• From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Topic: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

If you get an error stating that you were referred to a page from an unauthorized source the problem is most certainly one of the following:

1. 'Base URL' in Admin/Options is not correctly set.
2. You are not visiting the forum by navigating to the URL entered in 'Base URL'. You must visit the forum by entering the 'Base URL' in the address bar of your browser. If 'Base URL' is http://a.b.c, you must enter that in the address bar (not http://localhost or http://192.168.0.15).
3. You are browsing the forum through a proxy or firewall of some sort that is stripping HTTP_REFERER from all requests. Norton Personal Firewall and Kerio Personal Firewall 4 are the only ones I know of so far that strip HTTP_REFERER by default. Popup/ad stoppers are also known to do this in some cases (most of them don't though). See this post for info on how to setup Norton to circumvent the problem with Norton.

The error should only occur for moderators and administrators. The reason for the error is that PunBB, upon receiving form data, checks from where the data was submitted and if that page doesn't match 'Base URL' + the name of the correct script, it won't allow it. The check is there for a very good reason, trust me :-)

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

2 Reply by clay

  • clay
  • Guest

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

i was having the same problem, and i thought for a second that it could be my pop-up blocker, however, that wasn't the problem.

when i initially logged in to admin, i used only http://domainname.com/ rather than http://www.domainname.com, and was getting the bad referrer error, simply becase i had the base url set as http://www.domainname.com.  Probably you all already knew that, but i thought i'd put it up here just in case other people like me get confused over the simple stuff...

clay

3 Reply by Wooty

  • From: Israel
  • Registered: 2003-08-29
  • Posts: 45

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Kennel wrote:

If you get an error stating that you were referred to a page from an unauthorized source the problem is most certainly one of the following:

1. 'Base URL' in Admin/Options is not correctly set.
2. You are not visiting the forum by navigating to the URL entered in 'Base URL'. You must visit the forum by entering the 'Base URL' in the address bar of your browser. If 'Base URL' is http://a.b.c, you must enter that in the address bar (not http://localhost or http://192.168.0.15).
3. You are browsing the forum through a proxy or firewall of some sort that is stripping HTTP_REFERER from all requests. Norton Personal Firewall is the only one I know of so far that strips HTTP_REFERER by default. Popup/ad stoppers are also known to do this in some cases (most of them don't though).

The error should only occur for moderators and administrators. The reason for the error is that PunBB, upon receiving form data, checks from where the data was submitted and if that page doesn't match 'Base URL' + the name of the correct script, it won't allow it. The check is there for a very good reason, trust me :-)

H-ello! What can a dude like me (I can't change my connection settings since i'm on ADSL) - that gets the error?

Dan, (Official, i hope :D) PunBBHeb Translator.
  • Registered: 2003-08-21
  • Posts: 44

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

I don't understand your problem here... Which connection settings do you want to change?

5 Reply by Wooty

  • From: Israel
  • Registered: 2003-08-29
  • Posts: 45

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Scriptweaver wrote:

I don't understand your problem here... Which connection settings do you want to change?

I'm getting the following: When I try to edit forum options, it says bad referer, so I'm changing my domain into www.dan.mihopa.com instead of dan.mihopa.com, but then when i try to edit (my) posts on the board, i need to change back into dan.mihopa.com...

Dan, (Official, i hope :D) PunBBHeb Translator.
  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

That's impossible. It must be a caching issue or something.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

  • Registered: 2003-08-21
  • Posts: 44

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Have you tried this on several browsers? My first shot would be to reinstall Internet Explorer (I may assume you use IE because this sounds like a true IE problem :-D ). The preceding www. before your 'true address' is something I've allready heard of. May be persistent even if you flush cache, something weird...

8 Reply by Wooty

  • From: Israel
  • Registered: 2003-08-29
  • Posts: 45

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Scriptweaver wrote:

Have you tried this on several browsers? My first shot would be to reinstall Internet Explorer (I may assume you use IE because this sounds like a true IE problem :-D ). The preceding www. before your 'true address' is something I've allready heard of. May be persistent even if you flush cache, something weird...

When you'll find exact solution to this problem.. let me know, thank you.

Dan, (Official, i hope :D) PunBBHeb Translator.

9 Reply by Rolf (edited by Rolf 2003-09-20 17:56)

  • Rolf
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-09-20
  • Posts: 13

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Hello!
I have read the thread about "Bad refer" and tried to solve the problem with my installation. I don´t use Norton antivirus and I have disabled my popup-stopper.
No solution!
Here are my two URL:s

nnhttp://ganymede.hbv.hik.se/~kr11am/applikation/index.php
nnhttp://ganymede.hbv.hik.se/~kr11am/applikation/admin_index.php
For you to se the whole URL I had to put nn in the beginning!

Anything wrong with them?
What to do?
Thanks in advance Rolf

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

To what have you set base URL in admin/options?

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

11 Reply by Rolf

  • Rolf
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-09-20
  • Posts: 13

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Hello!
My base URL in admin/options is:
nnhttp://ganymede.hbv.hik.se/~kr11am/applikation/index.php
Hope you can help me solve the problem!
All the best Rolf

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Remove /index.php at the end. Your Base URL should be

http://ganymede.hbv.hik.se/~kr11am/applikation
"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

13 Reply by Rolf

  • Rolf
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-09-20
  • Posts: 13

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Hello again!
Thanks very much!!!
All the best: Rolf

14 Reply by TranCora

  • TranCora
  • Guest

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

I've set the following as my base URL: http://users.quickfox.tk/~trancora/main/forums

I'm still getting the Bad refer error. Any suggestions why?

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Well, when I visit that address I am forwarded to users.quickfox.org so perhaps you should try that?

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

16 Reply by Matt

  • Matt
  • Guest

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Kennel wrote:

Well, when I visit that address I am forwarded to users.quickfox.org so perhaps you should try that?


Hi

I am having the same problem
its frustrating because I am doing everything according to the book

my base URL is http://www.cypherpunk.za.net/forum

but i get bad referer error when trying to admin the forum

  • Frank H
  • Former PunBB Developer
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-03-16
  • Posts: 1,423

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

try removing the www part in your url ... as I'm redirected to
http://cypherpunk.za.net/forum

18 Reply by ampsys

  • ampsys
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-12-15
  • Posts: 8

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

i try with the www or like that

http://ampsys-electronics.com/FORUM/adm … action=foo

but still get the Bad referer. You were referred to this page from an unauthorized source. Please go back and try again. If the problem persists please make sure that 'Base URL' is correctly set in Admin/Options and that you are visiting the forum by navigating to that URL.

what to do ? I am not sure i understand all the message above...
thanks !!

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

What do you have now and what address do you use to visit the forums?

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

20 Reply by ampsys

  • ampsys
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-12-15
  • Posts: 8

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Hello Kennel

thanks for the reply/
I have http://www.ampsys-electronics.com/FORUM/ (<-- the one I use) (---> I also try) or http://www.ampsys-electronics.com/FORUM/index.php
or even http://ampsys-electronics.com/FORUM/

still does not work same message...

21 Reply by ampsys

  • ampsys
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-12-15
  • Posts: 8

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Please help me buhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

Are you remembering to visit the forums by entering that exact address in the address bar? If you have the adress without www in your Base URL and then visit the forums by going to www.amp..., it will not work.

Are you using a software firewall (Norton?) or any popup stopper? If so, try disabling them.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

23 Reply by ampsys

  • ampsys
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-12-15
  • Posts: 8

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

I have the www in my base URL, I tried both....
I have zone alarm but even disable it is the same, I just use a proxi from the university ? problem there ?
thanks again and again...

24 Reply by ampsys

  • ampsys
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2003-12-15
  • Posts: 8

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

hello

here is my code : from the navigation bar I open a new window:

?<img name="pic18" SRC="efface.gif" width=10 height=10 border=0></font></font></font><font size="1" face="Verdana" color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><A HREF="http://www.ampsys-electronics.com/FORUM" onMouseOver="photodessus(pic18)" onMouseOut="efface_photo(pic18)" target=" _blank"><font face="Verdana" size="1">Forum</font><A onMouseOver="photodessus(pic18)" onMouseOut="efface_photo(pic18)"><font face="Verdana" size="1"><br></font></a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font>

thanks to you.....

25 Reply by angelfrench

  • angelfrench
  • Guest

Re: INFO: Bad HTTP_REFERER

still does not work...

to ad i love it as well.....