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Hello!

We want to notify a security issue in the Drupal plugin. https://www.drupal.org/sa-contrib-2019-010

We are working on this and after a couple of hours, a new release will be ready.

Update

The issue depends on the option “SpamFireWall”. We have fixed that and send the new version to the Drupal Team for approval.

While they are approving it, you can disable the option: Drupal Admin Page —> Modules —> OTHER category —> Anti-Spam by CleanTalk (Configure) —> disable “SpamFireWall”

The latest update on Feb 02 2019

We received the last answer and we hope that this
Monday new release will be approved. https://twitter.com/DamienMcKenna/status/1091507312056037377

At the moment we still haven’t received a response and the fixed version is still on validation.
Feb 06 2019.

Latest news.
We are pleased to inform you that the fixed version of our Drupal Plugin has been approved. https://www.drupal.org/project/cleantalk

Please, update your plugin. 

Thank you!

Use of temporary email addresses for registration/comments and messages is one of the attributes of spam.

What’s wrong with using temporary email addresses? You will never be able to contact this customer and your marketing will not work. If this user forgets login/pass he will never be able to restore them.

CleanTalk Anti-Spam has added a new parameter that considers of using a temp email in posts and these email will have an additional spam score. We don’t use a strong filtration for these emails, there must be more than one of the spam parameters.

How spammers circulate website spam? They use infected with viruses computers, hacked websites or they buy servers to spread spam.

In ordinary situations, websites do not send any comments (POST requests) to other websites and if that happens it is a certain sign of a hacked website.

Each hosting provider has its own IP range it uses for websites and servers, therefore receiving traffic (comments, registrations, messages) from these IPs looks very suspicious.

That’s why we added a new parameter to distinguish spam. It determines if an IP belongs to the hosting provider networks. If yes then all traffic coming from it will be checked with stricter tests.

As a result, the CleanTalk Service catches spam more precisely.

About CleanTalk service

CleanTalk is a cloud-based service for protecting websites from spambots. CleanTalk uses protection methods that are invisible to the visitors of the website. This allows you to opt out of methods of protection that require the user to prove that he is human (captcha, question-answer, etc.).

Recently we wrote that we made IPv6 support in the anti-spam plugin. But not only spammers began to use IPv6, for other types of attacks on sites, attackers also use them.

We implemented support for IPv6 in the security plugin for WordPress  Updated methods of IP addresses determination, storage and transfer of information to the cloud.

We had to teach the plugin to distinguish, standardize, search for subnets and store IPv6 addresses. Despite a lot of different ready-made solutions had to do its implementation and the main problem is that PHP can be compiled with different parameters, and in general may be an outdated version, so had to do everything from scratch.

As soon as we get the IP address we check whether it is valid and its type.

Then we define its belonging to the IP frequency range or the CDN range (If there are headings of a specific CDN). And here was the main difficulty, as it was necessary to realize all this independently, and at the same time to remind ourselves what is what.

It was decided to make the subnet search universal, so that it could receive IPv4 and IPv6 on the input, and if desired also IPv7, if we live. The only thing that is strictly prescribed is the X-theta base (octet for IPv4 and hexestate for IPv6). Naturally, recursion…

 /*
	 * Check if the IP belong to mask.  Recursive.
	 * Octet by octet for IPv4
	 * Hextet by hextet for IPv6
	 * @param ip string  
	 * @param cird mixed (string|array of strings)
	 * @param ip_type string
	 * @param cird mixed (string|array of strings)
	*/
	static public function ip__mask_match($ip, $cidr, $ip_type = 'v4', $xtet_count = 0){
		
		if(is_array($cidr)){
			foreach($cidr as $curr_mask){
				if(self::ip__mask_match($ip, $curr_mask, $ip_type)){
					return true;
				}
			} unset($curr_mask);
			return false;
		}
		
		if($ip_type == 'v4') $xtet_base = 8;
		if($ip_type == 'v6') $xtet_base = 16;
			
		// Calculate mask
		$exploded = explode('/', $cidr);
		
		// Exit condition
		$xtet_end = ceil($exploded[1] / $xtet_base);
		if($xtet_count == $xtet_end)
			return true;
		
		$mask = $exploded[1] - $xtet_base * $xtet_count >= 0 ? $xtet_base : $exploded[1] - $xtet_base * ($xtet_count - 1);
		$mask = 4294967295 << ($xtet_base - $mask);
		
		// Calculate first ip X-tet
		$ip_xtet = explode($ip_type == 'v4' ? '.' : ':', $ip);
		$ip_xtet = $ip_type == 'v4' ? $ip_xtet[$xtet_count] : hexdec($ip_xtet[$xtet_count]);
		
		// Calculate first net X-tet
		$net_xtet = explode($ip_type == 'v4' ? '.' : ':', $exploded[0]);
		$net_xtet = $ip_type == 'v4' ? $net_xtet[$xtet_count] : hexdec($net_xtet[$xtet_count]);
		
		$result = ($ip_xtet & $mask) == ($net_xtet & $mask);
		
		if($result)
			$result = self::ip__mask_match($ip, $cidr, $ip_type, $xtet_count + 1);
		
		return $result;
	}

 

It should be noted that the function takes only normalized IPv6 addresses and networks (a string or array of network strings). For example, Cloud Flare 2a06: 98c0 :: 0/29 does not work, it needs to be expanded to 2a06: 98c0: 0: 0: 0: 0: 0: 0/29

Because of the fact that from the local base of the firewall you have to select addresses on the fly, using DB tools, not using PHP. IPv6 address had to be divided into 4 columns, each of them 32 bits, corresponds to one IPv4 address. Accordingly, with this structure, you can use the old sampling method, with binary operations.

Changes were also made to the service control Panel and databases for correct processing and display of information.

Implemented support for IPv6 for personal blacklists, security firewall and functions Traffic Control (IP blocking when a specified number of requests per unit of time).

We recently launched an auto-update for the anti-spam plugin. The experience was positive and we implemented auto-update for the security plugin as well.

For the convenience of service management, the auto-update option was implemented in the Service Control Panel. CleanTalk Dashboard allows you to select several websites and update the plugin at once on all sites one click or you can setup auto-update for all websites or separate websites.

Note: there is 24 hours delay before auto-update will do. This delay allows needing to avoid any issues. All updates that made through CleanTalk Dashboard manually will do immediately.

How does it work?

• Manual update on all or selected websites at once.
• Auto-update on all or selected websites at once.

 

Please, go to your CleanTalk Dashboard.

• Choose a website that needs to update the plugin.
• Click on the link Update app.
• Next step, in pop-up you can choose:
  do a manual update and the plugin will be updated immediately. You can do this action for all websites
  or
  set auto-update, in the next time plugin will be updated automatically.

 

Next, when clicking on a link, a modal window opens with options for updates.

When the option is selected, the server makes a special request to the plugin on the client’s site.

The plugin, having received the call, checks the parameters of the call for authenticity and starts work. Auto-update is implemented through a modified class of auto-update plugins WordPress. After the class is finished, the plugin checks the version of the updated files and makes a request to the site (itself). If the HTTP response code is 200, it reports this to the server by displaying it on the “OK” page and makes a special API call, reporting on the new version. If the response code is different from 200, the plugin does a rollback of the files to the previous version and responds north with a string with an error code and technical parameters.

After a successful update, the status in the Service Control Panel changes to “App has been updated”.

Every business, be it a well-established one or a startup, is looking for ways to enhance and improve its online ranking. For doing so, outbound links play a vital and important role just as the inbound links. The outbound links should be controlled so as to have an effective on-site SEO strategy for the business’s website. Let us take a dip in the details of outbound links and know why they are important for the growth of the business.

What does outbound links mean?

Outbound links are links to a site which is outside your site. The outbound links are such links that direct the visitors to another or a different webpage or website. In simpler words, when the visitor clicks on the outbound links available on your site, it means that the visitor is going to another website by moving out of your present site. However, if facts are to be believed, most of the websites, if not all of them, contain outbound links. There are two main types of outbound links:

1. Dofollow Link: it is the normal default link that every link is. It aims at passing the benefits of Google Page Rank from the source webpage to the linked targeted webpage. The Dofollow tag indicates that the link should be followed for a better enhancement in the value of the website and web pages.
2. Nofollow Link: these are just the opposite of Dofollow links. These are abnormal links which instead of passing the benefits of Google Page Rank to the linked targeted webpage, blocks the normal flow of the page rank.

While there are many websites which prefer using outbound links on their websites, there are many which do not prefer making use of the outbound links on their websites. The websites that support the presence of outbound links believe that having such links will enhance the value of their site along with encouraging visitor retention. On the other hand, the websites which are not in favor of using outbound links consider it as a huge risk for the business because of the higher cost of customer acquisition.
Should outbound links be used? If this is the next immediate thought that you had after learning about the concept of outbound links, then here’s something that will convince you completely.

What are the benefits of having good outbound links?

There has always been a debate whether to use or not to use the outbound links on the website. While many of the websites do not prefer using outbound links on their websites as they scare a number of factors such as:

• Reputation damage
• High cost
• Creation of exit portals
• Downfall in the search engine rankings

But to a surprise and to the contrary of all the above-mentioned points, it has been observed that the use of outbound links on the website is actually beneficial for the website. Let us have a look at the benefits that the relevant outbound links can provide to your website:

1. Useful resource: Adding relevant and specific outbound links to your website makes it as a useful resource for the visitors. The people who will visit your visit for some relevant content will always find something new, interesting and relevant as per their likes and preference. This indeed will help in increasing the customer retention along with reducing the bounce rate of the website. Consider it in such a way that by using the outbound links on your website you are actually providing your readers and visitors with more relevant and specific information. When readers will find something of their benefit and interest on your website, they will surely come back.
2. Improvement in your website’s SEO: Connecting with the relevant people in the industry and adding outbound links that can help you connect with them is a great way to improve the SEO context of your website. As the inbound links help the readers to land on your website, the effective use of outbound links on your website also gets noticed and in turn rewarded. Moreover, the addition of useful outbound links on the website helps in making your website to be counted as useful amongst the many available websites and thus helps in attracting more users towards it. If you are not using outbound links on your website, you are certainly missing many benefits for your website.
3. Google ranking: It is just not the users, customers or the visitors who appreciate and notice the use of outbound links on your website. Google, the well-known and the most trusted search engine also does. If your website mentions relevant and specific outbound links, Google appreciates this and thereby improves your website’s ranking. Google when notice that you are mentioning some of the great websites on your own website as outbound links and are working on improving your visibility, it makes sure that you get the best of the benefits of your efforts. You just need to be sure that you are being connected with those websites which hold some relevance to your business and are well-known amongst the users.
4. Positive reviews: Having positive reviews highlighted on the website is one of the effective ways that can bring in better business results and opportunities. Though earlier it was not considered as important as it is today. The present times have indicated that most of the new visitor on your website trust on the reviews mentioned by the previous visitors. Thus, if you have relevant reviews on your website, you are improving the chances of your business to perform better. But how can you get positive reviews and feedback from the visitors? Simply, by providing them with the relevant information and resource that can excite them and capture their interest. Outbound links can be the easiest way of doing so. Update outbound links according to the audience type you have and open an immense pool of opportunity for your business to grow amongst the competitive business environment.
5. Attracting more traffic: What does a website need to improve its business? Some would say attractive designed website while some will favor the effective use of well-planned marketing strategies. But above all, a website which is looking to grow itself in the online world would need better and improved traffic of visitors. If the website is not getting any traffic then even the use of best of designs and strategies will not help. Thus, attracting better and relevant amount of traffic is the only need that the website has for growing itself in the market. Outbound links are the best way to attract advanced traffic on the website as it helps in making your website a more and better useful resource for the visitors and users.

What can be the consequences of bad outbound links?

There are many websites that are totally in the favor of using outbound links on their websites. Without a doubt, adding a relevant and useful outbound link can do wonders for your business and help it to grow its reach in the online world with an optimized SEO. But, if the other side of the coin is analyzed, the use of too many or irrelevant outbound links can cause severe consequences to your website. Some of the experts have observed that the use of too many outbound links does not harm the homepage but it certainly causes a big difference on the internal pages linked.

The major consequence that the use of risky or a bad outbound link delivers to the user is the risk of having a virus. Also, the bad outbound link can result in imitating the data of the user by some spammer. Some of the outbound links are so made that whenever anyone clicks on the link, the user data gets attacked by the viruses attached with the link. Such kinds of virus infected outbound links are present in the comment sections generally. As moderators forget checking the genuineness of these links, the sites have to suffer. That’s why you always need to put constraint on comment box.

Moreover, adding too many outbound links on your website will actually affect the Google ranking of your website. Google will consider the source website hosting too many outbound links as fraud or spam website and thus will decrease its ranking in its list. Sometimes, the impact is so severe that the website gets blocked. Some of the other consequences that a bad outbound link will do to your website are as follow:

• Creating too much confusion for your audience
• Not being able to target a specific set of audience
• Increased server load
• Affecting the speed of your website
• Chances of being considered as spam

How to check outbound links?

Checking the outbound links for their strength and relevance is very much important for marking success in the business. Now that you all are aware of the consequences that your business may suffer if you are not using relevant and useful outbound links, you would be interested in knowing how you can check the outbound links that you have used. One of the easiest ways of doing so is by using the security and malware scan by CleanTalk and if you question why CleanTalk, then the one word answer to this can be because it is Simple.

CleanTalk is a well-known and useful security plugin which is working compatibility with the service of checking the relevance of outbound links on the premium cloud. In other words, CleanTalk is a cloud-based solution that prevents the use of irrelevant outbound links on your website based on WordPress. Over the time, CleanTalk has been adding relevant updates for its effective working.

Working of the CleanTalk:

The main aim of using CleanTalk is to let you know about the irrelevant and risky outbound links on your website.

Setting up the plugin:

Here are the following steps that you need to follow for making the use of CleanTalk plugin:

1. For using the plugin of CleanTalk, first, the users need to create an account on their official website.
2. Creating an account on their website will provide the users with an access key which will be used for accessing the features of the plugin.
3. Download the plugin and configure it for using the plugin on your device. You would have to enter the access key while configuring the plugin
4. Once you enter the access key, you will be able to access all the offered features of the plugin and thereby can check and prevent the outbound links on your website
5. To launch External Links Check go to the tab “Malware Scanner” and press the button “Perform Scan”. First step in the scanning is searching for malware in WordPress files, second step is searching for links in your whole website including theme files, posts and comments.

The result of the scanning will be the list of each link you have. You can look it through and decide what links are unnecessary and delete them.

CleanTalk can also be used for observing the progress of your website after the use of this plugin. The plugin will demonstrate every required site security log with the needed detail so that the user can be well aware of the required stats regarding the use of outbound links.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, CleanTalk works really well on all the fronts that are needed by a business for successfully running its operations. The activation and use of this plugin from CleanTalk are extremely simple and is worth making the investment. If you are facing many problems because of the high rate of risky outbound links on your website, then CleanTalk is one of the high recommendations that you can use.

Hello,

We have launched Security Statistics and trends so you can view the dynamics for each of your websites.That allows you to make right decisions to keep your website safe.

Measuring effectiveness of security in the face of attacks is critical. Faster time of detection is critical to minimize damage from attacks. The logical step in this way to better web security is to establish full visibility of activity, as you can’t manage what you can’t see.

The Statistics includes all registered actions and detailed statistics on individual security parameters.

To see your statistics, go to your security dashboard and click “Trends” in Dashboard menu.