Joomla update notification with an odd domain name

[michele654]

Hello,

There is a domain in China that resolves to my IP address. Can't stop them from doing that, I don't know why they want to do that. They just get shuffled to the real site when they end up there.

However, sometimes my Joomla update notifications come with that odd domain in the Subject Line, like this:

Joomla! Update available for [my real domain name] – httxs://homeservernetworks.com/
(x added so it doesn't make it a link)


Why does this happen? When I do a reverse lookup on my IP address, it resolves to yet another thing (Hosting company name). How is this name making it into my server notifications?

-Michele

[sohopros]

We are seeing a similar issue on one of our domains. Getting an update notification with an odd subdomain that doesn't exist: Joomla! Update available for [website name] – https://charcoal.[website-domain].com/.
There is nothing in our database referencing "charcoal", nor is this a valid subdomain.

Does anyone have any input on this?

[gws]

Both sound like the have DNS issues.
Try https://mxtoolbox.com/DNSLookup.aspx

[michele654]

Just to note, we moved our server to a different company with new IP addresses, and that has resolved the problem, as the homeservernetworks.com now resolves to the old IP address.

Although it *is* a DNS issue, it is not one that I can control. I can't control someone else pointing their domain at my IP address.

But Joomla should not somehow be grabbing that odd domain name when all over the config the correct name is listed, and I'm not even sure how Joomla was grabbing that domain name that simply pointed to the IP address, reverse DNS listed the hosting provider.

"DNS issues" doesn't explain why Joomla ignored all the references to the correct domain, and somehow grabbed that odd domain not linked to the site in any way.

-Michele

[Per Yngve Berg]

When you are on a shared host, there are many domains that points to the same IP Address. If you have a VPS with your own IP Address, the situation is different

[michele654]

I am never on a shared host, at both hosting providers I'm on a dedicated server. We have 3 IP addresses. Dedicated to only us.

I can't stop someone else from putting our IP address in their DNS however.

[Per Yngve Berg]

homeservernetworks.com is located in Toronto.

whois homeservernetworks.com

[michele654]

My domain has nothing to do with homeservernetworks.com. When this first came up last year, I did all the research.

We were already in the process of building a new server at a new hosting company, and decided it wasn't worth the effort to pursue why they pointed to our IP when we would be moving away from that IP address. They still point to the old IP address, and this is not a problem for me anymore.

My issue was Joomla! somehow pulling and using that domain name with the email notification that my site needed an update. I don't see how that happened. Notification comes from within Joomla, and that domain name was nowhere in our site. Joomla telling me my site "homeservernetworks.com" needed an update is how I found that they pointed to us. Joomla should not have been aware of that domain name though.

[Per Yngve Berg]

The story is that someone tried to access that domain and via the IP ended up at your Joomla Site triggering the email.

This is not a Joomla issue, but your badly configured web server. Most web servers (at least Apache and Nginx) supports several web sites hosted through Virtual Hosts. Your Joomla should reside in a VH that is identified by your domain. The default VH should be a dummy site or better return a 403.

[michele654]

I do have VHs set up, but I also have a default that goes to the company website, because why miss a chance for someone to see the site. I wouldn't consider it a "badly configured web server."

I am surprised that Joomla doesn't send the email until someone tries to access the site, but at least that is a possible explanation, the first one I've heard. I have many sites that people rarely visit, but I get the emails all together when there's an update.