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Making a Stand Against Anonymous Hackers and WordPress

Posted by: Ralph Ritoch on February 3, 2012 in Computers and Internet, Ralph's Entries

No good deed goes unpunished, and that is how I feel today.  Three months ago, our web sites were attacked by a hacker group; most likely the group of hackers that call themselves Anonymous. It took me a few hours to complete, but I developed  a small WordPress plugin to reclaim my web sites from hacker control; to remove all of the infections and protect my sites from future attacks.  I was very upset about the attack and decided the best way to get revenge was to share my plugin with the world. It took me a few days to get all of the bugs out of the system and get it ready for the public. And it actually did go public, having earned over three thousand users, even ranked 2nd from the Top 10 WordPress Security Plugins made by an independent blogger. But now, three months later, the plugin itself is under attack, threatening my business, and web sites.

The issue revolves about a perceived security threat of the plugin.  The security threat is not caused by the plugin, but is caused by improper configuration of a web server. Web servers are designed by default to deliver multiple types of content. Often, this content is evaluated by the file extension. Normal behavior is when an unsupported file extension is seen, and the result is not executed but is displayed as a text file. It would take extra effort to break this normal behavior and make invalid file extensions executable which is is the responsibility of the web hosting provider, and NOT the responsibility of web application developers.  The truth is, my plugin contains live viruses and .htaccess malwares ‘protected‘ by naming the files with an invalid file extension specifically designed to ensure that not only can users easily add virus definitions, but also to ensure that hackers cannot use these virus definition files themselves to attack the site.

But tell this to WordPress, most particularly Mr. Mark Riley, because they don’t want to hear it. They have banned my plugin from the WordPress respository which makes it harder for the users who have already been enjoying the protection that my plugin provides an easy access for plugin upgrades. The attached image below is the actual e-mail exchange that transpired between Mark Riley and me.

The Web Security Tools plugin is designed to remove that URL with others from web sites, so of course, that URL needs to be contained within the plugin. They banned my plugin because it is protecting web sites against a threat? Who are they protecting then? The hackers or WordPress users? Clearly, they are only protecting the hackers with this move.

My first response was to find a list of major media contacts and quickly emailed out a raw press release. The press release took me about 5 minutes to make. I also posted that press release on a free press release site. After reading the press release and the blog posts on this web site, Firetown.com operated by Mr. Mike Damman, a news site dedicated to releasing information often suppressed by major media decided to publish the story.

I guess when you are on the right, the help just pours out easily. One of my good friends found a web site on the internet that listed my Web Security Tools WordPress plugin as #2 in the top ten WordPress security plugins.  While reviewing their post, they had some good ideas for improving the plugin by protecting it against the bad server configurations that I already spoke of. I decided to make one more attempt to make peace with WordPress, and sent them the following offer.

But did I receive a response? Of course not! Did I receive a response from Matt Mullenweg , the owner of WordPress, NO! WordPress does not care about its users; it seems to care more about protecting hackers. WordPress.Org publishes many plugins and themes which contain severe security threats which make it easy for hackers to break into WordPress blogs, but they won’t publish a plugin which stops these security threats?

You have to ask yourself why. There are two answers to that question I can come up with: the first possible answer is that the support at WordPress does not know anything about security, and do not realize how important the Web Security Tools plugin is in protecting internet security. The plugin not only protects WordPress web sites, but protects the entire internet because hackers are using these hacked WordPress sites to attack other web sites, such as Amazon.Com, Twitter, Facebook, and government-controlled sites.  The second possibility is that ,WordPress is secretly supporting the hacker group Anonymous and wants their application to continue helping hackers to terrorize the internet.

THIS NEEDS TO STOP! NOW!

I am going to start a petition and a massive press release campaign against WordPress.  The goals are simple, pressure WordPress into restoring Web Security Tools, otherwise continue spreading the truth until every last WordPress user stops using WordPress and switches to a more secure blogging platform.

I need your help. Please email me rritoch [at] gmail.com if you are willing to help us stop Anonymous and restore Web Security Tools availability at WordPress.com . We need people to write and publish press releases and donations to help us get this information out to the world. You could be helping millions of people who are currently being terrorized by hackers.

Edited February, 4 2012 : Please Sign our petition

References:

About Ralph Ritoch

Founder and independent developer who developed the first version of the Virtual Web Platform.
  • http://journalxtra.com/ Dion de Ville

    It’s pretty sad that the WordPress repository mod hasn’t bothered to listen to you though he’s probably erred on the side of caution because he’s unsure of the finer technical details about how the plugin works and about how servers work. Hope to see the plugin in the WordPress repositories again soon, if not, you could speak with the guys at WPMU Dev to distribute the plugin through them (they have an auto update feature).

    Let me know when the petition is launched and I’ll sign it.

  • http://journalxtra.com/ Lee hodson

    It’s pretty sad that the WordPress repository mod hasn’t bothered to listen to you though he’s probably erred on the side of caution because he’s unsure of the finer technical details about how the plugin works and about how servers work. Hope to see the plugin in the WordPress repositories again soon, if not, you could speak with the guys at WPMU Dev to distribute the plugin through them (they have an auto update feature).

    Let me know when the petition is launched and I’ll sign it.

  • http://journalxtra.com/ Lee hodson

    It’s pretty sad that the WordPress repository mod hasn’t bothered to listen to you though he’s probably erred on the side of caution because he’s unsure of the finer technical details about how the plugin works and about how servers work. Hope to see the plugin in the WordPress repositories again soon, if not, you could speak with the guys at WPMU Dev to distribute the plugin through them (they have an auto update feature).

    Let me know when the petition is launched and I’ll sign it.

  • Ralph Ritoch

    Dion,

      Thank you. We have been spreading the word and are slowly gaining support. When the dust settles we are planning a new, and more secure version release. The feedback we have been getting from the internet community has been amazing.  We have been successfully blocking attacks from hackers for months, even yesterday there were more failed attempts to gain control of this site. When you multiply this by our 3,000 users the internet is a safer place with us around. While WordPress has decreased the number of people who are able to find our plugin, every day we are gaining more users who are finding it on our web site. Our next step will be to improve the security, and scope of the protection we provide by adding protections against bad server configurations and by making the plugin available on other platforms, instead of just WordPress. While I had no intention of becoming known for my security applications, I believe it is my responsibility to help since I’m one of the few who know how to stop Anonymous and other hackers. Hopefully the FBI will be smart enough to contact me some day so I can show them how to protect their servers also, lol.

    Best Regards,
      Ralph Ritoch

  • Ralph Ritoch

    Dion,

      Thank you. We have been spreading the word and are slowly gaining support. When the dust settles we are planning a new, and more secure version release. The feedback we have been getting from the internet community has been amazing.  We have been successfully blocking attacks from hackers for months, even yesterday there were more failed attempts to gain control of this site. When you multiply this by our 3,000 users the internet is a safer place with us around. While WordPress has decreased the number of people who are able to find our plugin, every day we are gaining more users who are finding it on our web site. Our next step will be to improve the security, and scope of the protection we provide by adding protections against bad server configurations and by making the plugin available on other platforms, instead of just WordPress. While I had no intention of becoming known for my security applications, I believe it is my responsibility to help since I’m one of the few who know how to stop Anonymous and other hackers. Hopefully the FBI will be smart enough to contact me some day so I can show them how to protect their servers also, lol.

    Best Regards,
      Ralph Ritoch

  • Ralph Ritoch

    Dion,

      Thank you. We have been spreading the word and are slowly gaining support. When the dust settles we are planning a new, and more secure version release. The feedback we have been getting from the internet community has been amazing.  We have been successfully blocking attacks from hackers for months, even yesterday there were more failed attempts to gain control of this site. When you multiply this by our 3,000 users the internet is a safer place with us around. While WordPress has decreased the number of people who are able to find our plugin, every day we are gaining more users who are finding it on our web site. Our next step will be to improve the security, and scope of the protection we provide by adding protections against bad server configurations and by making the plugin available on other platforms, instead of just WordPress. While I had no intention of becoming known for my security applications, I believe it is my responsibility to help since I’m one of the few who know how to stop Anonymous and other hackers. Hopefully the FBI will be smart enough to contact me some day so I can show them how to protect their servers also, lol.

    Best Regards,
      Ralph Ritoch

  • ajax

    Wow. I just have to say that I side with WordPress.org, and any crusade against them is unwarranted. The email trail highlighted on this page shows a lack of respect towards WordPress, and perhaps, a misunderstanding of the platform. 

    WordPress is a very secure platform, and if you stay up to date with releases and vet your plugins carefully it is safe, secure and stable. 

    You should really really chill out and take a deep breath.

    There are other solutions to this problem, and although I have not looked through the code in your plugin. It’s good that you are trying to tackle this issue. 

    I run Varnish reverse caching proxy in front of Apache and intercept most common hacking attacks that I see i my logs and serve them cached 304 error pages. 

    The most important thing with WordPress security is making sure none of your plugins are subject to SQL injection attacks, or uploading and execution of files to your server. WordPress.org has a great section on securing your WordPress installation.  

    • Ralph Ritoch

      Ajax,

      I respect your opinion, but you must also accept that not all users know SQL or know how to protect their web site against SQL and other attacks. What you fail to realize though is that my plugin puts an end to PHP virus infections using a technique which was once used in the best anti-virus applications available to protect PC’s. As for my lack of respect for WordPress, I have seen their code, and it is not good. I am a professional developer and have over 20 years of programming experience, including experience working for 2 fortune 500 companies and building utilities for government systems. My security knowledge is far beyond that of any of the WordPress developers and if they want my respect, they must earn it!

      • Willow

         Very well said!!!!

  • ajax

    Wow. I just have to say that I side with WordPress.org, and any crusade against them is unwarranted. The email trail highlighted on this page shows a lack of respect towards WordPress, and perhaps, a misunderstanding of the platform. 

    WordPress is a very secure platform, and if you stay up to date with releases and vet your plugins carefully it is safe, secure and stable. 

    You should really really chill out and take a deep breath.

    There are other solutions to this problem, and although I have not looked through the code in your plugin. It’s good that you are trying to tackle this issue. 

    I run Varnish reverse caching proxy in front of Apache and intercept most common hacking attacks that I see i my logs and serve them cached 304 error pages. 

    The most important thing with WordPress security is making sure none of your plugins are subject to SQL injection attacks, or uploading and execution of files to your server. WordPress.org has a great section on securing your WordPress installation.  

    • Ralph Ritoch

      Ajax,

      I respect your opinion, but you must also accept that not all users know SQL or know how to protect their web site against SQL and other attacks. What you fail to realize though is that my plugin puts an end to PHP virus infections using a technique which was once used in the best anti-virus applications available to protect PC’s. As for my lack of respect for WordPress, I have seen their code, and it is not good. I am a professional developer and have over 20 years of programming experience, including experience working for 2 fortune 500 companies and building utilities for government systems. My security knowledge is far beyond that of any of the WordPress developers and if they want my respect, they must earn it!

      • Willow

         Very well said!!!!

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