Blog Documentation Try Vanilla Cloud
Please upgrade here. These earlier versions are no longer being updated and have security issues.
HackerOne users: Testing against this community violates our program's Terms of Service and will result in your bounty being denied.
Options

Trying to upgrade vanilla forum because my forum js was infected*

avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭
edited March 2014 in Vanilla 2.0 - 2.8

When I navigate to my homepage I just get this error:-

Fatal error: Call-time pass-by-reference has been removed in /homepages/34/d260127691/htdocs/forum/plugins/AutoLink/class.autolink.plugin.php on line 114

«1345

Comments

  • Options
    vrijvlindervrijvlinder Papillon-Sauvage MVP
    edited March 2014

    ok, go to your config.php and find the offending enabled plugin then put FALSE so it is disabled. Delete the ini files from the catch. See if that fixes it.

    ❌ ✊ ♥. ¸. ••. ¸♥¸. ••. ¸♥ ✊ ❌

  • Options
    x00x00 MVP
    edited March 2014

    in other word you cant do YourFunction(&$Variable); in modern php

    but you can declare a function with an argument which passes by reference, there is no need to declare it at call time. However objects pass by reference anyway.

    grep is your friend.

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭
    edited March 2014

    @vrijvlinder thank you so much yet again. I edited config.php as suggested and all appears well again. Not sure how to clear ini files from catch though? and can I delete and re-install the faulty plugin now?

    @x00 I'm sure your instructions are spot on but way over my head I'm afraid. I need simple basic explanations as I'm not at all technical. Thanks for the reply though.

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭

    Deleted ini files from "cache"

  • Options
    vrijvlindervrijvlinder Papillon-Sauvage MVP
    edited March 2014

    can I delete and re-install the faulty plugin now?

    Yes but don't delete it from the dashboard, remember what happened last time ....

    ❌ ✊ ♥. ¸. ••. ¸♥¸. ••. ¸♥ ✊ ❌

  • Options
    ShadowdareShadowdare r_j MVP
    edited March 2014

    This seems to be related to the Auto Link plugin. Plugin authors will be able to notice discussions related to their plugins easier when discussions are made under their plugin pages.

    Are you using Auto Link 1.4.1? I downloaded that version, looked around line 114 of that file, and don't see any function calls with references passed in as an argument.

    You can find out more about what causes the "call-time pass-by-reference has been removed" error at the PHP website: http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.references.pass.php

    Add Pages to Vanilla with the Basic Pages app

  • Options
    peregrineperegrine MVP
    edited March 2014

    You also probably want to upgrade your forum as well as all plugins. you are using a version of vanilla that doesn't have the latest security fixes and you are most likely using older version of plugins. since as shadowdare points out there are no function calls with references passed in argument in autolink 1.4.1

    you have also probably changed some other things, as you didn't see this error before.

    if you are using unmodified plugins downloaded from the add-ons section of the forum - you can use version checker to see what plugins have been updated.... (as with all plugins, probably not worth reporting problems with older versions).

    http://vanillaforums.org/addon/versioncheck-plugin

    far worse than any plugin causing a problem is not implementing security fixes in vanilla. your version of vanilla is insecure.

    I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭

    I've tried upgrading four or five times now, following various instructions and every time the forum won't work so I have to restore to a previous backup. If I delete everything but the database and start from scratch with a new Vanilla install, then re-install and enable my addons will it all work from the info in the database? I think it's my only option as I now have a seriously infected js folder.

    Also if this is possible, should I go straight to 2.1 ?

  • Options
    whu606whu606 I'm not a SuperHero; I just like wearing tights... MVP

    @‌avantime4mike

    You can make a clean install of Vanilla, with a new DB, and then point it at your old DB by editing the DB details in config.php, and deleting the ini files in the cache folder.

    2.1 is not released for production sites, so you can go with it if you wnat, but be aware there may be glitches.

  • Options
    hgtonighthgtonight ∞ · New Moderator

    @avantime4mike‌ you should be running 2.0.18.10. I believe that is what @peregrine was alluding to.

    Search first

    Check out the Documentation! We are always looking for new content and pull requests.

    Click on insightful, awesome, and funny reactions to thank community volunteers for their valuable posts.

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭

    That sounds like the least complicated option so I'll give it a try, I'll avoid 2.1 for now.
    Thanks guys.

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭

    One last question, is tagging data in the database? (so it will still be there after my re-install)

  • Options
    hgtonighthgtonight ∞ · New Moderator

    @avantime4mike said:
    One last question, is tagging data in the database? (so it will still be there after my re-install)

    Yes.

    Search first

    Check out the Documentation! We are always looking for new content and pull requests.

    Click on insightful, awesome, and funny reactions to thank community volunteers for their valuable posts.

  • Options
    peregrineperegrine MVP
    edited March 2014

    @avantime4mike

    @whu606 said:
    @‌avantime4mike

    You can make a clean install of Vanilla, with a new DB, and then point it at your old DB by editing the DB details in config.php, and deleting the ini files in the cache folder.

    2.1 is not released for production sites, so you can go with it if you wnat, but be aware there may be glitches.

    this example uses 2.2.2.3 as the new version. if you follow the steps and susbstitute 2.2.2.3 with the number of the version you plan to use. the steps are the same. I've done this with both 2.1b2 and 2.0.18.10. and it works if you pay attention to the steps.

    http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/24793/yet-another-vanilla-upgrade-and-duplication-tutorial

    actually this discussion TITLE should be.....

    "Trying to upgrade vanilla forum because my forum js was infected"

    I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭
    edited March 2014

    actually this discussion TITLE should be.....

    "Trying to upgrade vanilla forum because my forum js was infected"

    That's because I don't know what I'm talking about and the problems I encounter are not caused by what I think they are caused by................I think?

    Edit: The title has already been changed, that's not what I called it.

  • Options
    peregrineperegrine MVP
    edited March 2014

    actually this discussion TITLE should be.....

    "Trying to upgrade vanilla forum because my forum js was infected"

    I was just telling the moderators to make a more suitable title.

    @avantime4mike

    are you having any luck.

    I may not provide the completed solution you might desire, but I do try to provide honest suggestions to help you solve your issue.

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭

    I've replaced my js folder with a backup for now. Will do the upgrade later tonight (UK time).

    Thanks.

  • Options
    vrijvlindervrijvlinder Papillon-Sauvage MVP

    You should scan your site regularly https://www.virustotal.com

    ❌ ✊ ♥. ¸. ••. ¸♥¸. ••. ¸♥ ✊ ❌

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭
    edited March 2014

    Almost there. I got a bit lost following the instructions again so haven't done everything quite as directed. I'm at the point now where I have two forums running.
    The old (suspect infected) one at
    http://www.avantime-owners.com/forum
    and the new one at
    http://www.avantime-owners.com/newvanilla
    All the addons are in place and enabled. The database for the newvanilla installation is much bigger than the old one but empty (1024mb). The old database is getting full at 100mb so a good opportunity too to move to the bigger one.

    If I now backup the original database and use this backup to overwrite the new one is there anything else I will need to do apart from tell everyone the new address and delete the old forum and database?

    This is the nervous bit where I'm worried it's all going to go wrong.

  • Options
    avantime4mikeavantime4mike ✭✭

    As stated above I have created a new 1024mb database with a view to transferring the data from the existing 100mb database at the same time as a clean upgraded vanilla install. As the existing data file is greater than 49mb, I cannot use an ftp client to transfer the database. Using the instructions available on my hosts help pages detailing the use of SSH and "PuTTY" here:- http://faq.1and1.co.uk/web_space__access/mysql/15.html I followed the instructions to the letter. However at the final stage of the process I am presented with the following error:- ERROR 1044 (42000) at line 12: Access denied for user 'dbo52*****91'@'%' to database 'db26*****38'
    I assume this error means I cannot overwrite a database with a backup from a different database.

    I now have two working forums, one nice clean upgraded with empty 1024mb database and a second, clogged up, possibly infected one with a 100mb database over half full of all my previous discussions etc.

    Any ideas as to how best to proceed?

Sign In or Register to comment.