ansaurus

Question

Why/how would a domain URL show client's localhost address?

Answer 1

+5 A:

Don't worry! The DNS settings for the domain just point it back to the localhost address 127.0.0.1 for anyone that visits the address they'll see their local server (or a 404 message if they don't have one), but it doesn't mean anyone else can see it/will see it when they visit the domain. I don't know why it's set that way for the domain, perhaps the domain owner can tell you.

dig output:

;; ANSWER SECTION:
lustigestaschenbuch.de. 86400   IN      A       127.0.0.1

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
lustigestaschenbuch.de. 86400   IN      NS      ns2.sedoparking.com.
lustigestaschenbuch.de. 86400   IN      NS      ns1.sedoparking.com.

... the sedoparking.com suggests perhaps someone bought & parked this domain for use later, or is sitting on it hoping to sell it later.

Rudu 2010-10-15 19:45:01

but is there a (hacking) reason for doing this, e.g perhaps certain localhosts are set up to send information to the original URL which directed to it, etc? I'm just trying to think of a reason why someone would go through the trouble to redirect a URL they are sitting on to a client's localhost

Edward Tanguay 2010-10-15 19:48:42

It's not a client's localhost, it is the localhost of the visiting machine. There's no hacking benefit (the DNS server can't do anything about it, it just provides the IP for the requested domain, it's up to whatever's requesting the info to decide what to do with it). It could be because the domain owner has no other use for it, and likes to visit his own machine in the browser by typing in `http://lustigestaschenbuch.de`

Rudu 2010-10-15 19:53:51

An approximate simile: Abe registers his phone number as 0 in the phonebook. When you call Abe, he doesn't automatically learn everything from the operator - in fact he doesn't even know you made the call (meanwhile the operator doesn't know why everyone's asking for Abe ;)).

Rudu 2010-10-15 19:57:52

yes, that's what I meant: client = visiting machine, that makes sense I suppose, in any case, it's disconcerting to anyone who visits it and has a site set up on localhost :-o

Edward Tanguay 2010-10-15 19:58:18

ansaurus

tags:

views:

answers:

Why/how would a domain URL show client's localhost address?

related questions