[SOLVED] Creating content protection exceptions for modules requiring automated cron tasks

Hi there!

I have content protected some components for members only, but the components require daily cron tasks (as most do).

The problem is that tasks won't run via cron automatically, but they will if I call their url manually as a logged-in subscribed user.

I thought there was a way to add url exceptions to protection but I remembered wrong, it was for adding custom URL protection.

Is there any way to exempt the specific cron urls from protection?

Many thanks
N

Do I need to add a "key" as indicated here:http://www.joomlapolis.com/forum/154-advanced-members-support/169822-cron-job
?

Nope, that needs to be loaded by the cbsubs controller...

Hmm, i've also searched all over in the forum and on google but there seems to be no past reference to any of this...

Any suggestions?

Many thanks
N

If you're protecting a component with CBSubs then not even CRON can access it as CBSubs has no idea it's CRON. You may want to consider using CBSubs Content and on the Integration > Extension tab of your plans use By URL Part protection to just protect parts of your extensions via URLs instead of protecting the entire extension so your CRON endpoints can remain accessible. Example as follows.

option=com_component&view=category

Hi Kyle

To use the URl protection I'll have to spend a lot of time finding and documenting these urls,with no guarantee that I miss some(causing client data leaks, sensitive info for snoopers and potential exploiters). In addition, many of these are random and cannot be protected individually.

Wouldn't it be much easier feature to somehow add a "-" sign before the url in the specific url part protection to create exceptions for these as cron jobs are specific and few whereas everything else is spewed out randomly and in massive quantities...

Alternatively how about creating a cron user module for cbsubs where someone can add a "cron" user with cbsubs access that can be logged in and out with additional cron keys so that cbsubs users can create their own cron jobs likewise:
1) logs in as cron user with a 15 minute timeout,
2) run their cron task as a registered, subscribed user,
3) log off the cron user

A third option would be to create a secure login key or two that can be run in before any cron job - something similar to the cron url that cbsubs uses anyway.

A fourth option which may be completely out of bounds as I've not used it before is if you suggest a way around this sith the cb actions addon that has some cron task support?

There is so much flexibility in both cb and CBsubs that it doesn't seem at all like you guys to miss something like cron job exceptions for protected modules. I say that with great respect to all the work gone into it but also because after finally getting everything set up I'm left with one of two options - run the jobs manually (not possible as one needs to be done avery 3-5 minutes) and to have a site full of access gaps.

For my site it is of the upmost importance to restrict any access whatsoever to these modules as the potential for data leaks is dramatically increased with these gaps.

Perhaps one of the above options are viable or you can suggest something else?

Many thanks,
N

For your usage we did consider it. That's why By URL Part protection is in place. Your URLs can be as exact or as relaxed as you want. For example option=com_component is basically the same as protecting the entire extension. You can even use REGEX in the URL protection.