Slow Forums: PF Under DDOS Attack

  • Thread starter Borek
  • Start date
In summary: I'm not getting the 503 errors I was getting last night.It's Tuesday morning, March 6th, about 7:30 am EST.In summary, the Physics Forums website has been experiencing slow loading times and errors, particularly the "MySQL server has gone away" error. This is attributed to a DOS attack that occurred on March 5th and is still ongoing. The site moderators are working on fixing the issue and have contacted their data center for assistance. The attack is believed to be from a disgruntled individual or group, and the site is currently being monitored for any further attacks. The site's speed has improved since last night, but it is not yet back to
  • #1
Borek
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Every page opens in 10-30 seconds. I have 166 ms pings, so it is unlikely that the problem is on my side. Plus, at least once so far I have seen "MySQL server has gone away" error.
 
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  • #2


Yes, it is really bad tonight.
 
  • #3


Ditto for the slowness, but getting these errors:

Warning: array_slice() expects parameter 1 to be array, null given in [path]/includes/class_postbit.php(265) : eval()'d code on line 17

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in [path]/includes/class_postbit.php(265) : eval()'d code on line 18

Warning: array_slice() expects parameter 1 to be array, null given in [path]/includes/class_postbit.php(265) : eval()'d code on line 24

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in [path]/includes/class_postbit.php(265) : eval()'d code on line 25
 
  • #4


My computer is on fire.
 
  • #5


The problem seems fixed now..
 
  • #6


Currently not only slow but keep getting messages about failing to connect to www.physicsforums.com at all. Also, PF chat has just dropped me and I can't get back in.
 
  • #7


Greg is working on it.
 
  • #8


we were attacked this morning/afternoon. the firewall is still catching up, so things might still be a little slow for a bit
 
  • #9


I miss chat.
 
  • #10


Greg Bernhardt said:
we were attacked this morning/afternoon. the firewall is still catching up, so things might still be a little slow for a bit

... scientologists?
 
  • #11


Pengwuino said:
... scientologists?

Must be scientologists. Damn you L.Ron!
 
  • #12


Solidarity!
 
  • #13


Pengwuino said:
... scientologists?

Maybe young-earth creationists??
 
  • #14


Can we go back on the chat now?
 
  • #15


Char. Limit said:
Can we go back on the chat now?
Nice to know...I don't want to stress Greg's servers, but chat would be nice.
 
  • #16


Maybe char can set up a youtube social? We can chat there for a while until PF is fully recovered. And we get to listen to cool music (:
 
  • #17


micromass said:
Maybe char can set up a youtube social? We can chat there for a while until PF is fully recovered. And we get to listen to cool music (:

I suppose I could do that.
 
  • #18


It takes several minutes to load a page now, if it works at all. I'm also seeing different fonts than usual, and no background color. (It's white instead of the usual blueish gray).
 
  • #19


What's going on?! It began some time around Mar 5, 23:30 pm EST. I was online checking my replies and it became non-responsive.
 
  • #20


Dickfore said:
What's going on?! It began some time around Mar 5, 23:30 pm EST. I was online checking my replies and it became non-responsive.

We've been hit all day in a DOS attack. Keep the updates coming. Things are running ok for me at the moment.
 
Last edited:
  • #21


Not working well for me at all. Currently 9pm Eastern (March 6th).
 
  • #22


Greg Bernhardt said:
We've been hit all day in a DOS attack.
Maybe it's an angry kid who failed a high-school physics test and feels the need for misplaced revenge. :wink:

Speed varies a lot for me now. It's fast, then really slow, then moderately slow, then fast again.
 
  • #23


Greg Bernhardt said:
we were attacked this morning/afternoon. the firewall is still catching up, so things might still be a little slow for a bit

'Nuf said. I'm activating the PF Sisterhood Militant Reserves.

Who was it, Greg? We'll kick their @ss!
 
  • #24


the attack is still on going. i have contacted our data center to see if they can block the attack before it hits our server.
 
  • #25


finally got the big boys to help out, let me know if there are changes in performance
 
  • #26


Still slow as molasses in winter (in Canada) over here. Things load eventually, but it can take quite a few minutes to do so.
 
  • #27


OK it's better now. I don't know if it's *fixed* but it's certainly better.
 
  • #28


Greg Bernhardt said:
the attack is still on going. i have contacted our data center to see if they can block the attack before it hits our server.

any idea who done it?
 
  • #29


I'm having a hard time even posting here. Does not work well for me.
 
  • #30


2:25 AM EST Southeast Florida. Still somewhat slow here. But functioning. I wonder if the 'big boys' have gotten to the point where they're charting the requests. If that's what's happening.

Ok, the last click to "Preview Post" was fairly quick.

Same with the next.

Now I'm submitting this reply.
 
  • #31


Getting better now, but certainly not like it should. Pages load sometimes like normal, sometimes it looks like 10 seconds.

If you are under attack, then you have enemies, no?
 
  • #32


It's ok now. I wasn't able to post at all last night. I wrote up what was easily the funniest post I ever made and submitted it, but nothing came of it and now I can't remember what I wrote.
 
  • #33


Jimmy Snyder said:
It's ok now. I wasn't able to post at all last night. I wrote up what was easily the funniest post I ever made and submitted it, but nothing came of it and now I can't remember what I wrote.

No one's buying it.
 
  • #34


Pengwuino said:
No one's buying it.

Oh, I am. The exact thing that happened to Jimmy happened to me. What I wrote was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gpjk_MaCGM" type funny. And now it's gone.

Thanks for making us lose the war, hackers. I hope you're happy. :grumpy:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #35


its 6:15AM here in NY
the speed is getting better.
 
<h2>1. What is a DDOS attack?</h2><p>A DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic from multiple sources.</p><h2>2. How does a DDOS attack affect a forum like PF?</h2><p>A DDOS attack can cause a forum like PF to experience slow loading times, errors, and even complete downtime. This is because the server is unable to handle the large amount of incoming traffic, making it difficult for users to access the forum.</p><h2>3. Who is responsible for the DDOS attack on PF?</h2><p>It is difficult to determine the exact source of a DDOS attack as the traffic is coming from multiple sources. It could be a single individual or a group of hackers. The forum administrators are working to mitigate the attack and prevent future ones.</p><h2>4. Is my personal information at risk during a DDOS attack?</h2><p>In most cases, a DDOS attack does not directly target personal information. However, there is always a risk of data breaches during any type of cyber attack. It is important to regularly change your passwords and monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity.</p><h2>5. How long will the forum be under attack?</h2><p>The duration of a DDOS attack can vary, but the forum administrators are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. It is important to be patient and avoid sharing any personal information during this time. You can also check the forum's social media or website for updates on the situation.</p>

1. What is a DDOS attack?

A DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic from multiple sources.

2. How does a DDOS attack affect a forum like PF?

A DDOS attack can cause a forum like PF to experience slow loading times, errors, and even complete downtime. This is because the server is unable to handle the large amount of incoming traffic, making it difficult for users to access the forum.

3. Who is responsible for the DDOS attack on PF?

It is difficult to determine the exact source of a DDOS attack as the traffic is coming from multiple sources. It could be a single individual or a group of hackers. The forum administrators are working to mitigate the attack and prevent future ones.

4. Is my personal information at risk during a DDOS attack?

In most cases, a DDOS attack does not directly target personal information. However, there is always a risk of data breaches during any type of cyber attack. It is important to regularly change your passwords and monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity.

5. How long will the forum be under attack?

The duration of a DDOS attack can vary, but the forum administrators are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. It is important to be patient and avoid sharing any personal information during this time. You can also check the forum's social media or website for updates on the situation.

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