Ministry of Propaganda - 16/Feb/2004: "Random Characters as User Agent String"

[Previous entry: "Snarfing - a real security risk?"] [Home] [Next entry: "Redondo Beach"]

Random Characters as User Agent String

I know that user agent strings can be manipulated and faked (I actually do this myself, if you find a strange browser in your logfiles, that might have been mine), but I noticed something strange in my logfiles over the last few weeks:

The user agent string this visitor (or these visitors?) leaves in my logfiles is just a random string of characters like "rtuohwhgeqihgreghue" or "kruthjuwetwrwei". A search on Google didn't help, I didn't find anything useful, at least not with the words I used. I posted in the (German language) SELFHTML Forum, so far no solution for the riddle either. Here is what I think we have established:

• Other SELFHTML Forum users have noticed similar occurrences, the webalizer user agent statistic for the forum (linked in the thread) also shows them
• The user agent string changes for each request, even when the IP address remains the same
• The IPs seem to come from a variety of internet providers, worldwide
• The requests are only for html pages, not images, css-files, js-files etc
• Some think it could be software like Norton Internet Security or similar tools (I'm not convinced by this theory). Others think it's a disguised crawler (potentially an e-mail harvester) trying to avoid .htaccess UA blocking (I'm tending towards this as well)

Anyone else noticed this? Anyone any idea what or who is behind this?

End of entry

Entry trivia

• When writing this entry the weather was: Cloudy, cold
• When writing this entry I was listening to: BBC Radio 1
• I'm currently reading/have just finished reading this book/publication: Martin Edwards (editor) - Mysterious Pleasures
• I recently visited this website/-page: hebig.com: San Francisco
• The last drink I had was/is: Chicken Noodle soup

Dodgy picture of the moment:

Right, tell me the solution, or I'll throw the stone at you!

End of entry trivia

Spread the word:

Do you like this weblog? Do you think others might be interested in it? Then please tell a friend! Thank you.

Send me feedback about this entry:

The form below will send me an e-mail. To discuss in public, please use my discussion forum.

Your name (required)

Your e-mail (required, will not be published or passed on)

Your website (optional, but recommended)

Is this feedback
public (i.e. contents can be published in a future entry)
private (i.e. contents are only for my eyes)

Your feedback for this entry:

Home © Armin Grewe 2024 -- Last update: 16 February 2004 -- Contact