Enable Script/Bot Flood Control Using Database Only

[bigpedro]

Have a site which has been attacked by the tell a friend feature as the client switched off Captcha.

The hosts won't put the site live to allow me to get into fix the problem. Can I enable this feature via FTP of the database?

[bsmither]

No, as one does not FTP into a database. You should have access to the site's admin control panel, or at least access to a database manager such as phpMyAdmin, to access the MySQL database directly.

Please determine if you have access to the database. If so, open the _config table and find the row with 'config' in the name column. We will be editing the array value in that row.

Scan through that mess looking for:

s:16:"Zmxvb2RDb250cm9s";

(this is base64 for 'floodControl'). Immediately after that you will find this:

s:4:"MA=="; (base64 for '0')

You need to change the "MA==" to "MQ==" (base64 for '1').

There is a "ReCaptcha" mode. If you want to switch the store to that mode, instead of

s:4:"MQ==";

use

s:12:"cmVjYXB0Y2hh";

On the other hand, you can neutralize the TaF feature. In the file /includes/content/tellafriend.inc.php, change:

if(!defined('CC_INI_SET')){ die("Access Denied"); }

to

die("Access Denied");

You will also want to remove the link for the TaF on the viewProd page of your skin(s).

[bigpedro]

Thanks Brian.

Have got into the db and found the _config and then config. I don't have that text in there. I can find this line though

:"floodControl";s:1:"0";s:14

[bsmither]

In plain text??? I did not realize that! Hey, I learned something today!

Well, Ok, Change

s:1:"0";

to

s:1:"1";

or

s:9:"recaptcha";

[bigpedro]

Ha it threw me too. I have made the change. Can't see if it worked until the host puts it live again! Thanks Brian.