VB5 security question

[cyberstalker292]

I've been out of the forum game for a long, long time.
My last spin around the block was when VB5 came out..... no wonder why I quit for awhile.

Well, I have a need for a good forum again, and I have full licenses just sitting collecting dust.
I know the consensus for VB5 is that it's junk, or slow, unsecure, resource hog or just old.

I really like the way VB5 looks, and on their site it seems pretty fast in it's current version. It has a look and feel which is familiar to me.

So my real question: I know people talk about VB and it's security problems and bugs.
I'm not familiar with how forums are hacked. I don't want an open forum, just one that is hidden away and people are granted access by request.
So if the forum is hidden by the robots.txt and there is no open registration....... is getting hacked a real problem?

Thanks! Really appreciate it.

 

[Nabix]

cyberstalker292 'Getting hacked' is an ongoing problem which will never go away. There are many ways said hacker can gain access to your server. A popular method by which hackers take control of forums are done by using SQL injections. Currently, the most recent vulnerability i could find was in vB 5.6.1; which was apparently fixed in a patch. So, it appears vBulletin's support team is staying somewhat on top of security patches. I do not use vBulletin, so, I have no idea how often they release patches or respond to these issues.

Apart from the vBulletin script itself. There are some simple steps you can take if you are running your own vps. I actually wrote an article on Medium about this. Installed Ubuntu 20.04 server? Follow this simple guide for better security Protecting yourself from hackers is about eliminating risk. I could sit here all day and give tips on how to preform some server hardening but Google is the best teacher i know.

A big part of web administration is learning from what you did wrong. Just remember to make and keep current backups. Also, reguardless if the forum is open or not, its just a susceptible.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Currently, the most recent vulnerability i could find was in vB 3.6.1

Just to clarify, I think you meant 5.6.1. and that's good advice, eliminate the risks. vBulletin are usually quick to patch vulnerabilities so always update your installation at the earliest opportunity.

 

[Nabix]

Just to clarify, I think you meant 5.6.1. and that's good advice, eliminate the risks. vBulletin are usually quick to patch vulnerabilities so always update your installation at the earliest opportunity.

haha I'm still stuck in the ol' vB 3 days lol

 

[cyberstalker292]

Thanks!!

I've chosen to use my VB5 license, but also get a XF2 license. Why run one forum when you can run two?

 

[ManagerJosh]

I'm not familiar with how forums are hacked. I don't want an open forum, just one that is hidden away and people are granted access by request.
So if the forum is hidden by the robots.txt and there is no open registration....... is getting hacked a real problem?

So as long as there are human using your forum, there is always the risk of being hacked.

 

[borbole]

So my real question: I know people talk about VB and it's security problems and bugs.
I'm not familiar with how forums are hacked. I don't want an open forum, just one that is hidden away and people are granted access by request.
So if the forum is hidden by the robots.txt and there is no open registration....... is getting hacked a real problem?

Thanks! Really appreciate it.

It is not only the forums that can be hacked. You can have a very secure forum, but your server does not take security seriously for example. Or you could use a third party mod which may be vulnerable, security wise. i.e. there are several factors at play that you need to be aware of.