StelIawinD's blog

What happens with codeforces
By StelIawinD, history, 13 months ago, In English

When I register on the recent division 1+2 contest, I find the registered list is so weird. There are lots of unrated users, which registered in codeforces several minutes ago, and they're all named with some letters with a number.MikeMirzayanov, stop letting those ones ruining codeforces!

  • Vote: I like it
  • +108
  • Vote: I do not like it

Comments Comments (9)
| Write comment?
»
13 months ago, hide # |
 
Vote: I like it +7 Vote: I do not like it

:(

→ Reply
»
13 months ago, hide # |
← Rev. 2  
Vote: I like it +26 Vote: I do not like it

I think some stupid men are using scripts to sign up huge number of accounts to attack codeforces. Mike, ban them quickly.

update: there are about 14 pages of unrated registrants.

→ Reply
»
13 months ago, hide # |
 
Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

They are generated using some script , and see most of those account are around 18 hours or 19 hours created and last visit same , ban them as early as possible to reduce number of participants

→ Reply
»
13 months ago, hide # |
← Rev. 2  
Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I observed the registration page for some time, I found that every 10 seconds new account is created and registered in this contest. It's really weird don't know what's happening :(

→ Reply
»
13 months ago, hide # |
← Rev. 3  
Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

is it normal to see $$$4500$$$ unrated people register for the contest?

Edit: that's about $$$18$$$ pages!

→ Reply
»
13 months ago, hide # |
 
Vote: I like it +43 Vote: I do not like it

Is it known why the phenomenon occurs? I saw complaints about it in recent rounds as well.

Thought about it for a bit and I could only work out 3 reasons:

  1. These accounts will spread across rooms to allow the real person (or multiple people) behind them a chance at hacking them. Whenever they solve a problem they can automatically submit their solution across all accounts, with a slight WA backdoor depending on input parameters (and if/once it gets a WA, re-randomize the backdoor).
  2. The person / people behind this keep the leverage of blocking the queue if they want to, in case a contest goes wrong for them.
  3. Some other intention for which the accounts were created to test defense mechanisms, such as gaining data on plagiarism checks to better avoid them.

Also, another observation, but it's just a hunch — those odd looking accounts have different formats to their names. Mostly I've seen either a random sequence of letters, or some word/name padded with about 6 digits. It won't be surprising if this is via a script sold to multiple independent people.

Anyway, tracking some of these accounts during the contest could be interesting.

→ Reply
»
13 months ago, hide # |
 
Vote: I like it +12 Vote: I do not like it

Really heartbreaking!

I solved first 3 problems under 1 hour of DIV 2 and my rating just got increment from 1290 to 1330. I am continuously trying to reach specialist since 3 months but everytime something occurs. If it doesnt stop at last it will become hard for me to be regular for contests...

CODEFORCES.. please do something for this I think each user should have to verify their mobile numbers for registering for an account.

→ Reply
»
13 months ago, hide # |
 
Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Maybe for DDOS?

→ Reply