Vigilink script problems

[Sun & Sand]

Just for laughs, I spent some time browsing the Forum with IE 11 (version 11.545.10586.0) on Windows 10 (version 1511, build 10586.545) -- still have not encountered that error.

 

[Jestered]

It looks like viglink.com is some sort of scrubber that checks the content of the page and serves up ads based on that. I'm guessing this is how the forum is pulling in those eBay ads. The script is timing out on the viglink servers, so there's likely nothing that can be done on the forum side.

A quick Google search shows that a lot of forums had the same problem yesterday, so the viglink folks probably had a server/worker machine down or running very slow. Since it was only happening for certain people, it's probably only the worker machine that port 21 is pointed to that had a problem. Unless they've updated the service, which requires an update to the forum plugin, it's up to them to fix it, if they haven't already.

 

[the_owl]

port 21?

 

[OakleyFrankFMJ]

port 21?

In the "internet" traffic world there are specific ports or "streets" for example that specific traffic flows through

 

[the_owl]

what kind of script would communicate on a non encrypted ftp port.
I cant even login to my hosting accounts on port 21 any longer its so insecure. Might as well tattoo your credentials to your forehead and walk around Manhattan

 

[Jestered]

The script itself wouldn't be running through port 21, just the initial communication with the server. A second connection would be created, on another port, between the client and server, and that's where any type of data transfer would occur. But, yeah, ftp servers of any kind are not the most secure things, but they were meant for public connections, not private. It really depends on what you're serving up also.

 

[the_owl]

I would be amazed if any part of this transaction was done through FTP. its probably pulled up on 443 and grabbed through JS on oakleyboss' server

 

[Jestered]

I'm guessing it's the viglink client (running in the forum software) connecting to viglink where the script is stored and run. I'm assuming the script scrubs the page and returns, to the client app, the eBay auction links that we see on some pages. Who knows what connection type it's using. The only thing that's for certain is that viglink is not responding, or is responding slowly, to a request over port 21. Port 21 is the default port for incoming FTP server connections.

 

[kronin323]

Seems to have cleared up today.