[wpmu-trac] [WordPress MU Trac] #1000: Built-in RSS widget causes server loop if RSS address configured improperly

[WordPress MU Trac]

#1000: Built-in RSS widget causes server loop if RSS address configured improperly
-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  casabsolute  |       Owner:  somebody                                                        
     Type:  defect       |      Status:  new                                                             
 Priority:  high         |   Milestone:                                                                  
Component:  component1   |     Version:  2.7.1                                                           
 Severity:  critical     |    Keywords:  rss, widget, HTTP/1.0, server, loop, feed, recent posts, archive
-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------
 Check this post here -
 http://mu.wordpress.org/forums/topic/9431?replies=8#post-76328

 Server was getting slammed with GET / HTTP/1.0 requests - we finally
 tracked the issue down to the built-in RSS widget -

 If blog address = http://myblog.funblog.com
 and feed is at = http://myblog.funblog.com/feed

 If using the RSS widget to display the most recent posts from the blog it
 is activated on, user MUST input the feed address "EXACTLY" as above.

 Adding a trailing slash - such as = http://myblog.funblog.com/feed/ - OR -
 not adding /feed - such as = http://myblog.funblog.com - inside the widget
 causes the server to go into an infinite loop when someone brings up that
 blog in their browser window.

 In our case, it also corrupted database tables and filled the server
 logs/space on the server until it was tracked down and resolved.

 Appears to be a Wordpress MU specific issue, because of the way RSS feeds
 are set up.

 Possible resolutions -

 a. Add a check into the built-in RSS widget to not allow invalid URLs
 (those with a trailing slash or without /feed at the end)

 b. Make it clearer (stupid-proof) that the built-in RSS widget is to be
 used for OUTSIDE feeds, and that the Archive widget can be used to display
 Recent Posts from the blog you are adding it to

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://trac.mu.wordpress.org/ticket/1000>
WordPress MU Trac <http://mu.wordpress.org/>
WordPress Multiuser