buggnubg - Bugs: bug #32052, can't get dice from random.org

 
 

bug #32052: can't get dice from random.org

Submitter:  Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Submitted:  Wed 05 Jan 2011 05:45:44 AM UTC
   
 
Originator Name:  Rudolf Aigner Item Group:  * Other bug
Category:  * Other Release:  * 0.90-devel
Privacy:  Public Operating System:  * Other
Severity:  3 - Normal Open/Closed:  Closed
Assigned to:  mdpetch Priority:  5 - Normal
Status:  Need Info
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Tue 18 Jan 2011 06:39:16 AM UTC, comment #15: 

Hi Michael,

you fixed the problem - well done. I installed the latest built 20110117 and random.org is working again.

Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Fri 14 Jan 2011 11:53:26 AM UTC, comment #14: 

Yes, It is possible - if your provider is using intercepting web proxies.

The fact that the URL request works in firefox by Copy and Paste (It returned a list of numbers in your browser) and BgBlitz works suggests that something unusual is happening to GnuBG's random.org requests leaving your system. The request goes out but no data is returned for GnuBG.

Michael Petch <mdpetch>
Group administrator
Fri 14 Jan 2011 11:40:35 AM UTC, comment #13: 

Hi Michael,

well, I only can directly connect with WLAN to my gateway (modem) and bypass the router. I did this and the firewall was on (of course) but nothing changed for GNUBG.

Is it possible that my provider did some modifications in their environment?

Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Fri 14 Jan 2011 11:28:24 AM UTC, comment #12: 

I'm not sure this is possible or not, but if you make sure your windows firewall is on and hook your PC directly up to the DSL modem (Bypassing other network equipment) I wonder what would happen.

I have committed a change to gnubg.c to use an HTTP 1.0 Full HTTP Request. It appears to work on Linux. If someone wishes to build the windows version for Rudolf to test I'd be interested in knowing if it makes any difference. If it doesn't, no harm done in making the request compliant to the RFC.

Michael

Michael Petch <mdpetch>
Group administrator
Fri 14 Jan 2011 11:17:09 AM UTC, comment #11: 

Additional

I tried GNUBG on my PC with Windows XP SP3 at the same network and it failed too. GNUBG is not the actual version there.

Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Fri 14 Jan 2011 10:53:25 AM UTC, comment #10: 

Based on other information provided, I believe that there is a good chance that a deficiency in GnuBG's HTTP request to www.random.org and the use certain router/gateways or security scanning software is seeing our HTTP request as invalid and throwing it away.

GnuBG uses an old school approach to querying. It does a "SimpleQuery" HTTP request (GET <uri>), but we also do something nonstandard by sending a header after the simple request (User-Agent). A simple URI request doesn't have headers. I'm not sure that a header being added to a simple request is causing a standard compliant internet device to see the request as invalid (It just seems that way).

I have seen this with SIP where a SIP ALG (Application layer gateway) will actually throw away malformed packets.

If I have some time this weekend I'll write an application that does a Full HTTP Request, a Simple HTTP Request (The same way GnuBG does now), and a Simple HTTP Request (without a user agent header) to random.org and have Rudolf run the program. If one works and the other doesn't then we might consider adjusting the request from GnuBG to be standards compliant.

At the moment I believe some device or software between Rudolf and random.org is intercepting our request and making it fail.

Michael

Michael Petch <mdpetch>
Group administrator
Fri 14 Jan 2011 09:29:45 AM UTC, comment #9: 

Hi,
now I did this DNS flush and traced GNUBG again. The trace looks a bit different now but GNUBG still can't get the dice.
I attach the trace.
Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

(file #22408)

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Fri 14 Jan 2011 09:03:17 AM UTC, comment #8: 

Hi,

well I installed now the Wireshark tool and try to trace a little bit. My knowledge about those protocols shown is very little but I tried to compare the trace of BGBlitz and GNUBG.
I see some difference in the approach of random.org. BGBlitz is doing a DNS standard query and GNUBG don't. I attach 2 trace files and hope it helps.

Another thing is that I don't have a file with name gnubgautorc. I didn't build GNUBG I only installed it with the MS installation method.

Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

PS: I hope the files can be read.

(file #22406, file #22407)

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Thu 13 Jan 2011 10:02:26 AM UTC, comment #7: 

As for tracing - if you don't intend to rebuild all the source code and use a debugger to step through the program, I'd probably go with installing something like Wireshark ( http://www.wireshark.org/ ) to capture the HTTP request to www.random.org and review the TCP stream for the transaction (and post it here).

For example if I look at the TCP Stream for a request on my system to www.random.org (174.143.173.125) on port 80 I get a TCP Stream that looks like:

GET http://www.random.org/integers/?num=500&min=0&max=5&col=1&base=10&format=plain&rnd=new
User-Agent: GNUBG/0.90-mingw (email: bug-gnubg@gnu.org)
2
1
1
[snip]

One other thing that might be handy for the rest of us is if you could attach a copy of your gnubgautorc file (It can be found in your windows User home directory under a folder called .gnubg) . There could be something in that file that is messing things up (a possibility).

Michael Petch <mdpetch>
Group administrator
Thu 13 Jan 2011 09:26:07 AM UTC, comment #6: 

Hi,

just did it but without any change to the random.org dice function. I didn't think that's a solution because it still worked very well some days ago or maybe 2 weeks.

My user is the administrator so this shouldn't be the problem's cause. I didn't change anything on my Laptop by intention.

I would like to know how to trace this problem.

As I already said I use random.org also with BGBlitz another BG tool and it works very well.

Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Thu 13 Jan 2011 08:52:46 AM UTC, comment #5: 

Just as an experiment, what happens if you run GnuBG with Admin privileges. To do this right mouse click the GnuBG icon and click "Run As Administrator". Does the error disappear?

Michael Petch <mdpetch>
Group administrator
Thu 13 Jan 2011 07:38:16 AM UTC, comment #4: 

Hi,

well it's still not working even with a switched off W 7 firewall. Other firewalls were never installed and are not on my Laptop. I don't like Norton/Symantec or AVG and all the other stuff what's around in this field.

How can I trace this problem?

Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Thu 13 Jan 2011 12:26:22 AM UTC, comment #3: 

Since the same problem persists without the firewall, then I'd be curious if you have some other software running on your system that is possibly interfering with your network connections. Do you have another firewall (Norton for example) or any security software Norton/Symantec, AVG etc). I can't reproduce this on my Windows 7 install here.

Michael Petch <mdpetch>
Group administrator
Tue 11 Jan 2011 05:58:39 AM UTC, comment #2: 

Hi,

this hint wasn't helpful, even with a switched off firewall the problem still occurs. I use the Windows 7 firewall and I didn't find where to get any log about this socket error. I use also BGBlitz on the same Laptop also with dice from random.org and this works without problems.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>
Wed 05 Jan 2011 07:55:31 PM UTC, comment #1: 

I can't reproduce this ; getting dice from random.org works for me at this time and there is nothing on their web site suggesting a recent service failure.

A possible culprit could be some change in the configuration of a firewall or similar security software (possibly through an automated update). If you use such a software, could you check its logs ?


Philippe Michel <plm>
Group administrator
Wed 05 Jan 2011 05:45:44 AM UTC, original submission:  

Hi,
since some days my GNUBG isn't able anymore to get the dice from random.org. I get 3 alerts which tell me that there's a socket failure and GNUBG switched to mersenne twister. I installed now the latest Version GNU Backgammon 0.90-mingw 20101215 but nothing changed for random.org.
I run GNUBG on Windows 7 ultimate.
Attached are 3 snapshots of the alerts.
Thanks
Rudolf Aigner

Rudolf Aigner <spirit66>

 

(Note: upload size limit is set to 16384 kB, after insertion of the required escape characters.)

Attach Files:
   
   
Comment:
   

Attached Files
file #22408:  GNUBG_2.pcap added by spirit66 (58KiB - application/octet-stream - another trace of GNUBG)
file #22406:  GNUBG.pcap added by spirit66 (13KiB - application/octet-stream - traces with wireshark)
file #22407:  BGBlitz.pcap added by spirit66 (17KiB - application/octet-stream - traces with wireshark)
file #22355:  gnubg_01.jpg added by spirit66 (33KiB - image/jpeg - snapshots of the alerts)
file #22356:  gnubg_02.jpg added by spirit66 (36KiB - image/jpeg - snapshots of the alerts)
file #22354:  gnubg_03.jpg added by spirit66 (46KiB - image/jpeg - snapshots of the alerts)

 

Depends on the following items: None found

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  • -email is unavailable- added by plm (Posted a comment)
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    Follow 9 latest changes.

    Date Changed by Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced by
    2011-01-18 mdpetch Open/ClosedOpen Closed
        Assigned toNone mdpetch
    2011-01-14 spirit66 Attached File- Added GNUBG_2.pcap, #22408
    2011-01-14 spirit66 Attached File- Added GNUBG.pcap, #22406
        Attached File- Added BGBlitz.pcap, #22407
    2011-01-05 plm StatusNone Need Info
    2011-01-05 spirit66 Attached File- Added gnubg_03.jpg, #22354
        Attached File- Added gnubg_01.jpg, #22355
        Attached File- Added gnubg_02.jpg, #22356

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