See 404 error cause by some weird URI in index.php

Question

I have Craft 2.6.2986 in an AWS EC2 environment. My site looks fine, but in my craft.log, I see a lot of 404 errors. We don't have phpmyadmin2011 or phpmyadmin2012 page. Does anyone know how they get generated? Thanks.

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2017/08/03 13:20:18 [error] [exception.Craft\HttpException.404] exception 'Craft\HttpException' in /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/controllers/TemplatesController.php:72
Stack trace:
#0 [internal function]: Craft\TemplatesController->actionRender('phpmyadmin2011', Array)
#1 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/actions/CAction.php(109): ReflectionMethod->invokeArgs(Object(Craft\TemplatesController), Array)
#2 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/actions/CInlineAction.php(47): CAction->runWithParamsInternal(Object(Craft\TemplatesController), Object(ReflectionMethod), Array)
#3 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(308): CInlineAction->runWithParams(Array)
#4 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(286): CController->runAction(Object(CInlineAction))
#5 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(265): CController->runActionWithFilters(Object(CInlineAction), Array)
#6 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CWebApplication.php(282): CController->run('render')
#7 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CWebApplication.php(141): CWebApplication->runController('templates/rende...')
#8 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/etc/web/WebApp.php(291): CWebApplication->processRequest()
#9 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/base/CApplication.php(185): Craft\WebApp->processRequest()
#10 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/index.php(62): CApplication->run()
#11 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/public/index.php(19): require_once('/srv/www/vetter...')
#12 {main}
REQUEST_URI=/phpmyadmin2011/
---

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2017/08/03 13:20:19 [error] [exception.Craft\HttpException.404] exception 'Craft\HttpException' in /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/controllers/TemplatesController.php:72
Stack trace:
#0 [internal function]: Craft\TemplatesController->actionRender('phpmyadmin2012', Array)
#1 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/actions/CAction.php(109): ReflectionMethod->invokeArgs(Object(Craft\TemplatesController), Array)
#2 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/actions/CInlineAction.php(47): CAction->runWithParamsInternal(Object(Craft\TemplatesController), Object(ReflectionMethod), Array)
#3 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(308): CInlineAction->runWithParams(Array)
#4 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(286): CController->runAction(Object(CInlineAction))
#5 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(265): CController->runActionWithFilters(Object(CInlineAction), Array)
#6 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CWebApplication.php(282): CController->run('render')
#7 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CWebApplication.php(141): CWebApplication->runController('templates/rende...')
#8 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/etc/web/WebApp.php(291): CWebApplication->processRequest()
#9 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/base/CApplication.php(185): Craft\WebApp->processRequest()
#10 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/index.php(62): CApplication->run()
#11 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/public/index.php(19): require_once('/srv/www/vetter...')
#12 {main}
REQUEST_URI=/phpmyadmin2012/
---

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2017/08/03 13:20:20 [error] [exception.Craft\HttpException.404] exception 'Craft\HttpException' in /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/controllers/TemplatesController.php:72
Stack trace:
#0 [internal function]: Craft\TemplatesController->actionRender('phpmyadmin2013', Array)
#1 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/actions/CAction.php(109): ReflectionMethod->invokeArgs(Object(Craft\TemplatesController), Array)
#2 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/actions/CInlineAction.php(47): CAction->runWithParamsInternal(Object(Craft\TemplatesController), Object(ReflectionMethod), Array)
#3 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(308): CInlineAction->runWithParams(Array)
#4 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(286): CController->runAction(Object(CInlineAction))
#5 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CController.php(265): CController->runActionWithFilters(Object(CInlineAction), Array)
#6 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CWebApplication.php(282): CController->run('render')
#7 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/web/CWebApplication.php(141): CWebApplication->runController('templates/rende...')
#8 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/etc/web/WebApp.php(291): CWebApplication->processRequest()
#9 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/framework/base/CApplication.php(185): Craft\WebApp->processRequest()
#10 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/craft/app/index.php(62): CApplication->run()
#11 /srv/www/vetter_prod/releases/20170731141059/public/index.php(19): require_once('/srv/www/vetter...')
#12 {main}
REQUEST_URI=/phpmyadmin2013/
---

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Answer 1

These are very likely bots that are scanning the website for various things (I see it for WordPress logins a ton). Two things you can do:

1. Redirect them. This is what I do for WordPress bots
2. Install the Retour plugin to get a better overview of what 404 errors happen on your site.