What is my vB 'salt'?
 

Hi..

I have a mod where by the creator has included something called "vbulletin_salt" - it has the value "wtw4834747" (example) something like that (saying do not edit unless you have done so in your vB config) and i wondered if this was my vB cookie prefix or my vB license number, you see i bought a mod/bridge for some video soft which uses my existing vB database for users, you login via one and your logged into vB and visa-versa etc... so what do you think? i cannot see anything like this in my vB config and it might explain why I'm having some problems logging in & out of my video soft :) - please advise me, cheers

salt is just a spice added at registration or password change... when you have a user created, a random number is added to its identity, this number help create a more secure login/cookie... so you do not have to bother to know where it comes from.. it is completely random for each member of your site.

ahh i see... so any random entry or change i make will be just like creating a new random number for security... well, thanks

if you edit someone's salt, that user will have to re-login at least, because his cookie will be misread... we usually never touch salt...

You need to consult the author of the modification as to the exact usage of this variable.

A Salt key in vBulletin is used as an extra level of security when storing passwords in the database, typically it is only 3 characters long in vBulletin which leads me to think that this "salt" has some other usage as opposed to the User Verification system. You should check with the author to be sure.

Thanks, would i be able to find out what my vB_salt actually is? - it seems the author thinks i should know this... anyways thank you for the infomation

I can't tell you how to find out what it's value is if I don't know what it is. As the author for a description of what it is used for or what it should contain.

I haven't come across anything like this before.

Thanks Opserty, but i think i solved the problem, by the looks of it the author of this mod had to modify three standard vB files which were registered to another vB license holder, i checked the top of these three files to see a different license number to mine... then i recognized the number as being used for this 'salt' - so i entered my license number at all the relevant points and it's fine... so thank you for all your info anyways...cheers

Could you provide a link to this modification?

No link, this was a 'paid' integration mod between vB and clipshare which was done for somebody else then sold to me on request

vBulletin uses the license number as an additional salt for cookies, which is likely what's mean there. Though it seems you found that out in the meantime ;)

I hope they are aware that it is against the License Agreement to distribute vBulletin files.