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Coyote Mercury Posts

Hacked Off

November 28, 2008 • • 5 Comments

Last week, while trying to fix a plugin that had stopped working after the last WordPress upgrade, I noticed an odd bit of code. Upon further investigation with the use of Google’s text-only feature on their cached page search, I found that my blog had been hacked and turned into a spam blog.

Didn’t notice did you? Neither did I. I think it happened back in April. Basically, the hackers get in and hide hundreds of links in your header or footer that are then rendered invisible by some kind of CSS trick, all accomplished through the use of an invisible plugin.

Then your blog looks and works like it always did, but the Googlebots see hundreds of links to sites selling porn, gambling, and various pharmaceutical delights.

This appears to have happened back in April at exactly the time I quit blogging regularly so I never noticed. It seems hundreds of WordPress blogs were affected and so there is plenty of info out there about fixing this hack, both on the WordPress support forums and elsewhere.

Here’s what I discovered:

  • a hidden user account on my blog that couldn’t be deleted through the admin interface
  • a plugin that didn’t show up on my plugin screen
  • several files in my directory and various subdirectories that were not placed there by me or WordPress

After reading up on this, I deleted everything from my directories that was not put there by me. I also deleted all the old subdirectories left over from my site’s first pre-blogging incarnation (while rediscovering the cool sky you now see in the background) and a very old test blog I created and never upgraded.

Then, I had to go into the mysql database, which forced me to learn a lot more about both mysql and phpmyadmin than I had ever known previously. Messing with the database is risky. As the warning says on the WordPress site, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

I figured it out, though. I was able to go into the database and delete the phantom user, turn off the phantom plugin and delete a mysterious table that shouldn’t have been there.

Had it not been for the following sites, I would not have had the foggiest idea how to do these things so big shout-outs to: BlogBuildingU.com, WordPress Philippines, Marketing.com, Ms. Adventures in Italy, and especially to Get Rich Slowly for their detailed instructions on dealing with the database cleanup. (How odd that 2 of these sites are from The Philippines and Italy, both countries in which I’ve lived).

The WordPress support forums were also helpful as always.

Once the database was cleaned up and the directories cleaned, I reinstalled the latest WordPress and changed every password associated with my web host and this blog. Probably a good thing to do from time to time anyway.

Now that the site is cleaned out and the hidden links are gone, I have to get back into Mr. Google’s good graces. The Googlebots have apparently determined that my site is a spam links blog and so my site no longer shows up in Google searches. I had noticed that my traffic dropped tremendously back in April, but I had assumed it was because I had slowed down on posting. Fortunately, Google has a tool in Google Webmasters to have a site reevaluated, so hopefully, my traffic will come back.

This wasn’t an awful experience. I was lucky and I managed to learn alot.

I am no longer afraid of phpMyAdmin and the mysql database (even if I don’t totally get them yet).

I was reminded of the importance of regular upgrades.

I was reminded of the importance of keeping my directories neat and clean.

I learned to periodically check over the code in my theme files and look at cached pages for anything that might be awry.

I learned about Google Webmaster Tools and the Firefox Web Developer Toolbar, both very useful for anyone running a website.

I wrote a few months ago that one of the things I like about running a self-hosted WordPress is that I’m running more than just a blog, I’m running a website. That still holds true even if I have to spend a week dealing with the mess created by some worthless waste of skin who decided to use my blog as a tool in their nefarious link scheme.

For those who may be wondering about the missing comments issue this week, that was a totally unrelated thing. Two days after cleaning up the hack mess, my host had a problem with their mysql server that temporarily ate the comments and caused a few other problems, which they have happily fixed. Thanks to Kevin Dewalt and whooami for their help in figuring out that issue.

And, now, everything seems right with the cyberworld and hopefully, Mr. Google will come back too.

Day Before Thanksgiving Birds

November 27, 2008 • • 3 Comments

But, not turkeys for which, I’m certain, these birds at least are thankful.

Great Egret by the pond
Great Egret by the pond

Yesterday, I walked down to the little pond at the end of our street to check out the ducks.

A Great Egret was hunting along the far shore and I saw at least 15 Gadwalls. You can see one in the above picture above the word ‘great’ in the caption.

I also saw one Ring-necked Duck. Lesser Scaup. I only ever saw one last winter so I wonder if it’s the same one.

Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck

A Great Blue Heron flew overhead out of the reeds behind me and I saw a few vultures, but that was it.

The Great Egret again
The Great Egret again

Update: Ted pointed out that the Ring-necked Duck had been mis-ID’d as a Lesser Scaup. I have corrected the post accordingly.

Cat Blogging that Would Have Been on Friday

November 25, 2008 • • 2 Comments

If the image uploader hadn’t stopped working.

Doing what he does best
Doing what he does best

My web host said the problem was on their end and is related to the comments disappearing along with another database problem. It looks like its getting fixed so hopefully the comments will be back soon.

Simon, on the other hand, sees no problems except that I’m blog blogging when I should be cat blogging.

He’s right of course, and so here he is, lounging on his blue chair where his white fur really stands out long after he’s left the scene.

Project Feederwatch Week 2

November 24, 2008 • • Leave a comment

Since we left town for a quick trip to Orange, my feederwatching only lasted about an hour or so on Saturday morning before we left. Still, I saw a good variety if not large numbers:

  • Bewick’s Wren (1)
  • Chipping Sparrows (2)
  • Northern Mockingbirds (2)
  • Carolina Wren (1)
  • Black-crested Titmouse (1)
  • House Sparrows (4)
  • Blue Jay (1)
  • White-winged Dove (1)

The weather was cool (low 50s) and the sky was overcast. No rain.

Watching the Feeders

November 17, 2008 • • 4 Comments

Thanks to BirdingGirl, I discovered The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s very cool citizen science project, Project FeederWatch.

I picked Saturday and Sunday as my count days as those are the days I’m home. The idea is to count the highest number of individuals seen at one time that show up to partake of the delights provided for their enjoyment.

I have a dinner bell with meal worms, a platform feeder, a suet feeder, and a couple of tube feeders as well as a birdbath and a good variety of native plants.

This weekend, most of the usual suspects showed up, though not in great numbers:

  • Bewick’s Wren (1)
  • House Finch (1)
  • Blue Jay (2)
  • Northern Mockingbird (2)
  • Northern Cardinal (1)
  • Carolina Chickadee (1)
  • White-winged Dove (7)
  • Carolina Wren (1)
  • House Sparrow (6)
  • Chipping Sparrow (4)
  • Black-crested Titmouse (2)

The project runs from November up to sometime in April so I’ll be posting my counts here. Maybe I’ll think to take some pictures next time too.

A Few Minutes on Lady Bird Lake

November 12, 2008 • • 3 Comments

After my visit to Hornsby Bend yesterday, I had a few minutes before meeting R for lunch.

I parked at Auditorium Shores, which is a good place to walk around and look at the ever-changing skyline except for the fact that the whole area smells like dog crap. Why can’t people just pick up after their dogs?

Avoiding the mines, I walked to the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue where I took this obligatory Austin photo.

Official Stevie and Austin cliche photo
Official Stevie and Austin cliché photo

Hard to believe I’ve been here longer than that statue and I’m only just now doing the Stevie-Ray-and-skyline shot. Maybe there’s something to be said for leaving things for oneself to do.

Red-winged Blackbirds
Red-winged Blackbirds

After the statue, I followed a small flock of Red-winged Blackbirds west for a few yards trying to get a closer shot of one.

I was pleasantly surprised to see them as I had hoped to see more than just the one at Hornsby.

Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird

Then one came right at me!

Red-winged Balckbird in flight
Red-winged Blackbird in flight

Aside from the red-wings, I also saw some Gadwalls, American Coots, Great-tailed Grackles, Rock Doves, and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron fishing on the far shore.

High above the night heron, one of the new condos was also visible.

Downtown Austin condo
Downtown Austin condo

Not bad for 20 minutes waiting around.

A Morning at Hornsby Bend

November 11, 2008 • • 6 Comments

I left early this morning hoping that it wouldn’t be raining at Hornsby Bend, and despite a few quick showers on the toll road, it turned into a nice day with overcast skies and a steady cool breeze.

The egrets, herons and other waders I’d watched over the summer had all moved on, but the ponds were filled with ducks.

A clusterduck. Mostly Northern Shovelers.
A clusterduck, mostly Northern Shovelers

I saw hundreds of Northern Shovelers as well as a few Blue-winged Teal, Ruddy Ducks, and some Lesser Scaup. Along with the ducks, there were numerous American Coot and even a couple of Least Grebes.

Northern Shovelers
Northern Shovelers

I drove along the ponds, studying the ducks. The male Northern Shovelers are transitioning into their breeding plumage, which they do in November, so some of their breasts were a bit streaky.

American Coots
American Coots

Other than the ducks, I saw some flocks of some kind of sparrows (I think) that I couldn’t ID and a single Red-winged blackbird, which surprised me after the huge flocks of them I had seen over the summer.

Eventually, I decided to hike down the river trail to the lookout over the Colorado. I could hear Northern Cardinals and Carolina Chickadees, though I didn’t see either.

River Trail
River Trail

Walking along the trail, I spotted a few Carolina Wrens and a Northern Mockingbird as well as small brown birds that darted about, defying easy identification.

I watched the sky for hawks and eagles, but saw only vultures, both Turkey and Black. When I reached the river, a Double-crested Cormorant noisily flapped off away from the bank.

I didn’t see many more birds, but the trees looked especially good. There are three amazing trees that I always have to stop and look at and today, I had all my gear so I took a few pictures.

These are some of my favorite trees in Austin.

Tree at Hornsby Bend
Tree at Hornsby Bend
Another tree at Hornsby Bend
Another tree at Hornsby Bend
Yet another tree at Hornsby Bend
Yet another tree at Hornsby Ben
Closer to the previous tree
Closer to the previous tree

After taking this last picture, the wind picked up along with the kawing of a crow. I listened and a few more crows picked up the cry. I watched the sky and saw 3 American Crows hurrying towards a spot behind the tree I had been photographing.

Assuming they were mobbing, I looked around for a hawk and sure enough, I caught a fleeting glimpse of a hawk’s silhouette as he swooped out of the tree and towards the river.

By the time I got back to the car, the wind had picked up and it looked about to rain so I called it a morning and a good one at that.

Standing on the Bridge

November 10, 2008 • • Leave a comment
The creek that runs along our trail
The creek that runs along our trail

It never ceases to amaze me that even after four years, I’m still discovering little things in our neighborhood.

Over the summer, I stumbled upon a side trail leading to the small creek that feeds the nearby pond. A wooden footbridge connects our neighborhood with the one next to ours.

In the summer, it was a good place from which to spy hummingbirds and woodpeckers. Now that it’s the season that passes for autumn around here, it’s a good place to watch the leaves almost change color.