There has been some disruption in access to the RFCM forum of late.
When accessing if you do get a message from BitNinja this is genuine. Whatever you have done has been deemed worthy of a security check. It might ask you for a captcha code. You must perform that test. If you do not, then its is likely that your IP will be blocked from access to the Forum.
If you do get blocked, please email me at admin@rulesforcommonman.uk I can request that you be unblocked. When you make this request please send me your IP address (use what is my IP (https://whatismyipaddress.com/)) I will need the IPv4 number
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TLDR warning - read only if have an interest
This has been identified as a result of the ISP's use of BitNinja. BitNinja is some software that sits in-between the end user and the RFCM forum software ( a WAF - Web firewall). Its purpose is to analyse requests to any software that sits in the 'application layer'. This is to identify 'brute force' attacks, or 'denial of service' activity. However, the SMF software (The Forum) by its very design can look like one of these 'attacks'. BitNinja is being a bit twitchy and banning some users (by IP address) that it thinks are trying to make such an attack.
There has been some discourse between myself and the ISP about where any change needs to be. Their argument being that the SMF software is acting like one of these bad actors. My argument being that the check is bad - as it is throwing a false positive
The outcome is that all of the IP addresses that have been banned as a result of this activity have now been 'un-grey-listed'. As a workaround this looks to have worked for most of the users that have been banned.
On the RFCM as a precaution I have disabled some of the email notifications that get sent out. The reason being that a couple of folks noticed being banned following clicking on a link in a notification email.
At the moment nothing has changed other than a reset of IP addressed and the email notifications. I have reached a bit of an impasse with the ISP over this. Worst case is that we might have to move RFCM to a different service (one that doesn't use BitNinja). But we aren't at that point yet.
thanks
Simon
Thank you for all this, Simon. The explanation was very helpful.
I guess the irony here is that some of us who use/check the Forum most might have been deemed to be acting badly, by dint of using it regularly in the first place?!
Simon
Thanks Simon for the reassurance that this is above board. I've seen the message a couple of times and swiftly exited on the basis that (a) I wasn't sure it was legit and (b) I try to avoid anything that uses Captcha on principle. I wouldn't know a "crosswalk" if it bit me on the... you get the idea.
Oddly I tried again a few minutes later and I went straight into the forum no problem so whatever this software is trying to do, it doesn't seem very consistent.
The only problem I see is VPN s we use by nature alter or IP addresses as a normal thing ?
So giving you our IP addresses this week might be different next time around ?
Miles
QuoteVPN s we use by nature alter or IP addresses as a normal thing ?
So giving you our IP addresses this week might be different next time around ?
If the IP changes its a moot point, as its only blocking based on IP address. It why resetting router, release-renew IP also works.
Fingers crossed.
Thanks for looking into it Simon.
martin :)
My access to the Forum has been blocked by BitNinja again.
I'll IM Simon C with my IP address to try to get me grey-listed again, please.
Simon
You must be a really bad person Simon. By the way have you told your daughter about her birthday treat at Colours yet?
John
Quote from: John Watson on August 29, 2025, 03:19:52 PMYou must be a really bad person Simon. By the way have you told your daughter about her birthday treat at Colours yet?
John
John,
I know that I am a bad person.
But at least I will be at Colours :)
Simon