed normally, such a message will never be triggered so the student was trying to do something strange (and possibly devious).

 

Arnie

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