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cj50
Community Member

*Edited* Attachment are getting Sanitized

HELP! has anyone noticed that recently all the code in PDF forms is been wiped when passing / attaching submitting work to the clients?

160 REPLIES 160

Teza - Why are my files for clients being sanitized and the edit tracking I have done removed?

This santized warning helps with the messages between freelancer and client, but the macros are still being stripped from job postings by clients.  Can we have the option to download the original there too.

I just had the same problem as Christopher H.

 

A job posting with detailed specs refering to the macros in the Excel file and there was no code in the file. Just the code missing this time, the buttons in the sheet were not converted to images as I've seen before.

 

There seem to be other problems with recent security implementations as well. I just refreshed my browser at https://www.upwork.com/ab/find-work/ after coming back from lunch and I got a message saying "Access to this page has been denied because we believe you're using automation tools to browse the website". I wasn't, and the adblocker has been disabled for Upwork site since I can remember. Again assuming everything and checking nothing. Sorry to post this here, just to make the point that this attachments problem is not an isolated security issue causing difficulties to freelancers.

 

 

re: “Can we have the option to download the original there too.”

 

I don’t think Upwork wants to be responsible in any way for spreading malware. They have said this many times in many ways.

 

They would rather change files.

 

I can see how this can cause major problems for users unaware of the issue.

 

As I AM aware, I feel like it doesn’t impact me directly... but it makes Upwork less ideal than it would be if it notified people.

 

I would not hold out for the option to download original files directly. I don’t think that is coming. If it was offered, I am not sure I would ever trust it completely.

Christopher and Preston,

 

I'd just like to point out that in the notification, users will have an option to download the original now. Please, see my earlier post on this thread:

 


Valeria K. wrote:

You'll start seeing notifications when this is done on browser version of Messages starting today and in Upwork Desktop App starting next week. You and your client will also see an option to download the original file by clicking the three dots to the right of the file name and selecting “Download Original File.” In other words, you and your client will have access to the original without having to contact Customer Support.


 

~ Valeria
Upwork

I'm super glad to see that Upwork has solved this issue.

 

Now if they could work on their tone, maybe start by sending out an email apologizing for this absolutely ridiculous policy and thanking us for bring the ridiculousness of it to their attention.  It would also go a long way in explaining things to clients so freelancers don't just look like a joke.

Today for the first time pdf proofs I uploaded yesterday say they've been sanitized -- warning in orange suggests something was really wrong, if my client sees the same thing they could be concerned. Silence from the client today too, where usually they acknowledge receipt of proofs.

 

I did read something about this being what happens when Upwork strips the file of info they don't want on there, but also read that the warning was a bug and was fixed.

 

I'd like to tell my client the nice official version of what this is so they won't worry. So what should I say, as I don't officially actually know?

  

I am also hoping it is a bug as it just popped up on when I sent a doc ... and is def. confusing.


Noureldin Y wrote:

that sanitized happened yesterday with me for no reason, I told the client go get your documents yourself from google drive I gaveup upwork uploading system.


No need, the client can download the original (not sanitized) file right there in the same place as the sanitized one.

I had two sanitized word documents today.

So what are you doing to the file and WTH is "safelt"?

Screenshot 2019-10-01 20.32.46.png

Jennifer:

Here, I made up this definition for you:

 

safelt (English): word used to describe something that feels safe (but isn't necessarily safe).

I can't think what UW is doing, but for heaven's sake - not Upwork's who must be stoking coal somewhere much lower down - send your pdfs via Dropbox or similar, or your own emails.

Yes, and risk getting the little highlighted warnings from UW to tell you to keep everything onsite.  

 

Upwork you are truly encouraging people to circumvent.

Hi Jennifer,

 

Thanks for flagging the typo! I'll forward this to the team and we'll get it fixed.

~ Valeria
Upwork




Jennifer R wrote:

I had two sanitized word documents today.

So what are you doing to the file and WTH is "safelt"?

Screenshot 2019-10-01 20.32.46.png



Screen Shot 2019-10-01 at 4.07.51 PM.png

@Jennifer
I think "safelt" might be the "activated Seismotite" of its time. 
(Apologies to any Dutch people. I have no idea why they branded a North American cleaner in this way. Apparently, the company is still active since they have a website.)

Thanks for posting the explanation of sanitization. I guess that means they mess with your file before they even check to make sure there's anything wrong with it? One of my clients had a problem with a revised file crashing on him last week.  It makes me wonder if I'm going to have to find alternate ways of receiving and returning files. 

How can I send a binary executable file (.exe) to client?

 

I am a programmer and I need to send completed binary to client. However Upwork completely blocks it from downloading. Even if I attach zip file with the program to milestone submission - client can't download it and can't approve submission without it.

 

Same thing in chat. Client wants to see for what he pays, but upwork forbids him from it. I can upload a file to some third-party resource, but Upwork blocks a link.

 

This behavior started may be a half of year ago. Before it it was OK to send anything I need to send to client.

I don't even try to send executable files through Upwork. It is not worth my time or potential embarrassment to try to do so.

 

I use other methods, such as FTP, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.

It allowed to send executables (zipped) in past.

 

Now I tried to upload zipped exe to side resource and posted url to that file to chat with client - after a few seconds (it seems that Upwork downloaded file, uparchived it and saw that .exe inside) message was blocked.


Yuri G wrote:

It allowed to send executables (zipped) in past.

 

Now I tried to upload zipped exe to side resource and posted url to that file to chat with client - after a few seconds (it seems that Upwork downloaded file, uparchived it and saw that .exe inside) message was blocked.


This is because Upwork does some ham-fisted "data sanitization" on every file uploaded where they "deconstruct and rebuild" (but no word on what that entails) each file, and act as if everything is malicious by default. However, .exe, .bat, and .vbs are expressly prohibited. Putting them in a zip file makes no difference, as the system looks inside archives.

 

If you need to submit an executable file, your best bet is to do what Preston said and get it to them another way. However, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive won't work, because Upwork scans files shared through those as well. Your best bet is something like FTP or a direct link to a server you control, and send that information in your "submit work and request payment" message.


Michael S wrote:

Your best bet is something like FTP or a direct link to a server you control, and send that information in your "submit work and request payment" message.


Thanks for your reply. This is exactly what I did in chat before my message was blocked after few seconds. The difference that it was HTTPs URL to file on my server. Next time I will try to test this method in "submit work" message.

 

I understand the security reasons, but Upwork just blocks the content. Even without button "okay, I understand, I will use it for my own risk, just give me that &!%$ file!". This is very inconvenient for the programmers. While Upwork has UI to upload and attach files, it forces freelancers to use side resources for that...


Yuri G wrote:

I understand the security reasons, but Upwork just blocks the content. Even without button "okay, I understand, I will use it for my own risk, just give me that &!%$ file!". This is very inconvenient for the programmers. While Upwork has UI to upload and attach files, it forces freelancers to use side resources for that...

That's a very real and very valid frustration, in my opinion. They encourage you to use their system, but sometimes that very system makes it nearly impossible to accomplish a task.

 

As for their UI for sending files, I don't even bother with it for one reason. You're limited to 25mb. Not a viable option for a lot of people, especially content creators. Most of the files I deliver are uncompressed WAV audio, which isn't huge, but adds up. For people who do video work for clients, the filesizes get downright insane at times.

 

Really, the only thing uploading direct is good for would be document work and things of that nature. The rest of us just have to use other methods to save our sanity.


Michael S wrote:

 

If you need to submit an executable file, your best bet is to do what Preston said and get it to them another way. However, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive won't work, because Upwork scans files shared through those as well. Your best bet is something like FTP or a direct link to a server you control, and send that information in your "submit work and request payment" message.


To clarify, Michael, surely you mean using those programs through Upwork. After exchanging contact information against the all-too-common occurrence of Upwork's communication systems failing, clients and contractors can send and share files by whatever method suits them.


Douglas Michael M wrote:

Michael S wrote:

 

If you need to submit an executable file, your best bet is to do what Preston said and get it to them another way. However, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive won't work, because Upwork scans files shared through those as well. Your best bet is something like FTP or a direct link to a server you control, and send that information in your "submit work and request payment" message.


To clarify, Michael, surely you mean using those programs through Upwork. After exchanging contact information against the all-too-common occurrence of Upwork's communication systems failing, clients and contractors can send and share files by whatever method suits them.


Quite right. Essentially, once you get established with a client, communicate and submit work via a more convenient medium, and just get paid through Upwork. But I do like to have something to submit through UW, just in case there's ever a dispute, even if it's just a "here's the work you requested" message with a link to where it can be accessed.

Hi Yuri, 

 

I apologize for the inconvenience this caused. In some cases, malware scanning will remove embedded macros, formulas, or active content that is deemed potentially malicious. Please see this page for more information about Upwork's Trust & Safety processes.

 

One of our team members will reach out to you directly via a support ticket to assist you with this concern. 

 

Thank you!

~ Bojan
Upwork

It is not safe to download this file. If you really want to access this file please contact Customer Support.

I cant download the file sent to me by my client and I need it urgently to start my work. The above message appears everytime I try to download it.

Here is the link to the file:

**Edited for community guidelines**

 

 

Urgent help would be appreciated!


Maqsood A wrote:

It is not safe to download this file. If you really want to access this file please contact Customer Support.

I cant download the file sent to me by my client and I need it urgently to start my work. The above message appears everytime I try to download it.

Here is the link to the file:

**Edited for community guidelines**

 

 

Urgent help would be appreciated!


If it's urgent, be quick to send your concerns to your client.

It's what I would do.

I'd be urgent about it, so that I can start with my work.
I'd ask my client if it is possible to share a file via some file sharing site (googledrive, dropbox..).

His office time is up, so he will come online by tommorow, so there is nothing I can do 😞


Maqsood A wrote:

His office time is up, so he will come online by tommorow, so there is nothing I can do 😞


No rush.

You wouldn't agree to send you work before checking the files you need.
Client wouldn't expect you to finish the job before acknowledging all files they've sent are fine with you.

Either wait for someone to be more suportive or await your client.


Maqsood A wrote:

It is not safe to download this file. If you really want to access this file please contact Customer Support.

I cant download the file sent to me by my client and I need it urgently to start my work. The above message appears everytime I try to download it.

Here is the link to the file:

**Edited for community guidelines**

Urgent help would be appreciated!


It's not the file. Try a different browser.

What do you mean that it is not a file?
Its a "Text File"
Also, I have tried different browsers but the problem remains. Now?

Thank you for reaching out to us, Maqsood.

 

One of our team members will reach out to you directly via support ticket to assist you with downloading the file you're referring to. 

 

 

~ Bojan
Upwork

 

Thanks, Valeria, that's good to know. Does that mean files put on the Message Center last week (Thursday) should now be resent to benefit from this feature, or that files sent then will have it too? 

 

Just confirming, common sense would indicate to me they need to be resent.

 

Also haven't seen anyone say they have a problem with pdfs made from InDesign, I'm thinking those are probably ok though sending press quality to be transferred to a commericial print shop would be ill advised.

Hi Jacqueline,

 

Actually, there is no need to re-send the files. I double-checked with our engineers and the notification should show for sanitized files that were sent before we implemented notifications. 

~ Valeria
Upwork

So this means we always have to warn our clients to not download the sanitized version because it's ruined, and they need to download the original? This is going to look bad for Upwork, when people are warning clients that Upwork has messed up their files.

Verbiage I used when explaining this mess to a client:

 

"I did a bit of editing after 12 hours away from it. This version is better. There are 2 comments from me explaining where and why the changes. U has mucked w/ files - sanitized them - which deletes edits so you will have to:

1. hover over file name in green
2. to the right side facing screen, you'll see a green downward arrow.
3. Click on option to DOWNLOAD ORIGINAL FILE.

 

What a colossal PITA ...."

 

Everyone is free to copy and use content in blue.

For the foreseeable future, until Upwork explains exactly what it is doing to "sanitize" my files, I am going to notify all my clients -

 

"You will see a notice from Upwork that the file has been "sanitized." Upwork has not explained to anyone what this means, but I have had one client so far who indicated the "sanitized" version they received from me had been changed by Upwork (some information in the file was deleted). You should also have a choice to download an "unsanitized" version of the file, which I recommend you use."

 

The Excel files I send usually have multiple tabs and thousands of calculated and hard data cells. Neither I nor my clients are going to go through them to look for "sanitization"-induced errors or omissions.

Well Joan,

 

Prepared to have someone from Upwork tell you that it's there to protect you, the virus scanner that constantly flags false positives and makes edits to your files, that is.

 

No other software company does this, but rest assured Upwork knows the very best.

Thanks, Jordon. I know that Upwork thinks they are protecting freelancers and clients but they are destroying my business if they remove work I have done for clients. In addition, I have a very good security system on my computer and I don't need Upwork interfering with my work. I am still furious. 

I don't blame you at all Joan

I regularly (not often, but regularly) have clients tell me the files I send to them attached to Upwork messages cannot be opened (presumably due to some sort of corruption in transit).

 

Upwork has no rule against sending files to clients via email, so that's a simple fix. A pain to send a copy of every message via Upwork's message system (so there is a confirmable record of the attached file being sent) AND send the same file via email, but a simple fix.

 

Upwork's programmers must be very busy with other things - this problem has been around for a while.

Will - I have had to sometimes send files to clients by email - and vice versa - so I know it can be done successfully - but it is just a big pain. Upwork's site works so well in many ways - but not in this security business.

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