Messages

316

Politics / Re: Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail

« on: April 28, 2012, 05:32:06 PM »

You have to go into the FDIC records to find out what happened to Sun Trust. When banks become insolvent the FDIC steps in and finds a bank to buy it. If FDIC picks BofA to be the buyer, they just step in and become the new owners. This incest arises because FDIC doesn't want to pay off the depositors, they coerce the neighbor banks to buy the failing one. Now the coerced bank has the liabilities and the failing assets.

(Remember, deposits are liabilities to banks, assets are loans.) When assets aren't paying back, the bank becomes insolvent. They owe more to depositors than they have money to pay.

The result is FDIC can't 'punish' BofA too much, they need them to keep buying smaller banks that were caught up in the frenzy of the bubble and which aren't too big to fail.

Result: BofA, propped up by the FED, becomes even bigger and more corrupt.

Regulation has failed.

317

Jokes / Re: Funny articles

« on: April 11, 2012, 05:38:25 PM »

psycho ex

Not really funny but painful to read.

What's interesting to infer from this story is that he was sitting "innocently" at his computer when she broke in to hit him on the head where upon his scrotum was immediately available for her to grab. There is no description of where his pants were or why his scrotum was exposed to her grasp. Methinks he was not so innocently sitting at his computer. Or perhaps they are both nudists?

318

Jokes / Re: Did you know... [Curiosities]

« on: April 03, 2012, 07:15:12 PM »

China has a one-child policy, regardless of the sex of the child. I believe the rural farmers are exempt but still limited. There have been reports of female babies being euthanized since the preference is for males to take over the family farm. Even so, China has a serious population growth problem.

319

Quake / Re: Kicked for hacked q2.exe

« on: March 26, 2012, 01:28:11 PM »

what is anti cheat and how does this work with rich client , back when i played 7 to 8 years ago the anti cheat was built into the clients . my r1q2 is very old as well v6.5.5.5 i think.  No experiments with old hax , if you seen any old demoes of me playing on this sit there wouldnt even be a questionable doubt . loved the tdm but was never very good at it LOL

Anticheat is a DLL that gets loaded by some clients, such as r1q2 and q2pro for example, that examines files that are loaded into your client for what might be considered cheats. The "legal" modified paks and files can be different depending on the admin settings of the server you are on. The spectrum is fairly consistent but there is room for variation.

The reason it's in a DLL is because there are certain techniques it uses to prevent hacking of the DLL to mask cheats. This is what happened to no-cheat clients, the code was hackable, making them useless.

These hack-suppression techniques also account for the false-positive alerts your anti-virus scanners might issue when they scan the DLL since the anti-hacking code looks like malware to the A-V scanners. Put the DLL into your Quake2 root and put it on your A-V product's safe list.

320

Jokes / Re: Funny Pictures

« on: March 23, 2012, 06:19:46 PM »

Strange.

321

0x1337c0de / Re: Entity List Management in Q2 Mods

« on: March 22, 2012, 08:14:44 PM »

I don't think so but I'd like to read your thoughts on why the Loxo server has not crashed with ED_Alloc: no free edicts nor has it crashed with SEG-FAULT or bad data overwrites. Typical LOX num_edicts runs in the 500 to 700 range on 12 players and custom maps. It's been a long time since the server had a heavy load.

I'll bring maxentities down to 1024 for a while and see what happens when krenZ has his way with it again. It's quite possible the faster spawn search is responsible and not the size of the entity array.

But why does it say this in the original game.h?

Code: [Select]

//
// global variables shared between game and server
//

// The edict array is allocated in the game dll so it
// can vary in size from one game to another.
//
// The size will be fixed when ge->Init() is called
struct edict_s *edicts;
int edict_size;
int num_edicts; // current number, <= max_edicts
int max_edicts;


322

0x1337c0de / Re: Entity List Management in Q2 Mods

« on: March 22, 2012, 09:13:04 AM »

No, there is a difference between game entities, server entities and client entities. The MAX_EDICTS limit is only for those entities that must be passed from server to client. It's perfectly acceptable to have more entities in the game than are passed to the client.

323

0x1337c0de / Re: Entity List Management in Q2 Mods

« on: March 21, 2012, 07:08:08 PM »

Interesting point. But then why does the cvar maxentities exist and why is globals.max_edicts set to game.maxentities in g_save.c in the historical game mod?
And why does this line exist in the same code"

Code: [Select]

g_edicts =  gi.TagMalloc (game.maxentities * sizeof(g_edicts[0]), TAG_GAME);


324

0x1337c0de / Entity List Management in Q2 Mods

« on: March 20, 2012, 10:20:04 PM »

Several extensive attempts were made to crash the Loxophilia server via the entity list crash pathway. These attempts did not succeed. The crash is produced when the active entity list is filled and a subseqent call to G_Spawn in the game mod can't find space in the entity list to instantiate a new entity. The function fails with a call to gi.error ("ED_Alloc: no free edicts"); which halts the game server resulting in a temporary denial of service.

There are two factors influencing this relative immunity to DoS.

1. Entity list size: old game default is 1024 entities. Loxo uses 2048 by default.
2. List management code in LOX was modified long ago and is now an historic artifact in LOX.

Three functions were modified in g_utils.c to speed up entity initialization and freeing.
The functions are listed below. These functions are common to all Quake2 mods.
NOTE: The entity member "classnum" is used in LOX to speed up class comparisons instead of using string matching based on "classname". The CN_* values are simply #defines or enumated constants for all entity classes in the relevant mod. You may freely discard the code dealing with this data member.

Code: [Select]

void G_InitEdict (edict_t *e)
{
e->inuse = QTRUE;
e->classname = "noclass";
e->classnum = CN_NOCLASS;
e->gravity = 1.0;
e->s.number = e - g_edicts;

// Clear what the free-edict list may have set.
e->chain = NULL;

// This is another headache.
e->think = NULL;
e->nextthink = 0;
}

// The free-edict list.  Meant to vastly speed up G_Spawn().
edict_t *g_freeEdictsH = NULL;
edict_t *g_freeEdictsT = NULL;

/*
=================
G_Spawn

Either finds a free edict, or allocates a new one.
Try to avoid reusing an entity that was recently freed, because it
can cause the client to think the entity morphed into something else
instead of being removed and recreated, which can cause interpolated
angles and bad trails.
=================
*/

edict_t *G_Spawn (void)
{
int i;
edict_t *e;
// char string[64];

// If the free-edict queue can help, let it.
while (g_freeEdictsH != NULL)
{
// Remove the first item.
e = g_freeEdictsH;
g_freeEdictsH = g_freeEdictsH->chain;
if (g_freeEdictsH == NULL)
g_freeEdictsT = NULL;

// If it's in use, get another one.
if (e->inuse)
continue;

// If it's safe to use it, do so.
if (e->freetime < 2 || level.time - e->freetime > 0.5)
{
G_InitEdict (e);
return e;
}

// If we can't use it, we won't be able to use any of these -- anything
// after it in the queue was freed even later.
else
break;
}

// The old way to find a free edict.
e = &g_edicts[(int)maxclients->value+1];
for ( i = (int) maxclients->value + 1 ; i < globals.num_edicts ; i++, e++)
{
// the first couple seconds of server time can involve a lot of
// freeing and allocating, so relax the replacement policy
if (!e->inuse && ( e->freetime < 2 || level.time - e->freetime > 0.5 ) )
{
G_InitEdict (e);
return e;
}
}

if (i == game.maxentities)
gi.error ("ED_Alloc: no free edicts");

globals.num_edicts++;
G_InitEdict (e);
// sprintf(string, "num_edicts is %i\n", globals.num_edicts);
// OutputDebugString(string);
return e;
}

/*
=================
G_FreeEdict

Marks the edict as free
=================
*/
void G_FreeEdict (edict_t *ed)
{
gi.unlinkentity (ed); // unlink from world

if ((ed - g_edicts) <= (maxclients->value + BODY_QUEUE_SIZE))
{
// gi.dprintf("tried to free special edict\n");
return;
}

memset (ed, 0, sizeof(*ed));
ed->classname = "freed";
ed->classnum = CN_NOCLASS;
ed->freetime = level.time;
ed->inuse = QFALSE;

// Put this edict into the free-edict queue.
if (g_freeEdictsH == NULL)
g_freeEdictsH = ed;
else
g_freeEdictsT->chain = ed;
g_freeEdictsT = ed;
ed->chain = NULL;
}

In server configuration files you can set maxentities 2048 or you can modify g_save.c in the game source:

Code: [Select]

maxentities = gi.cvar ("maxentities", "2048", CVAR_LATCH);


325

tastyspleen.net / Re: Deliberately Crashing Servers

« on: March 20, 2012, 06:56:00 AM »

Foc, I understand your point completely and I agree that assholes need to pay the price for being assholes and krenZ deserves his ban and I wouldn't waste any more time on him either.

I was only replying to you in the same tone and method that you replied to me. All is cool.
 

But my intent was to plug a hole that exists in ancient code that might be easily fixed with a simple copy-paste of a block of code and a quick recompile of the game DLL and publication of that code for the greater good of the mod community. The total time to do that is less than I have wasted in this thread. The solution might even be as simple as increasing maxentities since the limit is artificial and the default was geared to a 1997 server. The code I have uses a "freed entity" list to speed up G_Spawn and a larger default value for maxentities. LOX uses a lot of entities and it doesn't crash and I haven't seen this exploit used on it so I would have liked to see if it can be crashed this way. The coop code is ancient original 3.21 mod code most likely.

The result would be less time dealing with future assholes who might choose to use the same exploit to crash a server. If I was more ambitious I'd write a detection program that would auto-ban anyone who acted like krenZ but as you say, enter IP, ban the asshole, quick fix.

326

tastyspleen.net / Re: Deliberately Crashing Servers

« on: March 20, 2012, 12:24:35 AM »

Unless he took the time to create a bind that would drop 1000+ ammo packs all at once, that's not the method he was using. Cajmere said he never saw any ammo packs dropped before it crashed.

It's pretty stupid that anyone should HAVE to make changes to the server to prevent this from happening again when it would be a hell of a lot quicker and simpler to keep the assholes doing it off the server with a ban until they agree to stop doing obnoxious shit. Play by the rules or play somewhere else.

I don't think making server code resistant to attack is stupid at all. You have to remember that Q2 was designed as a single player game first, multiplayer second and the philosophy of the net at the time was "everybody plays by the rules". Then the Morris worm came out and all hell broke loose. Original Q2 was riddled with vulnerabilities, hence all the admin tricks and add-ons to plug the holes.

One of the most annoying shortcuts taken by the Q2 developers IMHO, is the good old crash-the-app-because-something-bad-happened. This is exactly what you saw with the coop server. This is fine if you're developing but it sucks when you're an admin. Fortunately, quadz has Wallfly and server monitor/reset automation in place but from the degree of upset caused by all the complainers in this thread I'd say making the servers resistant to the exploit would be a better solution.

The patch would appear to be minimal and it's already written so why not take advantage of it if it exists. We only need to prove it works.

You just love to fucking argue with me lately, don't you? Your little "solution" may work, but it's still a stupid one in my opinion. Some guy pisses on your shoes and you're worried about doing what you can to make your shoes piss-proof, meanwhile some guys pissing on my shoes and I'm kicking him in the dick until he's pissing blood and can't walk. I bet you my shoe pisser won't make the mistake of pissing on my boots again. And I didn't even have to waste the time and money it'd take to go shopping for a new pair of piss-proof shoes like you did.

I don't love to fucking argue with you at all. I find your point of view very entertaining. Keep it up. Since you are so free with your opinions I am equally free with mine. The fact our opinions differ is what makes the world interesting. If you think that's an argument it's only your juvenile underdeveloped mind and that angry with the world because your old man beat you when you was little attitude. I was only interested in the topic because it showed a weakness in the game code.

Go, be angry. Give it your best shot. Piss on krenZ and have your little game. Me, I'd rather make the game better for small minded people who have no other talent than to be drama queens on forums.

P.S. You only think I'm arguing with you. It's all in your mind.

327

tastyspleen.net / Re: Deliberately Crashing Servers

« on: March 19, 2012, 09:21:54 PM »

I don't think making server code resistant to attack is stupid at all. You have to remember that Q2 was designed as a single player game first, multiplayer second and the philosophy of the net at the time was "everybody plays by the rules". Then the Morris worm came out and all hell broke loose.

you do realize the worm made by robert morris was out a full decade ahead of q2 right?

Less than a decade actually... more like 6 years or so, late '88 to late 96. But the lesson was not learned was it?

328

tastyspleen.net / Re: Deliberately Crashing Servers

« on: March 19, 2012, 05:44:10 PM »

Unless he took the time to create a bind that would drop 1000+ ammo packs all at once, that's not the method he was using. Cajmere said he never saw any ammo packs dropped before it crashed.

It's pretty stupid that anyone should HAVE to make changes to the server to prevent this from happening again when it would be a hell of a lot quicker and simpler to keep the assholes doing it off the server with a ban until they agree to stop doing obnoxious shit. Play by the rules or play somewhere else.

I don't think making server code resistant to attack is stupid at all. You have to remember that Q2 was designed as a single player game first, multiplayer second and the philosophy of the net at the time was "everybody plays by the rules". Then the Morris worm came out and all hell broke loose. Original Q2 was riddled with vulnerabilities, hence all the admin tricks and add-ons to plug the holes.

One of the most annoying shortcuts taken by the Q2 developers IMHO, is the good old crash-the-app-because-something-bad-happened. This is exactly what you saw with the coop server. This is fine if you're developing but it sucks when you're an admin. Fortunately, quadz has Wallfly and server monitor/reset automation in place but from the degree of upset caused by all the complainers in this thread I'd say making the servers resistant to the exploit would be a better solution.

The patch would appear to be minimal and it's already written so why not take advantage of it if it exists. We only need to prove it works.

329

tastyspleen.net / Re: Deliberately Crashing Servers

« on: March 18, 2012, 11:38:32 PM »

Just for the hell of it krenZ, and this may help you redeem yourself, I'd like you to try DOS'ing the Loxophilia server for me in the same way you did coop.

74.86.171.202:27910

The LOX code uses a different G_Spawn / G_FreeEdict scheme and I'd like to see if your exploit works against it. This, and the maxentities is 2048.
I'll be watching the logs, so let's see what you can do to it.
If you can't succeed in crashing the server perhaps the LOX method can be used in the other mods and this vuln can be eliminated from them since this code is in the game module and not the engine.

I can't promise what quadz might do ban-wise, but it would satisfy my curiosity about this vuln.

If anyone knows the exploit being used, please PM me so I can investigate it on test servers.

330

/dev/random / Re: im drunk

« on: March 18, 2012, 05:02:07 PM »

Will glitter scrape the intestines? Great way to abrade those polyps in your colon. Either that, or a great way to acquire a case of diverticulitis.