PHPBB Issue

[deltha]

All my PHPBB tables have gone(the non-phpbb tables are ok)... this is the error I get:

SQL Error : 1017 Can't find file: '<tablename>' (errno: 2)

Is there a new exploid for phpbb ?

Thanks.

[Desh]

If you think it's a phpBB specific exploit or bug, you'll probably get a faster answer at their support forums.

I don't know much about mysql or phpBB, but I imagine an exploit in another script could allow this as well, though I'm not sure why only the BB tables would be messed with.  Do you keep what you use up to date?  Also, is this a random occurance, or had you just added/modified something?

[deltha]

I'm not 100% positive but that's how it looks. I am using 2.0.21. The latest version is 2.0.22 but there weren't any critical issues solved in 2.0.22. I didn't do modifications in the last month. Because only the phpbb tables were deleted I'm assuming that there was an sql injection specifically targeted at phpbb.

What is strange is that phpmyadmin is giving me the same errors when I open the database. It looks that mysql 'knows' about those tables but can't find the actual files.

I will try also on the phpbb forums.

Thanks for help!

[Xepher]

I can imagine this is something to do with me messing with the mysql server last night. Reinder had a major problem with spammers overloading his scripts and part of the problem was some mysql stuff. Were your tables stored in innoDB or anything, because the innoDB system refused to reinitialize. I only enabled it in the first place a couple months ago on an experimental basis. If it wasn't that though, then it's possible there was just a simple glitch in your DB that the server marked them crashed, and a quick repair will fix it. I'll go look now.

[Xepher]

The answer is "Yes" you did have them all set as InnoDB tables. If I may ask, why/when did you do that? PhpBB doesn't default to that now, does it? Anyway, I found the problem. MySQL had the innoDB logfile size set differently than before, and so it refused to work. It's up and running now though, and all your tables seem intact.

[deltha]

Well it seems you just fixed it! Thanks a lot. It wasn't phpbb's fault... this time

I certainly didn't setup phpbb to use innodb... The older tables were intact though... so I presume the older tables didn't use innodb

LE. I didn't even know we could tamper with mysql settings . Once again thank you. Quick as always!

[Xepher]

Right, only your phpBB tables were innoDB, the rest were MyISAM tables. That's why I'm wondering how they were put that way. You didn't go and change them? PhpBB did it on it's own? How long ago did you install (and when did you last upgrade?) It's only been running innoDB for about 2 months now. I'm curious also what you set as the database type when you installed phpBB... did you set mysql 5.x or 4.x ?

[deltha]

I've installed PHPBB almost a year ago... And I know for sure that I didn't touch the site/phpbb in the last 4-5 month so is strange. Unfortunately I don't remember if I've installed phpbb with mysql 5 or 4. But if an option existed to choose mysql 5 when I've installed phpbb  then I am certain that that is what I've selected. Because you said that the tables changed to innodb 2 month ago... could the server move have something to do with this?

[Xepher]

No, it shouldn't have anything to do with it. I guess it's possible it was enabled before, and when I started experimenting I merely changed the settings for it, and just THOUGHT I enabled it. I wasn't paying much attention. The server is running MySQL 4.x right now though, but it'll be 5.x on the new system. Oh well, at least everything's working now.