Why do people hack websites?

Discussion in 'Programming' started by leswoody, May 9, 2009.

  1. #1
    Hi Guys,

    We recently fell victim to some malicious code. Somehow some hidden java was added to our script.

    My questions are.

    1. Why would someone do this?

    2. Is it a real person or something else?

    3. How did they/it access our site?

    Thanks.
     
    leswoody, May 9, 2009 IP
  2. Colbyt

    Colbyt Notable Member

    Messages:
    3,224
    Likes Received:
    185
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    210
    #2
    Not sure this is the right forum for this topic but I will share my opinion and we can get moved together.

    1. Because they are sick f**** with nothing better to do than destroy something for some spiteful purpose.

    2. They are real people but read number 1 for what I think of the "person" quality.

    3. The most common ways are via third party counters and advertisers twhere you have place code on your site. The next most common if they placed an Iframe on your pages is an insecure password or a bad host. I can't really anser this one without more information.
     
    Colbyt, May 9, 2009 IP
  3. ferpol72

    ferpol72 Peon

    Messages:
    66
    Likes Received:
    0
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #3
    1. Why would someone do this?

    Because they can.

    2. Is it a real person or something else?

    Mostly a real person using something else.

    3. How did they/it access our site?

    Depending on many variables as stated above, it is a myriad of
    possibilities.

    Most attacks are done because security holes on either the code
    or the hosting company.
    There are many ways to hack a site but hackers are different
    from crackers.
    The former group, hackers, do what they do in a light non-malissious
    way to let the site's owner that they can be attacked seriously if they
    don't act on time. So these warnings are sort of a "favor"

    Crackers OTOH, are bad people, and these "dark siders" will even steel
    every data from you and even money if you are not taking necessary
    meassures to avoid being hacked.

    Common sense above all will keep you from being hacked and rely on
    the community and their experience.

    By community, I mean the whole WWW. :eek:
     
    ferpol72, May 9, 2009 IP
  4. leswoody

    leswoody Peon

    Messages:
    345
    Likes Received:
    5
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #4
    Ok how we stop this from happening again, our website was built by a website company, and we only have access to the CMS.

    Thanks
     
    leswoody, May 9, 2009 IP
  5. kotaro

    kotaro Peon

    Messages:
    113
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #5
    the party that is responsible for this is the webhosting company
     
    kotaro, May 9, 2009 IP
  6. kblessinggr

    kblessinggr Peon

    Messages:
    539
    Likes Received:
    13
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #6

    Not exactly sure I see how... the hosting provider can't be responsible for every malicious access to a site, especially if for example they gained access thru some shitty php code installed on the server. For a period of time installing phpNuke (CMS kinda like WP, etc), or phpBB message board software was a surefire way to get hacked, that wouldn't be the hosting provider's fault.

    Edit: besides he said "website company" doesn't necessarily mean "webhosting".
     
    kblessinggr, May 9, 2009 IP
  7. ccoonen

    ccoonen Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,606
    Likes Received:
    71
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    160
    #7
    Majority of the time, hackers will find security holes via SQL injection, alter your Database records to include Javascript includes - which will either try to execute a dialer or inject web links like (for pagerank) or some other way to make money for themselves. I think hackers are past the point of destruction and now thinking in a "Lets not take um down, lets have them make me money or have it hack other websites for me" kind of fashion
     
    ccoonen, May 9, 2009 IP