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Bizarre "REF_******x" usernames in stats and reporting

Hi all

We are using Astaro v8 software appliance running in VMWare vsphere.  I am using authentication via Novell eDirectory.

Since upgrading to version 8 (and the students returning to school) I have noticed some strange user names shown in my dashboard "top ten" lists.

For instance, the top three users shown on my "Top users by time spent" dashboard are "REF_tWssriHQMJ", "REF_njksleBBUj", and "REF_ZzrhSvHsdh".
the rest are all valid usernames in our eDirectory.   Is this database corruption?  Does anyone else get these oddly named "REF_******x" entries ?


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  • Go to the 'Resolve REF_' tab in 'Support >> Advanced'.  To what do those items resolve?

    Cheers - Bob
     
    Sophos UTM Community Moderator
    Sophos Certified Architect - UTM
    Sophos Certified Engineer - XG
    Gold Solution Partner since 2005
    MediaSoft, Inc. USA
  • Thanks for the reply.  I did not know that option was even there [:P]

    Here is what it comes back with:

    $VAR1 = {
              'ref' => 'REF_tWssriHQMJ',
              'lock' => '',
              'data' => {
                          'backend_match' => 'edirectory',
                          'network' => 'REF_DlMhbLsqen',
                          'ldap_attribute_value' => '',
                          'tacacs_groups' => [],
                          'radius_groups' => [],
                          'ipsec_dn' => '',
                          'dynamic' => 'directory_groups',
                          'name' => 'Teachers',
                          'ldap_attribute' => '',
                          'members' => [],
                          'edirectory_groups' => [
                                                   'ou=TEACHERS,ou=USERs,ou=AES,o=oacsd',
                                                   'ou=TEACHERs,ou=USERs,ou=OAMS,o=oacsd',
                                                   'ou=TEACHERs,ou=USERs,ou=OES,o=oacsd',
                                                   'ou=TEACHERs,ou=USERS,ou=OFA,o=oacsd',
                                                   'ou=TAs,ou=USERs,ou=AES,o=oacsd',
                                                   'ou=TAs,ou=USERs,ou=OAMS,o=oacsd',
                                                   'ou=TAs,ou=USERs,ou=OES,o=oacsd',
                                                   'ou=TAs,ou=USERS,ou=OFA,o=oacsd',
                                                   'cn=Summer_Teacher,ou=USER GROUPs,ou=Visitor,o=oacsd',
                                                   'ou=TEACHER,ou=USERs,ou=Visitor,o=oacsd'
                                                 ],
                          'comment' => '',
                          'adirectory_groups' => []
                        },
              'type' => 'group',
              'class' => 'aaa',
              'hidden' => 0,
              'nodel' => ''
            };

    Those eDirectory OUs are all valid and part of our tree structure, but I do not see any valid username I can reference there.  Does this point to a problem with our eDirectory database?  Might it be a missing LDAP attribute for a user?
  • This is - strangely enough - a group (see type => group) instead of a single user object.
    Can you search your http log files to check if this shows up there?

    Christian
  • This is - strangely enough - a group (see type => group) instead of a single user object.
    Can you search your http log files to check if this shows up there?

    Christian


    Yeah - I was just staring at this after posting it and noticed that all those OUs are part of a defined group....  Odd

    I will look at the http logs.
  • Lots of entries showing up with that as a "user" reference...

    Here is one line for example:

    2010:09:10-14:42:22 oasgs httpproxy[5605]: id="0001" severity="info" sys="SecureWeb" sub="http" name="http access" action="pass" method="GET" srcip="10.21.3.170" dstip="72.14.204.148" user="REF_tWssriHQMJ" statuscode="200" cached="0" profile="REF_DylNdyOaYS (OACSD Proxy Profile)" filteraction="REF_eoZHcdmCgE (Teachers)" size="43" time="109 ms" request="0xcfd20120" url="ad.doubleclick.net/.../gif"
  • I have a similar problem with eDirectory SSO.
    ASG320 -8.002
    Authentication server: Novell OES2 SP1, eDirectory: 8.8.5.4-062
  • Hi valkom, and welcome to the User BB!

    There are lots of questions that people here can help you with, and someone with eDirectory who's had the problem might see this.  In the mean time, I suggest you have your reseller open a support ticket for you.

    Cheers - Bob
     
    Sophos UTM Community Moderator
    Sophos Certified Architect - UTM
    Sophos Certified Engineer - XG
    Gold Solution Partner since 2005
    MediaSoft, Inc. USA
  • We also see similar user references in our logs, we are using eDirectory.
    Are there any updates on this topic ?