Cloudflare Blocks Automattic’s WP Engine Tracker For Phishing via @sejournal, @martinibuster

8 months ago 168

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Automattic’s WP Engine Tracker website was temporarily blocked by Cloudflare implicit the play arsenic a suspected phishing site, sparking cheers from members of the WordPress subreddit. Meanwhile, idiosyncratic registered the typosquatting domain WPEngineTracker.com to protestation against Matt Mullenweg.

Automattic, presumably nether the absorption of Matt Mullenweg, precocious created a website called WP Engine Tracker connected the WordPressEngineTracker.com domain sanction that lists however galore WordPress sites person moved distant from managed web big WP Engine. It besides recommends web hosts that existent customers tin determination to and offers a download of each domains that are hosted connected WP Engine.

An Automattic emailed Search Engine Journal offered inheritance accusation astir the WP Engine Tracker website:

“The quality of unfastened root bundle is that everyone is capable to entree information connected a granular level, due to the fact that it’s each publically disposable information. That nationalist information has shown that ever since WP Engine filed its suit – making it wide that they bash not person an authoritative relation with WordPress and attracting greater attraction to the company’s mediocre service, modifications to the WordPress halfway software, expanding and convoluted pricing structure, and repeated down times – their customers person near their level for different hosting providers. WP Engine tin and ever has been capable to entree the WordPress bundle and plugins disposable connected WordPress.org, arsenic tin anyone.”

Cloudflare Blocks WP Engine Tracker Website

Sometime connected November 9th Cloudflare blocked entree to Automattic’s WP Engine Tracker website with a connection alerting Internet users that the website has been reported for phishing attempts.

The Cloudflare informing said:

“Warning

Suspected Phishing

This website has been reported for imaginable phishing.

Phishing is erstwhile a tract attempts to bargain delicate accusation by falsely presenting arsenic a harmless source.”

WordPress Subreddit Cheers The Blocking

A Reddit discussion appeared soon aft the tract was blocked with the headline: Cloudflare is showing a phishing informing connected wordpressenginetracker.com

Typical comments:

“Wow I’ve really ne'er seen that surface before. That’s hilarious.”

“As it should. Chrome should springiness it the reddish surface of death”

“It’s an absorbing development, which made maine wonder: Are radical reporting phishing to Cloudflare conscionable to messiness with Mr. Mullenweg oregon is determination thing the tract does that tin really beryllium considered phishing?

Cloudflare’s study signifier has different benignant of maltreatment to select, which, successful this case, is arsenic evident arsenic the prima connected the sunniest day: Trademark infringement. Why are radical reporting phishing?”

One commenter noted the website was displaying a “403 Forbidden” mistake connection if a tract visitant ignored the informing and clicked done to the site. A 403 server effect means that the server acknowledges the browser petition but is denying entree to the website.

Screenshot Of Blocked Website

Typosquatting Domain Name Registered

Typosquatting is erstwhile idiosyncratic registers a domain sanction that is akin to a marque sanction and that users whitethorn benignant to visit. In this case, idiosyncratic registered the domain sanction WPEngineTracker.com to instrumentality vantage of the information that Automattic had registered the domain sanction WordPressEngineTracker.com but was calling it WP Engine Tracker. When radical effort to scope the Automattic tract by typing successful the sanction of the tract arsenic the domain they past get astatine the typosquat domain.

Screenshot of Typosquat Domain

The supra domain sanction was lone registered a fewer days agone connected November 7th. The Internet being what it is, it was inevitable that idiosyncratic would registry the typosquat domain sanction variant.