# Base64 errors in reporter.log

**URL:** <https://community.zeek.org/t/base64-errors-in-reporter-log/3686>\
**Category:** Zeek\
**Created:** [July 3, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/base64-errors-in-reporter-log/3686 "2015-07-03T14:58:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jan\_Grashoefer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Jan\_Grashoefer](https://community.zeek.org/u/Jan_Grashoefer)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/base64-errors-in-reporter-log/3686/1 "2015-07-03T14:58:36Z")

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Hi all,

I (ad it seems I am not the only one) see a lot of base64 related errors in my reporter.log like:

Reporter::ERROR extra base64 groups after ‘=’ padding are ignored (empty)  
Reporter::ERROR incomplete base64 group, padding with 12 bits of 0 (empty)

Question 1: What’s the origin of these errors?  
Question 2: How can I avoid these messages polluting my reporter.log?

Thanks,  
Jan

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**Author:** ![Siwek\_Jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Siwek\_Jon](https://community.zeek.org/u/Siwek_Jon)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/base64-errors-in-reporter-log/3686/2 "2015-07-03T15:24:11Z")

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> I (ad it seems I am not the only one) see a lot of base64 related errors in my reporter.log like:
> 
> Reporter::ERROR extra base64 groups after '=' padding are ignored (empty)  
> Reporter::ERROR incomplete base64 group, padding with 12 bits of 0 (empty)
> 
> Question 1: What's the origin of these errors?

Likely a protocol analyzer trying to decode what it thinks is a base64 string, but turns out it’s actually not a valid base64 encoding.

> Question 2: How can I avoid these messages polluting my reporter.log?

Possibly w/ a logging filter. Maybe also file a ticket at tracker.bro.org suggesting that, in the case I mentioned above (if it is actually the case), it may be more appropriate to emit a “weird” rather than an “error”.

- Jon

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/zeek/original/1X/f09d732bc2cc7c7cc7e35db67cf4e1d5233ce7a7.png) [@system](https://community.zeek.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/base64-errors-in-reporter-log/3686/3 "2022-05-06T15:42:49Z")

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