Ask Slashdot: Why is Microsoft Blocking Its Own Server Pages? 21
Long-time Slashdot reader lpq writes: I followed a link that pointed at a Microsoft security advisory about ".lnk" files. The original link, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/technet/security/advisory/2286198.mspx, produced this message:
Your request has been blocked. This may be due to several reasons. 1. You are using a proxy that is known to send automated requests to Microsoft. Check with your network administrator if there is any proxy and what User-Agent they are sending in the request header. 2. Your request pattern matches an automated process. To eliminate, reduce the volume of requests over a period of time. 3. Reference ID: 41.70790b91.4823110533.409105b4
It turns out the advisory number doesn't matter, just the extension for "Active Microsoft Server Page" (https.../.mspx) at the end. I guess there were too many security advisory lookups for MS to handle! *snort*!
The .mspx extension indicates a page using a special internal Microsoft rendering framework with a custom web handler (built in ASP.Net). But I ran some tests Saturday, and observed the exact same glitch described above using three different browsers — Firefox, Edge, and Brave. Anyone have a theory about what's going on?
Leave your thoughts in the comments. Why is Microsoft blocking its own server pages?
Your request has been blocked. This may be due to several reasons. 1. You are using a proxy that is known to send automated requests to Microsoft. Check with your network administrator if there is any proxy and what User-Agent they are sending in the request header. 2. Your request pattern matches an automated process. To eliminate, reduce the volume of requests over a period of time. 3. Reference ID: 41.70790b91.4823110533.409105b4
It turns out the advisory number doesn't matter, just the extension for "Active Microsoft Server Page" (https.../.mspx) at the end. I guess there were too many security advisory lookups for MS to handle! *snort*!
The .mspx extension indicates a page using a special internal Microsoft rendering framework with a custom web handler (built in ASP.Net). But I ran some tests Saturday, and observed the exact same glitch described above using three different browsers — Firefox, Edge, and Brave. Anyone have a theory about what's going on?
Leave your thoughts in the comments. Why is Microsoft blocking its own server pages?
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
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It's also indicative of a systematic anti-customer bias.
You can analogize is to ISPs whose abuse mailboxes (if they have them) reject a spam complaint because its content contains, yes, spam.
Architecture is tough, admittedly. It also betrays a push-to-the-edge mentality, rather than an edge-inward perspective-- and insight.
The problem is: Microsoft often ignores things until a fevered pitch of revolt occurs. Analogize this concept with the news of riots across America today.
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It starts with a question. then
If you blah blah blah, then click Yes. Otherwise, click No.
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MSPX Extension (Score:5, Funny)
I had to look that one up:
The .MSPX extension is part of the "Microsoft Network Project," which according to the article above, is designed to give Microsoft's sites a consistent look-and-feel worldwide
I can't think of anything more consistent than blocking every request with the same message. Good job Microsoft!
Abort, Retry, Ignore (Score:2)
more than just the extension (Score:3)
I decided to try a few other ways to access that advisory, not using technet. You can reach a summary page, but all the links on it (including ones without the mspx extension) get the same warning/failure.
Probably anti-page scraper logic that doesn't have an exception for Akamai's proxy service.
Middlemen. (Score:3, Interesting)
There'll be a new security advisory (Score:4, Funny)
I'm sure MS will probably publish a new security advisory explaining all of this (they may already have). Unfortunately, nobody will be able to read it...
I got a similar error from Google (Score:2)
It was just a search for "hexbug gear racer", but they wanted me to prove I wasn't a robot. It works fine now, but I think Google was triggered by the word "hexbug", as any good coder would be. I tried it several times and even rebooted to be sure there wasn't something else going on.
FWIW, The Hexbug Gear Racer is fun to assemble, but pretty lame once you've built it. If I'm ever bored, I'll just break it again so I have to put it back together.
They moved it (Score:3)