Spam bots that can answer random questions?
 

Over the years, using the random question option, with a vast amount of questions has all but eliminated by spammer problem. As of the last couple of weeks they seem to be unhindered by this, today, my staff cleaned up 600 posts alone.

reCaptcha doesn't do squat, looking into FunCaptcha as an option, but I just cannot figure out how to stop them anymore. I am more than confused by how they are bypassing the random question feature which seems to be working on many forums that I am a member on, some even using versions of vBulletin older than my own (3.8).

Frustrated. Vented. Guess I am asking fur suggestions now?

Install this
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=294633

Can't, it's a 4.0 mod.

Works on 4.2.1 as i have it working on mine

I am on 3.8.

Force, he said in the first post, that he is using 3.8

This is a 3.8 mod, https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=289464

Was just about to link him that

Thanks, hopefully this will work, these spammers are killing my attempt to grow this community (having a hard time getting people to switch away from the FB group to a dedicated platform).

When was the last time you changed your random questions? It is quite possible they figured out the answers to them if they have been around for awhile.

July, but the questions don't seem to be capable of a bot doing a random Google query and inputting an answer.

It asks industry specific questions (automotive technician community) such as is such and such engine a gasoline or diesel engine?

Hmmm, maybe they found a way around them somehow. I would definitely try that mod, it should help quite a bit.

I'll return to this thread in a few weeks to let the community as a whole know how much spam it knocked out for me. I was doing some Google searches and found a post on Black Hat that pretty much shows that the software created for and sold to spammers can now completely ignore the reCaptcha and random question fields altogether.

It is not hard to make a bot learn, especially if there are limited options to learn. Any university senior that takes programming should be able to handle these very simple AI principals. Fortunately, most people could care less.

Of course that may not be what is going on here.

I always recommend people to stay away from any anti-spam mods as I believe "keywords" in these mods files attract more spammers and bots than it actually intercepts.

The best way to eliminate spammers and bots is to spend some time monitoring your site's traffic and taking note of those agents and IPs, it has worked for me for many years now and I have absolutely no problems with spam, bots every once in a while but I always end up figuring out a way to stop it.

Interesting @CheechDog, I will have to ponder that. I Like the input! :)

I am fortunate to be able to use intelligent server monitoring, so I have never needed to rely on additional late stage security scripts.

Yeeerp, I have noticed that most forums that have problems with spammers , bots , hackers have all these mods that I don't use at all yet I have 1-5 spammers register on my site if that a month, sometimes I go months without spammer accounts.

Just like the register.php mod that renames it, I really do believe these programmers are targeting they keywords and once they find they, BAM! they begin their attacks and don't stop.