This robot is a (working) clone of MPUploadBot, which malfunctioned several times and was eventually blocked a month ago. Since then, images on the main page have been open to vandalism regularly, and there's been no development on a software extension to extend cascading protection to Commons. The functionality of this robot is exactly the same as the old one: it will search for images used on the main page, then locally upload all images that are in use, hosted on Commons, and unprotected. The source code is public and available here.
The major difference between this and the old robot is that X!'s would run at specified intervals - every five minutes if my memory is serving me correctly. Mine detects changes to the main page in real time, which eliminates the possibility of timing attacks against enwiki being made on Commons (unless an admin places an already vandalized photo on the main page). east718 // talk // email // 03:14, 15 December 2008 (UTC) reply
As for this specific request, most of it seems fine. My only request is for the bot to run in a log-only mode for a while and have that log posted somewhere to ensure it does what it is supposed to do. Other than that, no objections from me. -- MZMcBride ( talk) 05:07, 15 December 2008 (UTC) reply
log; click to expand
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[Tue Dec 16 17:31:35 2008] connected to Wikimedia [Tue Dec 16 17:31:35 2008] connected to Freenode [Tue Dec 16 17:31:36 2008] Bot initializing, checking images [Tue Dec 16 17:31:37 2008] File:Lyndon LaRouche.jpg is on commons and unprotected [Tue Dec 16 17:31:37 2008] Read-only mode; not uploading File:Lyndon LaRouche.jpg [Tue Dec 16 17:31:38 2008] File:Oliver CromwellUT.jpg is on commons and unprotected [Tue Dec 16 17:31:38 2008] Read-only mode; not uploading File:Oliver CromwellUT.jpg [Tue Dec 16 18:01:36 2008] Template:In the news was edited, checking images [Tue Dec 16 18:01:38 2008] File:Lyndon LaRouche.jpg is on commons and unprotected [Tue Dec 16 18:01:38 2008] File:Oliver CromwellUT.jpg is on commons and unprotected [Tue Dec 16 18:32:13 2008] Template:Did you know was edited, checking images [Tue Dec 16 18:32:15 2008] No unprotected images found |
The current source code seems to have a slight security flaw: while it will upload images on Template:Did you know itself, this is automatically updated by DYKadminBot, which I venture will be unable to detect if it is placing a currently vandalized image on the template. Therefore, an image vandal, knowing the timing on which User:DYKadminBot operates, could vandalize the image in the next queue from which DYKadminBot will load its content, immediately before the image is placed directly in Template:Did you know. I would suggest that the code be modified to locally upload any image placed in the Did you know queues. John254 04:30, 30 December 2008 (UTC) reply
East indicated on his talk page that he's largely offline due to a computer failure. This appears to be the source code. Is this something someone with the skillz could take up in the interim? rootology ( C)( T) 04:55, 16 January 2009 (UTC) reply