Miscellaneous Hacks - Enhanced Captcha Image Verification - stop bots from signing up!!

Title : Enhanced Captcha Image Verification

Version : 1.1

Coder : Andy Calderbank & Jason Williams

Purpose : Add extra Image Verification to the registration process, using an alternative system to the Captcha system.

Why : It would appear that spammers can now "read" the Captcha codes and overcome the verification process.

How : This extra feature uses images which are harder for a spam program/bot to interpret than text characters. The user has a choice of 4 randomly displayed images, and the answer is given below. The user must click on that image to proceed, if the incorrect image is selected an error message is shown. The images are randomly shown (from however many are in the directory - you can have as many as you want, just has to be more that 4!) and are automatically created from the images/verification/ directory - all on the fly. Sample images are included with this release, but you can use your own - I recommend using 100 x 100 pixels, in .jpg format and naming the image with a meaningful title (ie A House.jpg) - the extension is stripped so only the filename itself is shown.

To further enhance security, the images are passed through a script which means that none of the images on the screen have file names - and cannot be associated to the question by title alone.

I have been testing this on my forum and have found it to be effective - I cannot guarantee that this will stop all spamming, but this relies more on human input than a computer "reading" the image.

Important : This has been tested on 3.6.2 - I cannot guarantee it will work on anything above, please test with caution - and as always BACKUP FIRST! This will not work on anything below 3.6.0.

Demo : http://www.steadiforum.com/register.php

I hope this is help to the VBulletin community as I know this is a growing problem. I don't fancy the thought of trawling through hundreds of new members deleting stupid usernames and spam posts.

Installation :

1. Upload the verification/ directory to your images/ folder - make sure .htaccess and show.php are present - otherwise it won't work.
2. Import Product - product-image_verification.xml

Upgrading :

1. Upload show.php to the images/verification/ directory.
2. Import Product - product-image_verification.xml - select Allow Overwrite to enable upgrade.

Requirements : GD Libraries installed

File uploads : 39 (including images)
Files to Import : 1
New Templates : 1
New Phrases : 5
Uses Hooks : 1
New Queries : 0

History :
v1.0 - Original release
v1.01 - Slight code change for forums in sub-directories (thanks go to Barakat for solving this one)
v1.1 - Issue resolved with Windows servers also template clean up for xhtml compliance
v1.11 - Added version check function, minor upgrade.

Done - if you like please click install! (and I won't ask for any donations as long as you click Nominate for MOTM!)

Don't forget you don't have to use the provided images - you can customise these to any you wish - I've used ones that are hopefully universal and everyone will recognise.

[AdrianH]

Originally Posted by DiverTree

if it is ... nobody can find it.

Exactly...... but the verification image folder is present

I have tried to install the mod on v3.7 but get nothing at all, all the required components are in place like GD libraries etc. , would love to see this work.

[steadicamop]

Sorry for the lack of support and input -- have been busy elsewhere and have let this slip.

I've noticed a few things - could anyone confirm if this is now a standard part of VBulletin 3.7.0? Just curious as no one has mentioned it to me....

Also if not and people are installing on 3.7 and if this works ok or not, I have seen a few which do and some which don't ... if there are any common issues on that I will do my best to resolve, although I'm still on 3.6.2!

[AdrianH]

This is NOT to be found anywhere in v3.7 , I wish it was.

I have tried to install on v3.7 but get either a blank page or an unchanged registration page, the mod does not appear.

I have the components you list as required so it should work as others have stated it works well in v3.7.

[steadicamop]

Without upgrading myself I'm a little helpless to make a 3.7 but I plan on upgrading next month, then I can look at holes as to where it's not working. Technically it should work as all it does it use a hook at the start of the regstration process, but I can imagine somewhere along the line it calls something has changed inbetween versions.

Bear with me, I will do my best to port this to 3.7

Jason

[mikeylikesitz]

that is great news,
i had it as well and lost it when upgraded to 3.7

[AdrianH]

Originally Posted by steadicamop

Without upgrading myself I'm a little helpless to make a 3.7 but I plan on upgrading next month, then I can look at holes as to where it's not working. Technically it should work as all it does it use a hook at the start of the regstration process, but I can imagine somewhere along the line it calls something has changed inbetween versions.

Bear with me, I will do my best to port this to 3.7

Jason

Jason , having read this whole thread from the first post again I see I was installing incorrectly as the folder required to be uploaded is the last "verification" folder and NOT the whole set supplied.

I think the install has too many folders and the instructions are a bit ambiguous.

Having loaded up the correct folder I now get the mod prior to the registration page so it is an extra layer.

I do think it needs to have more images to choose from,say 8 instead of 4, I will see what this does to stop the latest bots as they are walking right by the captcha/ReCaptcha and Q+A systems.

[steadicamop]

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for your feedback I will be working on an updated version for 3.7, which will include AdminCP options.

To increase the number of images in the meanwhile, instructions on how to are in this post -- https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=122

There is only really one folder that this mod uses, I just put it inside the images directory so it was tidy, it can be put anywhere but the code needs to be updated to reflect this.

HTH

Jason

[Dingo14]

installed on 3.7 and so far has stopped the spam i was getting so nice mod thanks

[steadicamop]

No errors whatsoever on 3.7? I might just go ahead and re-release it for 3.7 until I can upgrade myself and add new options.

[AdrianH]

Originally Posted by steadicamop

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for your feedback I will be working on an updated version for 3.7, which will include AdminCP options.

To increase the number of images in the meanwhile, instructions on how to are in this post -- https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=122

There is only really one folder that this mod uses, I just put it inside the images directory so it was tidy, it can be put anywhere but the code needs to be updated to reflect this.

HTH

Jason

That is what I did to increase the number of images but I am getting an error in that the questions/phrases are incomplete ,ie; click the image that is A ......... and the rest is missing.

(Reason for fault is now found........... editing wrong secion!)