Getting rid of spambots
 

How do I get rid of spambots? been getting a few of them lately. Is there anything I can install to block spambots??

There is nothing you could install...there is but doesn't work properly.

What you can do is Ban the spam bots email address.. under vBulletin Options.
Do it..because after I did, spam bots...rarely visit my site..

--------------- Added [DATE]1297986446[/DATE] at [TIME]1297986446[/TIME] ---------------

try Verify email mod - that will give a professional look to your forum.

Just my suggestion.. that's all..

in 'Human Verification Options' >> You can try using "Question & Answer Verification" in register page.

Look for an option which asks users to enter in the human verification code even after they've registered. This will significantly reduce spam to about 0-1%, then once you verify the genuine users you use a promotional system to move them to a usergroup without the human verify system. Its multiple usergroup process, but it works for me.

The Q&A verification has really worked well on my site. I went from about 100/day to 0 instantly.

There's also a tip posted on Vbulletin.com about adding a second Q&A into the registration questions (in case you need more security on top of that).

I use the human verification (Q&A) on our site and it has been very effective, BUT just today I noticed two new users who had suspect usernames - Pills2k11 and TopBrands2k11.

I googled these names and found that both had registered with dozens of vBulletin forums in the last 24-48 hours.

This is worrying because it could mean that someone has developed a spambot that can get past the Q&A.

My forum is running vBulletin 3.7.1

Had our first one get through today too. Username was Tek.

We have had three now in two days, with the following usernames;

TopGUN2k12
Pills2k11
TopBrands2k11

In each case the email address has had a Polish domain but the IP address has not corresponded (USA, Brazil and UK), so it's fair to assume all information is false. None of the subscriptions have been confirmed.

In each case the username shows up as a new registrant on many vBulletin forums in the preceding 24 hours, which suggests the work of a bot.

It's worth pointing out that the Q&A questions on our site are about an obscure brand of British car and would only be known be enthusiasts. The questions could be answered with a bit of research on the web, but bots don't do research :)

So it appears that the bot must be exploiting a vulnerability in vBulletin. I know it would be best to update but I have so many custom mods on my site I am concerned that updating may break some of them.

We have decided to implement the promotion system as a precaution, so that a new users first post is moderated.

To make an anti-spam campaign effective you need to use multiple levels of security, not just rely on Q & A. I used to implement this Q & A and then bots came from nowhere, they were somehow getting past this?!

But then I implemented a verification check everytime a user registered and posted until their account was moderated by someone.

No one is exploiting vulnerabilities in vBulletin, not all spammers are BOTS, not by a long shot. There are people paid to join forums, there are people who do it themselves and make a business out of it. With Google they can answer just about any question you could ever think of.

This will only become more common in the future as well.

There's no inherent flaw in Q&A human verification other than humans can get in.