..a dose of zero-day know-hows ..

11/20/2008

php fsockopen problems when connecting to ssl and tls mail servers

Few weeks ago I was stumped by some error that took me sometime to resolve concerning PHP Mailer - having it fetch emails from Gmail. After grepping through logs, I discovered few fsockopen errors stating wrong function parameter issues. The logs states:


Warning: fsockopen() expects parameter 2 to be long

I have gone and checked if the PHP Mailer version I use supports connecting via SSL, and it appeared it didn't, in effect I upgraded PHP Mailer to version 2.03. Everything worked fine in my local development server, but behold, yet another error only occurring in our live server, it was:


Warning: fsockopen() [function.fsockopen]:
unable to connect to ssl://smtp.gmail.com:465
(Unable to find the socket transport "ssl" -
did you forget to enable it when you configured PHP?)

The error message was obvious enough for me to realize that I did not compile the php on our server with ssl support. The final resolution was I re-compiled PHP with the following params:


'./configure'
'--with-apxs2=/usr/local/apache2/bin/apxs'
'--with-mysql=/usr/local/mysql/'
'--enable-mbstring'
'--with-gd'
'--with-jpeg-dir=/usr/local/lib'
'--with-png-dir=/usr/local/lib'
'--with-zlib' '--with-curl'
'--with-gettext'
'--with-ncurses'
'--with-imap=/usr/local/imap/imap-2006c1/'
'--with-imap-ssl=/usr/local/ssl/'
'--with-openssl'
'--enable-sockets'

The '--with-openssl' part was just what I needed. After recompiling and restarting httpd, everything worked fine.

7/21/2008

MiaCMS on PacktPub OpenSource CMS Awards 2008

Hey guys! help MiaCMS make it into the OpenSource CMS Award. Please take time visiting the following links

http://www.packtpub.com/article/nominate-overall-open-source-cms-winner
http://www.packtpub.com/article/nominate-most-promising-open-source-cms

and entering the following info

Nominated Content Management System: MiaCMS
Website: http://miacms.org

Thank you very much.

7/07/2008

How to use SmartBro Prepaid Kit on Linux (ZTE MF622 HSDPA USB MODEM)

Due to the typhoon that hit our area (Kalibo, Aklan), I was pushed offline, internetless for a week. As a recourse I was forced to purchase the SmartBro Prepaid Kit (ZTE MF622 HSDPA Modem).

Here's how I was able to use the SmartBro Prepaid Kit (ZTE MF622 HSDPA Modem) on my Linux dev machine (fedora 8) and should be applicable to other popular desktop linux distros.

I created two files as follows:

/etc/udev/rules.d/25-zte-mf622.rules containing:
ACTION!="add", GOTO="End"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="2000",
SYSFS{idVendor}=="19d2", GOTO="ZeroCD"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="0001",
SYSFS{idVendor}=="19d2", GOTO="Modem"
LABEL="ZeroCD"
RUN+="/sbin/rmmod usb_storage"
LABEL="Modem"
RUN+="/sbin/modprobe usbserial vendor=0x19d2 product=0x0001",
MODE="660", GROUP="dialout"
LABEL="End"
/etc/smartbro.conf containing:
[Dialer Defaults]
Init2 = ATZ
Init3 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Init5 = AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","smartbro"
Stupid Mode = 1
Modem Type = Analog Modem
ISDN = 0
Phone = *99#
Modem = /dev/ttyUSB0
Username = user
Password = pass
Dial Command = ATDT
Baud = 460800
To connect to the internet via the usb modem, simply invoke the following command on the terminal:
wvdial --config=/etc/smartbro.conf

To Disconnect, kill the process ID of the PPPD command called by wvdial or simply remove the USB HSDPA Modem.

5/25/2008

..just got back from Manila..

I just got back from Manila, staying at the airport for 15 hours to wait for my flight gave me a nasty headache. Yesterday I gave a talk about websecurity for tri{php}letreat@USAutoPartsPhilippines seminar. I was slated as the last speaker, luckily the USAutoPartsPhilippines training room has an unlimitted supply of coffee enabling participants to stay alive until my topic is over.

At the event, I was able to meet co-presentors Reynold Lariza and Reuben Ravago; PHPUGPH Officers Clodelio Delfino, Bryan Blas, JR Yap and Cherrie Anne Domingo. I had a fun time with them although JR Yap was not able to tour me around Q.C., I sure hope the next time I visit Manila, i would not chance upon his car broke :D.

I will be posting materials for the web security talk i did for this the event soon.. I have a whole heap of backlogs to catch up with. Ah.. sundays.. :D