database errors

I just got 15 database errors, automatically sent to me in e-mails, and I am not a programmer and I have no clue what they mean or if they are serious or if I they need to be fixed. Below is a sample email message:

Database error in My Art Friends
Mysql error:
Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

Debug backtrace:
Array
(
[1] => Array
(
[file] => /home/myartfri/public_html/inc/modules.inc.php
[line] => 22
[args] => Array
(
[0] => /home/myartfri/public_html/inc/db.inc.php
)

[function] => require_once
)

[2] => Array
(
[file] => /home/myartfri/public_html/inc/admin.inc.php
[line] => 23
[args] => Array
(
[0] => /home/myartfri/public_html/inc/modules.inc.php
)

[function] => require_once
)

[3] => Array
(
[file] => /home/myartfri/public_html/inc/design.inc.php
[line] => 22
[args] => Array
(
[0] => /home/myartfri/public_html/inc/admin.inc.php
)

[function] => require_once
)

[4] => Array
(
[file] => /home/myartfri/public_html/guestbook.php
[line] => 22
[args] => Array
(
[0] => /home/myartfri/public_html/inc/design.inc.php
)

[function] => require_once
)

)


Called script: /guestbook.php

Request parameters:
Array
(
[owner] => 187
[action] => new
[add] => Add record
[newrecord] =>  free how to win at black jack caesars blackjack tournaments casinos online free chips sign up bonus optimal betting ramp blackjack ace blackjack slots casinos
)


--
Auto-report system

.

Don't know if this'll help at all, but I've had that happen to me twice already. Each time it had to do with changes/adjustments that I made in our dolphin community. One of those times I removed a php function that I didn't want without realizing that a set of two tags which I thought belonged to another function ... had to be removed as well. Until I deleted those extra tags too, I received an db error which was emailed to me ... every couple of minutes ... because the error was related to a cron function that could no longer be carried out. Consequently the system notified me, the admin, of a problem. Is it possible that you changed or modified something? If not, then hopefully someone else on this forum can help you out.

.

.

Greetings from Germany

I do not recall changing anything recently. The only thing I have changed lately was, actually, restoring the default settings for member's registration info so that they can be searched, but that was months ago.

I can get database errors sometimes and thats usually when ive been altering a members headline or what theyve said in the discription, or deleted a member. It's usually when ive been moderating the accounts in some way. I dont think its anything to worry about unless it happens everyday and the same error when you havent altered anything.

Please open each of these files and go to the line it's discussing and note where each of these strings of code is pointing to.  If you need help, then please post just that string of the code and we will be happy to help you out. 

[file] => /home/myartfri/public_html/inc/modules.inc.php
[line] => 22

Here is line 22 in the code for the first file listed (above) in the database from my post.

require_once("db.inc.php");

Do you need all the files opened?

I could be way off here, but have you had a spammer in recently. Im just going by this,

alled script: /guestbook.php

Request parameters:
Array
(
[owner] => 187
[action] => new
[add] => Add record
[newrecord] =>  free how to win at black jack caesars blackjack tournaments casinos online free chips sign up bonus optimal betting ramp blackjack ace blackjack slots casinos
)

It looks like somebody is spamming the guest book with a casino adds.  Im probably wrong but it does look like it reading that

I was wondering about that stuff about blackjack in there. Is it anything to worry about?

Check if you have the file inc/db.inc.php and the permissions are set to 644

well what i would do to start with is go into your admin panel and look at the members list and look who is member 187 and go look at his/her guest book. according to the record above somebody has put something in that guest book to do with casino's. more than likely a link too.

You are right, somebody has put over fifty entries in that users guestbook, with about 7 links in each entry to porn sites. Is there an easy way to delete them all?

There were about 175 entries of gambling and porn links. I deleted them all and I changed the Member Guestbook settings so that it is only visible to members, it was visible to members and guests.

Thanks for the help.

Glad you found the problem and great eye there Tyke.  I got one for ya as I've fried my brain on this today.  Maybe you guys can spot it.  I'll start a thread for it.

There is (apparently) a 'bot' that looks for guestbook.php. I renamed my guestbook.php file and updated the relevant links. So far no problems on either of my sites. Some suggest deleting guestbook.php as they feel it is no longer relevant. Your call.

All the best,

Stuart

Actually, not sure I fixed the problem, as I was deleting the Guestbook records, more were being added as I was deleting, about one entry per minute. I made the Members Guestbook not visible to members and guests but it looked like the entries were still being added. Is that possible? Entries added when the members guestbook is not visible to members or guests?

Can I re-add the guestbook.php file at a later date if I delete it now?

Yes. Just rename it.

Will it screw up the way my site works if I delete the guestbook file? Or will it hurt my site if I just leave the entries in there and make the guestbook not visible and not delete the file? Will the "bot" just keep adding thousands of entries?

This has been discussed here many times. Apparently there are many other software packages that use a guestbook.php file. Due to that fact the spammers have written hundreds of bots to look for and target that file. No matter what you set your membership levels the bots will continue to hit you. You have two options either delete the file and remove it from your menus or rename the file and change your menus in menu builder.

You need to find where the entries are coming from and block off that channel.  If it's a bot, then watch your logs and locate the IP it's coming in on.  A simple IP block will eliminate it.  If it's coming from your server then you will need to locate the file it's loading from.

***Alos, I solved the DB error I had, it had to do with the header on an e-mail in e-mail templates causing it.

If I rename the guestbook file, what should I rename it? Guestbooks? Guest-book? Something like that or a totally different name? And the only other thing I need to change is the name of the file in the Fields Builder section? Can I just change the filename there, or do I have to change the filename in c-panel under file manager?

Thank