Support

Admin Tools

#37392 rsform ajaxValidation is blocked

Posted in ‘Admin Tools for Joomla! 4 & 5’
This is a public ticket

Everybody will be able to see its contents. Do not include usernames, passwords or any other sensitive information.

Environment Information

Joomla! version
3.9.24
PHP version
7.4
Admin Tools version
6.1.6

Latest post by tampe125 on Thursday, 22 September 2022 05:19 CDT

axaios

Hello,

We are using several rsforms with ajax validation. Very often, when attempting to submit the form, the request url https://ourdomain.com/component/rsform/?task=ajaxValidate will be blocked by SQLi Shield, and the submission will not proceed. If the visitor keeps clicking submit, naturally they are blocked by admin tools.

We have added a WAF exception for com_rsform (all views, all parameters), but it is still blocked. It stops being blocked if we rename the main.php of admin tools, but that leaves the site exposed.

Do you have any suggestions?

Kind regards,

Softweb

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

Hello,

can you please add the string task to the Query parameter field? That should disable the SQLiShield feature as well.

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

axaios

Hello,

There are also blocked requests like https://domain.com/index.php?option=com_jwallpapers&task=upload  and https://domain.com/index.php?option=com_jce&task=plugin&plugin=imgmanager&file=imgmanager&method=form that don't seem as legit, would adding task to the query parameter leave a security hole on the site?

Kind regards,
Softweb

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

mhm... those seems a little too much.

Let me connect to your site so I can review some settings. Moreover please give me the steps required to replicate the issue.

I have made this ticket private so that only you and me can see the information posted here.

Please provide me with the following information:

  1. The URL to your site's administrator login page
  2. Super User username and password
  3. FTP connection information


Please allow up to one business day (GMT+2 timezone) for me to log in to your site and debug this issue. When I'm done I will post back. Once the issue is fixed, you can revoke my access e.g. by changing the Super Administrator and FTP passwords.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
In order for me to help you fast and accurately, please provide the information by copying the form below, paste it into your reply and fill in the information:

----- Access Information Form -- START -----
Super Administrator access

  • URL to site's administrator page (e.g. http://www.example.com/administrator?foobar):
  • Super User username:
  • Super User password:


FTP connection information

  • FTP methods supported (e.g. FTP, FTPS, SFTP):
  • FTP Hostname:
  • FTP Username:
  • FTP Password:
  • FTP Port (if other than 21 for FTP and 22 for SFTP, ask your host):


----- Access Information Form -- END -----

Please make sure that you have tested the Super Administrator connection using a different browser or machine than the one you are using daily. Double check that logging in is possible and that the user has Super User privileges, i.e. it's not a regular Administrator. Make sure that your site does not block whole countries or IP ranges which would make it impossible for me to log in / connect by FTP. Finally, please do make sure that the FTP connection works and that logging in to it I have access to your site's files.

Kindly note that your site connection information and your site content is handled in strict confidence. Not only we are a reputable development company, we are also bound by law (EU GDPR) to do so. After you file your reply, the connection information to your site will be stored in an encrypted, hidden storage area on our site and will be automatically deleted when this ticket is closed. Finally keep in mind that the people providing support to you are the same developers who wrote the software you're using on your site.

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

axaios

Hello,

Do you have a static IP, or a range of IPs that you use? in order to minimize access.

Kind regards,

Softweb

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

My current IP is 176.207.14.110

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

axaios

----- Access Information Form -- START -----
Super Administrator access

URL to site's administrator page (e.g. http://www.example.com/administrator?foobar): https://act.edu/administrator?secusoft
Super User username: akeeba
Super User password: r3U5$Q3bOJ&Mrm7p

 

FTP connection information

FTP methods supported (e.g. FTP, FTPS, SFTP): FTPS
FTP Hostname: act.edu
FTP Username: [email protected]
FTP Password: tP+jT!OSEb5TgV)KcH
FTP Port (if other than 21 for FTP and 22 for SFTP, ask your host): 21

 

----- Access Information Form -- END -----

 

You must use Transfer Mode = Passive in order to cennect, otherwise the server will stop you.

 

To test the issue, you can use the rsform in this page https://www.act.edu/academics/undergraduate-studies/business-administration just use something like "Test" for name, so it will be apparent you are not a real student.
Some visitors manage to submit, but a lot are blocked.

Please let us know if you have trouble with the credentials.

Kind regards,

Softweb

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

I just tried to setup a form and... everything went fine (of course!).

I have enable logging to file, when this happens again can you please page me so I can review what's the actual content of the request?

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

axaios

Hello Davide,

It must be Murphy's law that it worked perfectly for you! For me unfortunately this morning it blocked me again. I'm attaching screenshots.

Could you please check the log?

Kind regards,
Softweb

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

Thank you for the info. Looking at the log, I can see that there are some fields that have the value "Select country". This is a reserved SQL keyword, so the SQL Shield goes berserk and blocks everything.

If it's possible, I'd suggest you to change the "no selection" option to "Pick a country" or "Choose a value", something like that

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

axaios

Thank you for your help Davide, it works now, and it explains why it only sometimes blocked the request.

We will check all our rsforms to make sure there aren't any "Select" options.

We will shut down ftp and user access now.

Kind regards,
Softweb

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

You're welcome!

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

axaios

Greetings Davide,

After a few months of no trouble, we have a seemingly similar issue.

The target url https://www.act.edu/admissions/apply-online/financial-aid-application?task=ajaxValidate is blocked by the DFIShield. A visitor encountered the problem when trying to submit the RSForm at https://www.act.edu/admissions/apply-online/financial-aid-application

Would you have any insight on why that is? This form doesn't have any "Select" options, but it is a very extensive form...

Kind regards,

Softweb

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

I suspect there could be something that can be read as an attack. Does it happen all the time or only when specific data is submitted?

Please get inside the WAF Configuration page and tell Admin Tools to create a log file. When the request is blocked, please get the log file, upload it somewhere and page me. It should say why that request has been blocked, including the offending data.

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

axaios

Good morning Davide,

Thank you for your instructions. The breach log was already active so I can send you the data that the 1 visitor that encountered the problem submitted. We haven't had more complaints recently, just this one. And it blocked her yesterday again, after we unblocked her IP.

Please take a look and see if you can figure what is happening. I've saved them as plain txt in order to attach the files.

Kind regards,

Softweb

axaios

I think the attachments didn't upload, let's try with zip.

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

Thank you very much for the file. Looking at it, it seems that there are several fields that instead of being blank there's a forward slash / 

Is that a default in the form? Is it possible to change? That char is used to separate folder names, so I suspect Admin Tools recognizes it as an attempt to include a file, so it gets blocked. Can you please change the default value or instruct the customer to avoid using that char?

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

axaios

Thank you Davide, we'll check why the / is added, and see if it can be avoided.

Kind regards,

Softweb

axaios

It appears the applicant filled-out the "/" manually in the sections where there wasn't an applicable answer. We will let her know, and also change the acceptable characters in the form to exclude the "/".

Thank you for all your help Davide.

Kind regards,
Softweb

tampe125
Akeeba Staff

You're welcome!

Davide Tampellini

Developer and Support Staff

🇮🇹Italian: native 🇬🇧English: good • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Rome (UTC +1)
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

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