403 errors

[EarlG]

Some members have been and may still be experiencing 403 errors when trying to post. This is not caused by a hack, in fact quite the opposite — it is actually being caused by the DU firewall acting too aggressively.

403 errors should not be persistent but some members are clearly continuing to experience them. I’d like to get an idea of how many people are being affected.

The error manifests as a plain white screen with the words "403 Forbidden" or just "Forbiddden" at the top of the screen and may occur when attempting to post, preview, or send DU Mail.

Please feel free to answer:

79 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	I have not experienced a 403 error in the last seven days
	48 (61%)
	I experienced a 403 error within the last seven days, but not in the last 24 hours and I am currently able to post without any issues
	19 (24%)
	I have experienced a 403 error in the last 24 hours, and my ability to post is currently restricted, although some posts go through
	12 (15%)
	I have experienced a 403 error in the last 24 hours and I am currently unable to post anything
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[boston bean]

1. I was getting while trying to respond to a post on an OP I wrote.

[boston bean]

7. Still getting 403 when I tried just now. Her is link

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1002&pid=16030911

[ItsjustMe]

2. These two threads confirm that many people are having this issue.

Anyone else getting "403 Forbidden" errors when posting or editing?
https://www.democraticunderground.com/125619205

Is anybody going to fix the "403" problem? Can't put anything below title for last 30 hours.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/125619226

[EarlG]

8. I'm aware

The thing with these errors is that they should not be persistent, and when they do crop up they typically go away again fairly quickly (although ideally they would never appear at all).

We had a surge of errors starting last week, likely due to some back end stuff we are working on, and I'd like to get a feel for how many people are being affected by them right now vs. how many people have experienced them recently but are no longer experiencing them. From the early poll results so far it seems that most people either have not been affected, or have been affected but the problem appears to have cleared up. I'll keep the poll running for the rest of the day and see how it looks later on.

Of course this doesn't make it any less of a pain in the ass for people who are currently stuck with the 403s, and I apologize we haven't been able to come up with a quick solution. The good news is that it seems for most people who do run into this problem, it goes away on its own fairly quickly.

[thucythucy]

17. Is there a way to factor in people trying to respond to this poll

and getting a 403?

Not trying to be snarky, genuinely asking if this could be an added complication.

[EarlG]

25. I don't think that's a problem

The 403 shouldn't affect a poll response, but if it does then I'm sure someone will email me about it.

[Tomconroy]

32. I was good this am but now it's blocking du mail.

[underpants]

3. Thanks. I was getting them pretty often but not in a few days.

[bottomofthehill]

4. I also got a few 403 error messages when trying to send DUMail

[EarlG]

9. That makes sense

The error occurs when attempting to submit data to DU's servers so it's understandable that it might trigger when sending a DU Mail as opposed to posting -- same problem, just in a different location.

[Tomconroy]

15. Me too.

[happybird]

5. A few times a day for the the past couple weeks, I've been getting a blank white screen

with just the word ‘Forbidden’ in small font in the upper left corner. If I hit the refresh button about 5 or 6 times, the page will load.

[EarlG]

10. That's one way the error shows up

In fact I just edited my OP to add that information in, thanks.

[Lucid Dreamer]

20. 403 error

Earl,
I've been reading DU for 17 years but do very little posting.
Last week I got a couple of 403 and thought it might be anomalous because "something wasn't updated" or "I offended a rule" I wasn't aware of.
I don't have enuff experience to be very helpful.

Thanx for your efforts.

[dickthegrouch]

14. That's my experience too

Curiously the post succeeded I just wasn’t able to view it, or anything else until I restarted my (iPhone safari browser). I use ExpressVPN so that might have something to do with it.

[question everything]

6. I got a few yesterday but otherwise am not restricted as I can respond here

Happened again, now, when I tried to respond

[Elessar Zappa]

11. It's been about a month

since I got an error message.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. I haven't been able to start a new discussion thread in a week. I can reply to existing OPs.

I can create a new thread if I just type in the title box. That will post, but I cannot put anything in the 'message text' box nor update the title only OP to add text. My last original post was made on November 3.

[Kaleva]

13. I checked my profile to see if i had been flagged for review even though I had no hidden posts

I wasn't so I figured there was a system glitch that may or may not be resolved. In the past couple of days, I've had no further troubles.

[blogslug]

16. I chose no, now let me double-check test it with this reply

note: all clear on my end

[GoneOffShore]

18. Three 403 errors and that was in reply to a Lounge thread. Nothing else was affected.

[appalachiablue]

19. Posting today is ok, but yesterday I got a 403 Error

when trying to post a new thread, but it went through on the second attempt.

I'd had several 403 Forbidden msgs. for new threads over the last few weeks. Then all was ok until I got another one yesterday for a new thread which posted on the second try as said.

[Hekate]

21. Couple days ago, surprised me to essentially be locked out of my own thread. But I knew others...

…had already experienced the same phenomenon, and with more frequency, so after several tries I just moved on.

I appreciate the explanation about the DU firewall, and know you will continue to work at it.

[Poiuyt]

22. I had severe 403 problems that went on for months

Fortunately, Earl and Elad helped me find a solution. Now I'm happy as a clam.

Thank you Ear and Elad!

[Disaffected]

23. So,

what was that solution?? I expect many would like to know.

[EarlG]

24. Unfortunately

I don't think it was related to the recent batch of errors, and it was specific to Poiuyt's situation.

[Poiuyt]

30. I think it was changing my password that worked for me.

When I tried logging in, I clicked on the "forgotten password" link. They then sent me a new one that allowed me to log in.

I was also in the midst of changing my internet provider, but I think it was the password that did it. As Earl said, there's an issue with their firewall that has been causing many of the problems.

[Poiuyt]

31. Ironically, I just got a 403 Forbidden message

It quickly went away.

[Ohio Joe]

26. Other - Robb is a dingbat

[DFW]

27. I get the message sporadically

I have been posting in the last 5 days from Spain, Germany, France and Belgium

[TheBlackAdder]

28. Got them today replying to the HRC Big Bird OP between 2:20EST and now.

.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216034359

Oops, we're EST now.

.

[iemanja]

29. I had to change my vote

because I just got a 403 error in the Minnesota group.

[Takket]

33. i just got my first 403 about an hour ago when trying to start a thread. i did start a thread

earlier today

[BumRushDaShow]

34. Just found this thread but need one other poll category that needs to show a nuance

I.e., getting a 403 trying to edit older "standing" (either continually updated or possibly pinned) OPs that might have a large amount of content in them.

It's 100% reproducible when trying to edit ones like that where they will generate a 403 every time (even if not adding anything more but just trying to fix an error in what is already there).

I did a test edit to remove about 1/3rd of the content out of one OP that was reproducibly giving a 403 whenever trying to add or fix anything in it, did a preview, and the preview of the now-truncated version finally did NOT generate the 403.

So in that case (for old or new "larger" OPs, as well as some "large" replies, as I have had a few replies get a 403), there seems to be a hard post size restriction in place. Someone noted in another thread that they have found that splitting up the older large-content OPs into new separate smaller OPs, seems to get around the problem (although that can be hassle in terms of continuity for some of the legacy OPs).

[appalachiablue]

35. I just got a 403 Forbidden msg. again, twice

when trying to reply to a post in a music thread. It also happened late last night with the same post.

[Emrys]

36. I voted

"I experienced a 403 error within the last seven days, but not in the last 24 hours and I am currently able to post without any issues"

but only because that's the closest to my situation.

I haven't bothered trying to post an OP in the last few days after persistent 403 issues on the UK Group last week, both when previewing and when attempting to post (only overcome after a couple of days when I experimented with splitting a long post up into multiple messages, which finally got through - not an experience I feel like repeating), as it's a waste of time composing a post then getting 403'd, so I've no idea whether it's still a problem for me in the last 24 hours.

If I feel driven to take the risk of trying to post another OP, I'll report back here one way or the other.

[iemanja]

37. I've had two in the past 24 hrs. nt

[Marthe48]

38. I had one yesterday

I tried to post condolences on the story about the little girl who killed herself. My first post didn't go, but I reworded it and had no trouble. Just fyi

[llmart]

39. My 403 errors all appeared only when trying to send DU Mail.

I was able to post just fine. The last 403 error was this morning, but I had quite a few yesterday.

[lindysalsagal]

40. I fixed it with a browser close and a re-boot.

[ChazII]

41. I am not seeing '403 error'

but for the past month I have been getting a message that the page did not load properly. The page will then reload or got to a gray colored screen. When and if this happens again I will try to do a copy and paste of the code that does come up. It is at least seven digits long.

[sinkingfeeling]

42. Just tried to create a new post and am still 'forbidden'. It's been 10 days, so guess I won't be on

DU after the end of the month.

[BlackSkimmer]

43. I have to change my response.

I’ve gotten the 403 numerous times in the last few days.

Most often when I try to edit my avatar.

[irisblue]

44. Bump

[muriel_volestrangler]

45. I just got it on a reply in another thread for the first time

and continued to get it there, even after reloading the reply screen for that thread. But this one has gone through OK, as you can see.

[LeftInTX]

46. I could not repond to a specific thread last night.

It had to do with the abolishing the 5th Court of Appeals.

I was trying to respond that Newt Gingrich ran for president to abolish the 9th Court of Appeals.

I kept getting 403 forbidden, but I could reply to other threads. I would go back to the post, but no matter what, I could not respond.

[crickets]

47. I got a 403 error yesterday trying to reply to a thread.

Closed the tab, opened the thread in another tab and tried again. Still 403. Odd. No issues in other threads. I have occasionally seen the error in the past, thought not often.

[canetoad]

48. Another DUer sent me a link

To a lounge post - I was unable to open it until I'd removed the world 'Upload' from the URL.

Right now this address:
https://upload.democraticunderground.com
loads a 'Server not found' page.

[Ferrets are Cool]

49. I get them any time I am using a VPN. It just began though.

Jan 15th 2022