Livin it One Day at A Time

Well, the black plague has begun to lift, and hopefully I’ll be able to blog a bit more. That being said, I just have to say I hate spammers.

Some of you may thing that you know of the pain I talk of, but I say nay nay. I have to deal with spammers as the system administrator of Mission.net (a place for Return Missioniaries to look for companions, etc). Not only do I have to fight the comment spam, the spam that I get in the e-mail, but I have to protect this host from being used to relay spam. Somehow the spammers seem to feel that their message is so important, that it has to get to you somehow.

I was in the midst of rolling around on my couch, feeling sorry for myself, and making moaning noises (unfortunatly, no one was around to be sympathetic, so those noises went to waste).

Anyways, after the second trip to the doctors, I needed to check something on mission.net and found the following on the server


total 2948
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Dec 17 13:24 .
drwxr-x--- 19 root root 4096 Dec 18 15:47 ..
-rwxr--r-- 1 apache apache 33927 Dec 14 16:54 a
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 33927 Dec 14 16:54 a.1
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 33927 Dec 16 06:54 a.2
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 33927 Dec 16 06:54 a.3
drwxr-xr-x 6 apache apache 4096 Dec 16 12:26 .access.log
-rw------- 1 root apache 53 Dec 4 22:58 apache
-rwxr-xr-x 1 apache apache 4172 Dec 3 09:58 cback
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 4172 Dec 3 09:58 cback.1
-rw------- 1 apache apache 8405 Dec 6 14:23 impattI1aPTY
-rwxr-xr-x 1 apache apache 100 Dec 15 22:34 listen
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 100 Dec 15 22:34 listen.1
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 109 Dec 16 05:29 listen.2
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 109 Dec 16 05:29 listen.3
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 1406 Dec 16 09:16 listen.log
-rwxr--r-- 1 apache apache 462172 Dec 15 23:41 pin
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 462172 Dec 15 23:41 pin.1
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 462172 Dec 16 00:42 pin.2
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 462172 Dec 16 00:42 pin.3
-rwxr--r-- 1 apache apache 462396 Dec 16 02:50 pini
-rw-r--r-- 1 apache apache 462396 Dec 16 02:50 pini.1
drwxr-xr-x 3 apache apache 4096 Nov 29 12:33 .test


For the few of you who aren’t hard core computer geeks, this means someone found an exploit with the webserver, and have been writing files, and getting them to do things.

As I explore more, I head over to .access.log (this is a trick that crackers like to use, it makes the file invisable, unless you are looking for it). In this directory I find


httpd livezone log proc run y2kupdate
lang livezone.old motd psybnc.pid scripts


So these yo-yos are spamming-crackers. They get onto a machine, then use the machine to relay mail spam. Most of the time, these hosts are sold to spamming companies as relays.


Fri Dec 16 15:27:01 :Listener created :0.0.0.0 port 8520
Fri Dec 16 15:27:01 :psyBNC2.3.1-cBtITLdDMSNp started (PID :11515)
Fri Dec 16 15:27:01 :Loading all Users..
Fri Dec 16 15:27:01 :Bogus scripting Line in scripts/DEFAULT.SCRIPT Line 50: puthel"; echo PART "$P5"
Fri Dec 16 15:27:01 :Bogus scripting Line in scripts/DEFAULT.SCRIPT Line 53: puthel"; echo PART "$P5"
Fri Dec 16 15:27:01 :Bogus scripting Line in scripts/DEFAULT.SCRIPT Line 50: puthel"; echo PART "$P5"
Fri Dec 16 15:27:01 :Bogus scripting Line in scripts/DEFAULT.SCRIPT Line 53: puthel"; echo PART "$P5"
Fri Dec 16 15:27:06 :User ovidiu () trying helsinki.fi.eu.undernet.org port 6667 (www.mission.net).
Fri Dec 16 15:27:07 :User ovidiu () connected to helsinki.fi.eu.undernet.org:6667 (www.mission.net)
Fri Dec 16 15:27:07 :User ovidiu () got disconnected (from helsinki.fi.eu.undernet.org) Reason: Your host is trying to (re)connect too fast -- throttled
Fri Dec 16 15:27:21 :User senz () trying diemen.nl.eu.undernet.org port 6667 (www.mission.net).
Fri Dec 16 15:27:21 :User senz () connected to diemen.nl.eu.undernet.org:6667 (www.mission.net)
Fri Dec 16 15:27:21 :User senz () got disconnected (from diemen.nl.eu.undernet.org) Reason: Your host is trying to (re)connect too fast -- throttled
Fri Dec 16 15:27:36 :User ovidiu () trying diemen.nl.eu.undernet.org port 6667 (www.mission.net).
Fri Dec 16 15:27:36 :User ovidiu () connected to diemen.nl.eu.undernet.org:6667
(www.mission.net)
Fri Dec 16 15:27:36 :User ovidiu () got disconnected (from diemen.nl.eu.undernet.org) Reason: Your host is trying to (re)connect too fast -- throttled
Fri Dec 16 15:27:51 :User senz () trying lelystad.nl.eu.undernet.org port 6667 (www.mission.net).


You then see this program jumping onto IRC (Internet Relay Chat) where a user can start using this machine to relay spam. It also launches it’s own webserver and many other fun things, that, well, just make me angry.

After archiving all this data, I fixed the exploit they used, removed the cron (a scheduler) and killed all other proccesses being used by the webserver, I restarted the host, confirmed everything was working correctly and I’ve been watching it ever since then.

Right now, the host is getting *lots* of traffic from the remote users trying to use http to control the spamming software, but since it’s no longer around, they can no longer use it. So they are just eating up network sockets waiting.


0 0 mail.mission.net:http ip177-131.netcathost.:34522 TIME_WAIT -
tcp 0 0 mail.mission.net:http ip177-131.netcathost.:34521 TIME_WAIT -
tcp 0 0 mail.mission.net:http ip177-131.netcathost.:34520 TIME_WAIT -
tcp 0 0 www.mission.net:http cache02.nyc.untd.com:62834 TIME_WAIT -
warning, got duplicate tcp line.
tcp 0 0 mail.mission.net:http ip177-131.netcathost.:34515 TIME_WAIT -
tcp 0 0 mail.mission.net:http ip177-131.netcathost.:34514 TIME_WAIT -
tcp 0 0 mail.mission.net:http ip177-131.netcathost.:34513 TIME_WAIT -
tcp 0 0 mail.mission.net:http ip177-131.netcathost.:34512 TIME_WAIT -
tcp 0 0 www.mission.net:http egspd42114.ask.com:40794 TIME_WAIT -


You know, I have better things to do while sick than combatting spamming l0s3rs.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Most of you may have already seen this little display of Christmas Cheer.

All I have to say, is this man is my hero. All those Christmas lights, synchronized.

I think I may have to go stock up on some lights myself…

More info here and here

Popularity: 11% [?]

As happens almost every year, I get sick near the end of the year.

I think it’s because of the crazy stress of trying to get everything wrapped up, just so I can get next year started.

Anyways, I’m here, sitting in my “Sugar Daddy” PJs, sucking down all manner of medicine, running the vaporizer, and just feeling all around crappy.

One hopes that I don’t get the Pnemonia again.

But I hate going to the doctor. I think that’s the stereo typical male in me.

I hate doctors. It doesn’t help that my work changed providers, and now I *can’t* go to the one I went to.

That sucks.

Anways, I’m going to finish up some email, write some comments in the blog, and then pass out on the couch.

If I’m lucky.

Popularity: 8% [?]

I went to a BNL concert with “the girl” this weekend. It was fun, it was a blast.

I’ll write up a review about it as soon as I can get the photos copied over.

I’m beat though. I’ve been running on fumes the last month or so.

I’m looking forward to my vacation much like a deer looks for the headlights of the oncoming truck.

Didn’t make sense? That’s like half the stuff that’s coming out my mouth.

I’m still trying to catch up on all the projects/work/callings/hobbies that I have. It’s not working. Hopefully a nice stretch of two weeks will get me a little less serious and a lot more goofy.

Popularity: 3% [?]

On the heels of the BYUi article, comes another one from Time Magazine.

Now before I start my rant, I’ve been told by *more* than one person, that they are suprised what I write.

Do any of you find that as well? Are there reasons why? Am I doctrinely wrong? Am I making the Female Gender upset with me?

Anyways, the Times article quotes Elder Oaks (of the Twelve) in a talk he gave.

A talk he gave around May 1st. In this talk, he said “Hanging Out is Not OK”, and listed the three P’s. I can’t help but feel that this article is a bit late though…..

The one part I remember is “Close the Pantries.”, in fact, I posted about my plight aftewards here.

I found the article interesting, especially since I also wrote about the other article about the growing singles population on in this article.

So.. Onto the article: Alone in the Pews

The church has tried to do some adjusting itself. Since the 1970s, it has ministered to single members through singles wards, congregations specifically for unmarried 18-to-30-year-olds. In the past five years the number of those congregations has jumped to more than 500, from 300.

That’s an addition of 200 units! That’s over 50 units a year! For me, that’s a huge number, especially if you figure 60 avg people attending x 200 units. Over 12000 additional Young Singles are Young Single Congregations.

Marie Wilson, who converted to the LDS faith 10 years ago, is the only never married member of the singles group in her Winston-Salem, N.C., ward and, at 35, the youngest by at least a decade. Her church friends, she says, “can’t relate because most of them have been married since they were in their early 20s. I’ve lived alone my entire life.”

I think this has been brought up in most of those other articles. There are the two groups. Those who are able to get married fast, and after the mission, and those who get married a big bit later.

I was recently at a SAMS club, eating my Saturday lunch (aka, walking up and down the samples isle) talking with one of the samples ladies (I’ve become good friends with, surprising. Really) when she was enquiring about my love life. Along came some people, looking to get some sample sugar cookies when they heard her and I talking. They managed to hear me and the samples lady discussing what we though, and the guy said something to the affect of “Don’t let her pressure you, it took me until I was 40 to find my wife *As he hugged her* and I wouldn’t give her up for anything”. The samples lady then shoooed them away with something like “No COOKIES for YOU!”.

Anyways, this is becoming a sociatal norm. Is it good? Is it right? I don’t know. I do see a widening gap between the world and the Church on this issue. I can see why it’s easier for people to slowly fade into in activity as they get older. The world just doesn’t have the expectations that the Church Culture does.

Even in Manhattan–with a vast support network of unmarried Mormons–Jeffrey Jackson, 27, says he and friends in his singles ward immediately put “more focus on one-on-one relationships,” proposing more dates and trying to consider their female friends as potential wives.

All I can say is yea.

Despite what I think a few girls think, there is no vast male consipiracy to not date or not get married. Most men do want to get married.

It’s just that ya’ll are smart and intimidating and stuff.

Actually, I don’t know. I don’t know what the root problem is, so I have no idea what the solution is.

Thus, I am not an advice columnist.

I’m just having fun on this journey called life.

Popularity: 16% [?]

In my copious amounts of spare time I was reading some of Redlaw’s blog when I saw a link to Miss Nemisis’s blog. Along with her blog, was her mans blog (how’s that for blog tag?). I took a gander, and found a very interesting article.

l

Smart Women Intimidate Men

There are gems all over the place in this article..

In a preview entitled “What’s a modern girl to do,” Dowd cites a 2005 report by British researchers finding that the higher a woman’s IQ, the less chance she had of having a family. The reverse was true for men.

So the thing that bothers me the most, girls acting like they are ditzy (girls I *know* are smart) is a defense mechinism? A way to attract guys? Since us guys don’t want someone who can beat us at scrabble?

I’m fine with a girl beating me at scrabble. Now pop culture Trivial Pursuit. Well, I don’t have to worry about a girl beating me there…

Never to fear though, later on in the article it says.

While some BYU-Idaho women do experience problems with intimidated men, many Latter-day Saint men desire to marry intelligent women. Their support for educating women does not wane. Actually at BYU-I, it flourishes.

Alas, they never really interview a guy, they just talk to a dad who has a bunch of girls…

Hmmmmmm.

According to Looking Out, Looking In, a book that explores interpersonal communication, while humans like to be around talented people, there are differences between men and women. Studies suggest that women are impressed by people who seem completely competent, whereas men need to see some human flaws.

Anyone find this true?

And finally

He said that naturally men like females who are dependent. Men want to be needed. Women who don’t need them intimidate them.

So basically, us men like our damsels in distress.

Or our damsels who look like they are in distress.

Or act like it.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Looks like Serenity may be making a direct to video sequal acording to IGN. Joss’s camp is denying the rumours though.

Popularity: 1% [?]