AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[Asad Ali]

Yes, I noticed that, but I had a Swap partition even before that option was added , I only wanted to put it in use and not waste the partition.

I looks like I did everything good, I only need to know how to make it to mount the swap at boot

You need to mount it in "post-mount" script like this:

swapon swapfilepath/swapfilename.swp

Example:

swapon /tmp/mnt/ABS/myswap.swp

BTW you have the whole partition as swap so

swapon /drivepath should work.

 

[skeal]

Yes, I noticed that, but I had a Swap partition even before that option was added , I only wanted to put it in use and not waste the partition.

I looks like I did everything good, I only need to know how to make it to mount the swap at boot

Ok we have to define some terms. Skynet, AB-Solution use a "swap file" not "swap partition" follow the swap creation feature in Skynet setup or AB-Solution setup. Get rid of the "swap Partition" it is basically "to complicated" in this environment. Hope this helps...

 

[thelonelycoder]

As @skeal says, use a swap file. If you use the now established standard way for a swap file @Adam and I can then manage it through our scrips (Skynet, amtm and AB).

 

[Nathan Owens]

Is there a chance for encrypted or unencrypted data to be hijacked such as logins, credit cards, etc? From this script, mostly asking because of host files

 

[thelonelycoder]

Is there a chance for encrypted or unencrypted data to be hijacked such as logins, credit cards, etc? From this script, mostly asking because of host files

Not a chance, everything is done and kept on the router. The hosts files without exception get rewritten with either 0.0.0.0 or the pixelserv-tls IP, both are local IP addresses.
Your router would have to be compromised and use other software to redirect traffic for this to happen.

 

[Zonkd]

Well I suppose if one of the hosts file servers we rely on are hacked, and AB-Solution downloaded a malicious hosts file, it could then make a ubiquitous ad domain redirect to an IP address that when visited by a vulnerable browser let’s the attacker deliver an exploit to hijack the browser session? Does Ab-solution automatically check if hosts file updates all redirect to 127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0?

 

[Zonkd]

...The hosts files without exception get rewritten with either 0.0.0.0 or the pixelserv-tls IP, both are local IP addresses.

I assume this means ab-solution actually does do safety check by rewriting downloaded host files to ensure hostnames redirect to local host instead of a malicious IP?

 

[Asad Ali]

Well I suppose if one of the hosts file servers we rely on are hacked, and AB-Solution downloaded a malicious hosts file, it could then make a ubiquitous ad domain redirect to an IP address that when visited by a vulnerable browser let’s the attacker deliver an exploit to hijack the browser session? Does Ab-solution automatically check if hosts file updates all redirect to 127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0?

Hosts files are simply ad domains and does not contain blocking IP’s ( like 127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0 or your pixelserv-tls IP if you're using it ) and AB-Solution manually add these IP's so even if a host file contain a malicious IP divertion AB-Solution will fix it automatically.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Hosts files are simply ad domains and does not contain blocking IP’s ( like 127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0 or your pixelserv-tls IP if you're using it ) and AB-Solution manually add these IP's so even if a host file contain a malicious IP divertion AB-Solution will fix it automatically.

AB requires hosts files to be in the format of IP Domain.
0.0.0.0 domain.com and
127.0.0.1 domain.com
Are the only valid hosts files AB accepts.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I assume this means ab-solution actually does do safety check by rewriting downloaded host files to ensure hostnames redirect to local host instead of a malicious IP?

The wording could not be clearer unless my english is that bad.

 

[Asad Ali]

AB requires hosts files to be in the format of IP Domain.
0.0.0.0 domain.com and
127.0.0.1 domain.com
Are the only valid hosts files AB accepts.

Ok so IP's are included in the files, nice. My understanding was flawed then. Though I didn't really open and look on the downloaded files myself first lol

 

[thelonelycoder]

Ok so IP's are included in the files, nice. My understanding was flawed then. Though I didn't really open and look on the downloaded files myself first lol

Here, scroll down:
https://www.ab-solution.info/use/hosts-files.html

 

[Asad Ali]

Here, scroll down:
https://www.ab-solution.info/use/hosts-files.html

Now since you posted it, I remember reading it all when I first installed AB-Solution but obviously I forgot lol.

Thanks for reminding me once again.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I assume this means ab-solution actually does do safety check by rewriting downloaded host files to ensure hostnames redirect to local host instead of a malicious IP?

Sure does, if you can read this Bit of code:

$wgetncc "$hosts" -U Mozilla --timeout=12 --tries=3 --retry-connrefused --show-progress -qO- |\
sed 's/^127.0.0.1/'$custom_ipV4'/g;s/\r$//'| sed 's/^0.0.0.0/'$custom_ipV4'/g;s/\r$//' |\
grep -w ^$custom_ipV4 | awk '{print $1 " " $2}' | awk '!/ [0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*$/' > $hosts_file$i

It downloads each hosts file, selecting all lines beginning with 127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0, replaces the IP with the set blocking IP and also drops each line that has an IP to IP pair instead of IP to domain pair.
Fool proof so far...

 

[thelonelycoder]

Now since you posted it, I remember reading it all when I first installed AB-Solution but obviously I forgot lol.

Thanks for reminding me once again.

Time flies, you've been a AB user and supporter for quite some time.

 

[dugaduga]

@thelonelycoder, I had noticed www.experts-exchange.com was in the blocklists, and yet I was still able to access experts-exchange.com. I notice also in your blacklist.txt it says (or so it may seem) to add sites with both www. and just the domain. ie

# No IP address mapping (0.0.0.0 123.123.12.3) and
# no wildcards (*pricegrabber.com). This WILL NOT work.
# Run [el] to read changes into Dnsmasq.
# Add blacklisted domains as follows, without the leading #.
# 0.0.0.0 pricegrabber.com
# 0.0.0.0 www.pricegrabber.com
#

So seeing that with included blocklists, I was able to leak past the block, wouldn't it be wise if AB-solution ensured www. was added automatically while parsing all the sites? Or somehow implement a system where it automatically includes both www. and the alternative without more than doubling filesize...

 

[heysoundude]

Thank you for the answer. And an even bigger thanks for ab solution.

here's the best way to thank him and keep the project alive and moving forward:
http://ab-solution.info/donate.html

 

[thelonelycoder]

So seeing that with included blocklists, I was able to leak past the block, wouldn't it be wise if AB-solution ensured www. was added automatically while parsing all the sites? Or somehow implement a system where it automatically includes both www. and the alternative without more than doubling filesize...

The hosts files mostly only block hosts that are malicious or track or serve ads. While domain.com might serve unwanted content, www.domain.com might not.
I'm not sure why experts-exchange is actually in some of them but I'm sure there's a reason.
The www host of experts-exchange.com is included in
- https://hosts-file.net/mmt.txt
- http://support.it-mate.co.uk/downloads/hosts.txt (a mirror of the main hosts-file.net file)

The non-www experts-exchange.com is included in most hosts files used by AB-Solution.

Adding the missing www or non-www part automatically to the blocking file would indeed increase the size by at least 40% and would also take a while to process. There are no tricks to make a blocking file smaller and still offer the convenience and usability AB offers.
I tried them all with mixed results and all break existing functionality to a degree that it is useless.

 

[MatrixGeeker]

AB-Solution has 'Backup to mail' option 'bu'.
This can be set to backup whatever files you want & can mail them or not as well

I seen that but Im kind of worried about adding my email and password in there. is it safe?

 

[thelonelycoder]

I seen that but Im kind of worried about adding my email and password in there. is it safe?

Do it as I and many others do: Use a separate mail address and forward it through it to your main acxount.
Is it safe to store such info on your router? As safe as a plain text password file on your computer. As long as noone has access to it it's pretty save.