I'm not sure what went on with that hack that I just suffered. It wasn't just me, it was my step-daughter's website, too. In each case, the only "hack" I could find was the addition of a HTML file placed on my server. No files were destroyed; no script was changed. Nothing is missing or changed.
The reason that Black Screen appeared was because it was the background color this Al__whaterver guy set for his INDEX.HTML file. (His picture link was broken.) By placing this INDEX.HTML file in the forum directory, it took priority over the INDEX.PHP file. If you typed in
http://queststudios.com/smf/index.php, you would have bypassed his hack. If you entered by going to
http://queststudios.com/forum or
http://queststudios.com/smf, his INDEX.HTML file would be accessed instead of the INDEX.PHP file.
My stepdaughter's site had one of Al__whatever's INDEX.HTML files overwrite the main INDEX file in her home directory, so it appeared that the whole site was down. I simply deleted Al__whatever's HTML files; changed passwords for our sites, and we're back to normal on her's and my websites.
Now, how he was able to upload that file, I don't know. HOWEVER...we do know that our old host, HOSTNINE.COM, did NOT use any firewalls!!!!! Talk about stupid!!!! We also know they had a massive server attack just after we signed up with them during the late summer. So I'm guessing, Al__whatever was able to get through quite easily and learn passwords, etc., to a lot of accounts used on the HOSTNINE servers.
Our new host, HOSTGATOR.COM, seems to be much more active with security and are able to deal with hacking attempts. Hostnine was a joke, and I wish we would never have been involved with them. We're now up and running quite smoothly on HostGator servers -- six accounts -- and HostGator went above and beyond what we expected to get us all moved and setup.
