Anti-Spam Options - Is Bot: Registration Time Check

This mod calculates the time it takes to go between these two pages:

• /forum/register.php?do=register
• /forum/register.php?do=addmember

The point is to try and prevent bots from registering at your forum when the time between the two pages is humanly impossible, assuming that humans actually take the time to complete the registration page.

Should a user be blocked from registering at your forum, an email will be sent to your vB webmasteremail address and the user will see the vB noregister phrase message, so no screenshot is necessary.

[ExoticAgenda]

Originally Posted by too_cool_3

I will try this for vB 4.1.7 and report back once I have it installed.

Have you tried this successfully? I am running the same version and interested if this works.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by ExoticAgenda

Have you tried this successfully? I am running the same version and interested if this works.

A few simple changes to make this compatible with 4.x.x.

1. Install as instructed, except add this line to the register template instead:

PHP Code:

<input type="hidden" name="isbot_time1" value="${vb:raw isbot_time1}" /> 


2. Then go to Admin CP -> Plugins & Products -> Plugin Manager.
3. Look for the register_form_complete hook for the isBot product and click Edit.
4. In the Plugin PHP Code text box, add the following line below the only line of code there.

PHP Code:

vB_Template::preRegister('register',array('isbot_time1' => $isbot_time1)); 


5. Click Save and you're done.

There is no potential for damage for you trying this mod yourself on your 4.1.7, you can uninstall this Mod and revert the change to the register template easily.

Here is how I test this:

Making sure I am logged out and all cookies are cleared, I load the board then click the "register" link. I check the box acknowledging the rules, and submit. The IsBot timer now starts.

I previously set the IsBot time to 60 seconds to make sure I can click "submit" under the set time. I fill out the form very fast, using already saved information for all the fields and I just copy/paste. I then submit the form under the 60 second time.

After testing put the time back to 15 seconds.

I have had this mod for quite a long time now, it is still catching 15-20 bots per day, with an average elapsed time each of 3.2 seconds. Most of them are registering in between 0-1 second. This is well over 500 bots caught by this mod since install. None have successfully registered since install. None have been seen to try to be "adjusting" to this Mod. It gives the bot the default vBulletin "Administrator has disabled registration" message, it doesn't tell them speed is in any way involved.

NO humans have been rejected by this Mod since install, either. It is easily the best spambot stopping mod, ever and should be a default part of vBulletin IMO.

[ExoticAgenda]

great! i appreciate the walkthrough, ill def be installing this on my site this weekend!

[scan-pa]

Does this work in vbs 4.1.8 ???

[scan-pa]

for vb 4.1.8 in the register template i found this line:

<input type="hidden" name="url" value="{vb:raw url}" />

and under it I placed the following line:

<input type="hidden" name="isbot_time1" value="${vb:raw isbot_time1}" />

is this correct? or is it without the $???

[scan-pa]

<input type="hidden" name="isbot_time1" value="{vb:raw isbot_time1}" /> without the $ worked.

With those changes, this mod works great in vB 4.1.8

Thanks to all who helped from this thread.

This code needs to be added to vB 4.2.0

[mpasternak]

Thanks for the work! Since installing this mornig, it has blocked 300 attemps

thats right. 300+

[Apexi]

Great hack, but i have some question.
Normally with Captcha i notice a new spam bot once every 12 days at the top, not more.
Within 10min after i installed Is Bot two mails was recieved with two different bots with funny looking names and mails.
I appreciate to get rid of bots, but how big is the chance that two bots within 10min tries to register when i only got one bot every 12 days before? Captcha i still running at the same time as Is Bot.

Also, what kind of notification does the member that tries to register but fail get? If any, can i edit it somehow?

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by Apexi

Great hack, but i have some question.
Normally with Captcha i notice a new spam bot once every 12 days at the top, not more.
Within 10min after i installed Is Bot two mails was recieved with two different bots with funny looking names and mails.
I appreciate to get rid of bots, but how big is the chance that two bots within 10min tries to register when i only got one bot every 12 days before? Captcha i still running at the same time as Is Bot.

You are now getting real-time information when these bots leave the register.php page before the time set up in IsBot. You will be amazed how many you will now catch. This works even if they ignore or fail the captcha, and even if they don't fill out all fields. IsBot merely looks at time spent between pages. It doesn't care what data is entered into the fields, other than recording it to send to you via email.

Also, what kind of notification does the member that tries to register but fail get? If any, can i edit it somehow?

Humans will never see the message. Members will never see the message. Only bots will. Failed registrations get the standard vBulletin message, "The administrator has disabled registration" that is given if registration is actually disabled. There's not a "gotcha" message or any type of message that tells what went wrong. This is so the human botnet administrators don't get a clue as to why their bots can't register.

It doesn't give second chances. It doesn't explain, it just stops them.

[Boofo]

I had a human see the message as he beat the setting I had when we were first testing it. I still don't know how he did it.