PHP Contact Page in MX Premium 8 Acting Weird...

**SuperDave** · 02 April 2013, 02:42 AM

... well, the Contact Page is working fine, but I am getting strange messages.

Here are the details:

I have (4) websites.
Each website has the same identical Contact Form with a few specifics changed just for that site.
Each field (Name), (E-Mail Address), (Subject), and (Comments) are set to "require input" or it opens an error message.
Each website then sends the message to my Outlook E-Mail Address with a Message saying ((website name) Contact Message)
Each website has been tested from time to time and every one works as it should... in Exploder and Fire Fox.

Now the issue:

Since the first of the year, I have been getting messages from all four websites with the appropriate ((website name) Contact Message) in my Subject Line but the NAME, E-MAIL ADDRESS, SUBJECT, & COMMENTS are all missing... the e-mail is completely, 100% blank. Sometimes I get a rash of messages all from one website, other times a series from each website and even a bunch of singles from only one of the websites.

Since I know that the forced entry feature is working, how can anyone be sending a completely blank message?
I am concerned that someone is messing with me or that my websites have somehow been compromised...
The worst concern is that I have potential customers that think they have sent messages but I am not getting them.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Dave

**Egg Bramhill** · 02 April 2013, 02:48 AM

Could you give us the url of at least one of these sites Dave?

How where the forms created?

Since I know that the forced entry feature is working

What checks are being made on these fields. Is it just to ensure they don't contain blank input or what? i.e. would a space pass the checks?

**steve.ledger** · 02 April 2013, 03:01 AM

PHP Contact Page in MX Premium

Which script have you linked to or embedded?

The errors (if any) would be as a result of something going awry on the host's server where the PHP is actually processed before being sent to the visitors browser screen and then when sending the results..
Perhaps your host has updated to a new version of the PHP interpretor which isn't compatible with the script you have used.
Have you looked for an update to the script?

**SuperDave** · 02 April 2013, 03:05 AM

Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

Could you give us the url of at least one of these sites Dave?

How where the forms created?

What checks are being made on these fields. Is it just to ensure they don't contain blank input or what? i.e. would a space pass the checks?

Forms were created using a placeholder and some PHP Scripting.
As for the blanks... good question! I haven't tested for that. Will try that right now.

Here is a url: http://ramerenterprises.com/ The other sites are linked on the left.

**SuperDave** · 02 April 2013, 03:06 AM

Originally Posted by sledger

Which script have you linked to or embedded?

The errors (if any) would be as a result of something going awry on the host's server where the PHP is actually processed before being sent to the visitors browser screen and then when sending the results..
Perhaps your host has updated to a new version of the PHP interpretor which isn't compatible with the script you have used.
Have you looked for an update to the script?

I will have to call my Host and see if they have any insights. Thanks for the suggestion!

**SuperDave** · 02 April 2013, 03:15 AM

Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

What checks are being made on these fields. Is it just to ensure they don't contain blank input or what? i.e. would a space pass the checks?

Holy Blank Space Batman! The Eggmeister is on to something!

So, how do I compensate for "spaces" etc?

**steve.ledger** · 02 April 2013, 04:11 AM

That looks like the form I have demoed
► http://xara-users.info/demos/phpmailer/

There are no field validations for this script.

**SuperDave** · 02 April 2013, 04:12 AM

Eggster...

Got all your blanks...
So.... now I know what the issue is, but not who is doing it. I have my suspicions that it is someone from my past life, so to speak. I need to maybe block their ISP Address somehow.

Any suggestions are more than welcome.

Dave

**Egg Bramhill** · 02 April 2013, 04:13 AM

Well normally, say you're checking for an email field you'd check to see if "@" and "." were included etc.

However this doesn't really solve your problem as I'm sure there's not suddenly huge numbers of visitors sending you emails with blank fields.

I suspect it's a rouge spider triggering these emails for whatever reason. Could you employ a captcha? I know we all hate them but it does it's job.

**SuperDave** · 02 April 2013, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by sledger

That looks like the form I have demoed
► http://xara-users.info/demos/phpmailer/

There are no field validations for this script.

Sledger,

You are correct. I did start with your form after you turned me on to it. I then tweaked it a bit with some help from someone on another forum, but it remains 90% what you made available.

Ideally, it would be great to force a legitimate e-mail address and real text strings. It would be sweet to have their actual IP Address automatically fill in on another field just to intimidate the low life that is doing this.