lwp::simple/5.803 pretending to be yahoo?

[jake66]

just spotted:

Name: lwp::simple/5.803
IP Address: 207.126.225.66
User Agent: lwp::simple/5.803

scanning php/html pages on my site. the ip resolves to yahoo, but i have my doubts this bot is connected to yahoo in anyway.

what i found in a quick search of the useragent isn't good... can anyone elaborate on what this thing is?

[wilderness]

Google is your friend

[search.cpan.org...]

[google.com...]
[google.com...]

[GaryK]

Don, all your links are appreciated. But how about a summary please?

From what I can see Yahoo is either still using questionable methods (big surprise) or someone's found an open proxy. Either way it knocks Yahoo! down another notch in my opinion of them.

[wilderness]

Gary,
In breif it's "likely" the same as any Perl-Lib and may do a variety of things.

I've had LWP denied since, I don't know when.

Refer to the Close to Pefect htaccess thread (or any other deny list) and you'll see that I'm not alone.

[volatilegx]

207.126.225.66 is not in my IP list for Yahoo spiders. The domain name associated with the IP address is "test2.india.corp.yahoo.com".

> can anyone elaborate on what this thing is?

As the Google links above suggest, lwp::simple is a Perl module used for simple HTTP GET requests.

My guess on this particular instance is a Yahoo project in an early development stage.

[GaryK]

I apologize Don. I was in such a hurry this morning that I didn't see the OP's question about what LWP was.

LWP's been on my ban list for ages. I've never seen anything good come of it. That's part of what I meant about Y! losing some of my respect for either: a) using LWP or b) having open proxies that let others use LWP while masquerading as Y!.