Keep hacking attempts from locking up the master |
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(From Newsletter #50, Jun 3, 2024)
Are you experiencing networking issues where workstations suddenly can't connect, but it works again after restarting Campground Master on the Master computer?
We've seen an increasing number of cases of hacking attempts from the internet. If you have Campground Master set up for accessing remotely (and therefore have Port Forwarding set up in your router), an external hacking attempt on the port that you're using for Campground Master can cause the master to lock up.
In particular, we found that the default port 6010 is a common hacking target because it's also used for Unix systems. When an external connection attempts a hack through that port, it can lock up the master's network connection so it can't receive client communications until the program is restarted. Note that this does not pose any danger to your Campground Master data -- they cannot access your data without knowing the proprietary protocol that Campground Master uses.
To solve this, you should change the IP Port to a high number, e.g. a random port between 40000 and 60000. Pick one at random, but also check a site like one of these to make sure it's not used by some other system and could be a hacking target:
https://www.adminsub.net/tcp-udp-port-finder/
https://www.speedguide.net/ports.php
(These are 3rd-party sites, so we can't guarantee that the links still work -- you can also search Google for "TCP/IP Ports database")
Remember that you'll need to change the port in the Network Setup of the master and all clients, even local ones, and also change the Port Forwarding in the router accordingly (as well as any firewalls that might be blocking specific ports).
If you don't remember the steps for setting up the networking through the internet or configuring the port forwarding, see here:
https://campgroundmaster.com/help/networkingthroughtheinterne.html