Another unable to connect to my Plex server (QNAP) post, sorry

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
1

Server Version#: 1.25.2
Player Version#:5.31.1
TS-453Be firmware 5.0.0.1932

First, to put this in its correct context - think of the least qualified person you know to actually perform any maintenance on a computer other than turning it on or off. If you have someone in mind, I am are part with that individual. So, please tone down technical jargon where possible.

By way of background, as I never know what is important. Over the past few weeks, I noticed that while I could access my library, many of the artwork would fail to load. This was not too long after the update adding the new metadata once it left beta. I have blind faith in Plex, so if figured it would be fixed in time.

Last week, I started to have intermittent drops of my web connection. Narrowing it down to a likely modem issue, I bought a new modem. It connected normally, but I had no need to log in to Plex since then. This morning, I woke up to two notices from Plex that someone in China and someone in Mexico had accessed my Plex account. I was running late and assumed I would change my password upon my return home. Now, I cannot access Plex sever. I get message that Safari cannot connect to page “:32400/web” because Safari cannot connect to the server IP.

I tried everything listed in this post up to the part where OP gave his OS as Windows.

Obviously, I have a Mac. I got the same responses as listed up to the point, where Plex suggested to OP in the message that he download Putty.

Someone come to my rescue, please.
Patrick

2

First of all, change your plex password and use 2FA as well
Ref: Secure Your Account with Two-Factor Authentication | Plex Support

Secondly, to regain access, read this article:

And your QNAP is a Linux box

3

Dane22

There is a .txt file in the Plex director where someone claims to have encrypted my files and naturally want a bitcoin payment. Will the steps above work around this BS? If there is no work around, that all the movies remain on the server, I could just delete Plex effectively seeing them get hosed in their efforts? Sure, rebuilding everything will be a pain but I will be damned if I pay them,

4

I sadly suspect your QNAP was hacked, not Plex!

See: Take Immediate Actions to Secure QNAP NAS | QNAP

Edit: And 2FA will secure your Plex Server

But IMHO, And since you didn’t told us about your setup, but if your QNAP is directly exposed with a public IP to the internet, then IMHO a bad idea

5

Yay me! I am running the scan now.

But, I assume installing 2FA and running the scan and allowing it to make its fixes, which has never work for me on this NAS, how do I undo the damage/issues with Plex?

6

Now is not the time for this!

First step is to secure your QNAP, as well as secure your Plex account with 2FA, and then afterwards, when your QNAP is scanned, and not exposed directly to the internet, return here, and we’ll discuss how to gain control of your PMS again

7

Doing that right now. Using the link above to secure everything.

8

And when saying secure your QNAP, what’s it’s IP address, and only state the first 2 numbers, like 10.1.x.x or 192.168.x.x

9

192.168

I also used Pentest to conduct a light scan according to QNAP suggestions and it says there are no open ports.

10

Okay, and if you did secure your Plex account with 2FA, then go here:

And sadly note that it’s past 2.30 @ night here in Denmark, so might be a while until I respond again :wink: (Bedtime)

11

Go get some sleep. You earned a bit of peace and sleep.

12

Dane22, I finally got 2FA to work. I went to the link you supplied regarding how to get into my Plex server. I deleted the entries in the preferences.xml file as directed. I saved it, and I went to load Plex, and I received the same message that Safari cannot connect to page "192.168…:32400/web " because Safari cannot connect to the server IP.

13

Okay, next step is to see if your installation was mingled with

Please download newest PMS again, and install on top of the existing one

14

In process of installing

15

And I get the same message.

Also, let me know it gets too late for you. I will likely work from home tomorrow so it will be earlier for you.

16

Do you have a firewall turned on on your QNAP?

17

On GMT+1 timezone :wink:

18

OK, the Firewall would not initially load, so I deleted it and reloaded it. It is up. I then noticed that my McAfee will not load the license, and I cannot run Security Counselor. I could not load Malware Remover. I deleted it and went to reload it. Now it is grayed out as app choice in the App Center.

19

Sadly, I now rest my case here, since your system was badly hit by the malware :frowning:

All I can suggest, is that you copy away your medias to external storage, and then do a factory reset of your QNAP

All Plex info will sadly be gone, so yes, it’s a real start over here, sorry

20

I thought so. So, copy over and restart. Thanks for your help. When done - will take a while with my movies - but I may come back and get some help on keeping my NAS safe.

Thanks for all your help. Very much appreciated!

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