403 Forbidden error

[MrGizmo]

Last Friday I got this error for the first time:

"Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /forum/adm/index.php on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request."

I have been running version 3.1.11 all year without problems, and I don't know what changed. Any ideas?

Thanks

[Lumpy Burgertushie]

most likely your host changed something. those types of changes don't just happen by themselves. if you did nothing then that leaves your host.


robert

[MrGizmo]

Robert, I agree. Turns out if I turn off ModSecurity it works. I am guessing that it got changed when my site was transferred to another server.

[Brf]

Mod_security causes almost all of the 403 errors we see here.

[MrGizmo]

The technician I talked to said that it was not the problem, however, when I turn it off, the problem goes away. I wish it didn't take 4 hours to find this out. The web search I did showed answers from 2008 and 2012. Not any help.

[Lumpy Burgertushie]

I have found that any time you contact support you should ask for level two support or for the supervisor etc. the people that answer the phone or the chat know how to turn the pages in the manual and ask dumb questions like "did you turn on the computer" etc. They usually don't have a clue about how the server works or your site works etc.

robert

[Brf]

Most sites with mod_security block a ridiculous list of words. I remember a few years back there was an animal lovers’ board where they were complaining about 403 errors every time they posted the word “cat”.

[MrGizmo]

I have found that any time you contact support you should ask for level two support or for the supervisor etc. the people that answer the phone or the chat know how to turn the pages in the manual and ask dumb questions like "did you turn on the computer" etc. They usually don't have a clue about how the server works or your site works etc.

robert

That's for sure. I have been a programmer/analyst for about 30 years, and I usually know more than the person I am talking to. I just have to hope that they have the ONE answer I need!

[MrGizmo]

Most sites with mod_security block a ridiculous list of words. I remember a few years back there was an animal lovers’ board where they were complaining about 403 errors every time they posted the word “cat”.

What I don't understand is why it blocked my access to the Admin pages.

[canonknipser]

What I don't understand is why it blocked my access to the Admin pages

Maybe it was adm instead of cat in your case?