Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Multiple Account Detection & Prevention

It happens all of the time. Some members will make multiple accounts to back their own opinion or get an extra vote in a poll. Here's a modification that will detect and prevent multiple accounts, as well as notify the administration about multiple accounts. Inspiration for this modification came from the work of MPDev (creator of the Multiple Account Login Detector) and randominity (creator of the Multiple Account Registration Prevention). This is basically a combination of those two modifications but with new and improved functionality.

This is not an update to the "Multiple Account Login Detector (AE Detector)" nor is it an update to the "Multiple Account Registration Prevention." If you have either one of these (or both of them) installed, you should uninstall them before installing this modification.

With the initial release of Multiple Account Detection & Prevention, I believe that I have fixed previous bugs/complications as well as improved the efficiency and logic of the code. This is my first publicly released modification. I would appreciate any comments and suggestions!

Confirmed! This works perfectly on all vBulletin 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 versions.

Unfortunately, I cannot give support right now. I may be able to help periodically, but until my schedule yields some more free time, I won't be much support. Please check back in a week or two.

Basic Details
File Edits: None
Template Edits: None
New Files: 6
Hooks/Plugins: 3
Global Phrases: 36
Install Time: 2 Minutes or Less
Install Difficulty: None, Very Easy

Features and Settings
- Login Detection
- Registration Prevention (Multiple Methods)
- Ignore Child Accounts
- Ignored Users
- Ignored Usergroups
- Ignored ISPs
- Prevention Usergroup
- IP Address Based Prevention
- Extended IP Address Prevention
- IP Address Time Inclusion
- Banned Account Check
- Primary Banned Usergroup
- Cookie Expiration Time
- Cookie Refreshing
- Cookie Name
- Cookie Reset
- Multiple Account Reporter
- Reports via PM
- PM Report Recipients
- Reports via New Thread
- Forum for Report Threads
- Verbose Mode
- BB Codes: LIST, URL, CODE

How it Works
With every newly recognized login/registration, an account-counting cookie is set (or added onto) with the member's User ID. Depending on the settings, Multiple Account Detection & Prevention will analyze the cookie during login/registration to see if there are any multiple accounts.

Login Detection offers cookie-checking and reporting. Registration Prevention offers the same thing, plus more advanced features. First of all, when it prevents an account from registering, it actually moves the registrant to the Prevention Usergroup so that the administration can review the case. This also allows for customized privileges for recognized multiple registrants. Registration Prevention also has IP address detection which finds out just as much information about users. Depending on an administrator's preference, this modification can also reban a new registrant if one of their previous accounts has been banned. In fact, if the administration wishes, multiple registrants can simply be denied registration all together.

Whenever there is a detection/prevention, the modification will report the information to the administration through private messages, a new thread, or both (depending on settings). The Multiple Account Reporter can be any valid user.

Known Issues
- vB Optimise users: Reporting via thread seems to get messed up by vB Optimise, so try reporting via PM instead.
- PhotoPost vBGallery users: The registration handling appears to not work properly when PhotoPost vBGallery is enabled.

From what I can tell, these known clashes have been caused by the other modification's coding. The author of vB Optimise will not even work with me to fix it. Until they improve their coding, I'm not sure if I can do anything about these issues. As far as I know, administrators that do not use the above modifications will not have any problems.

Installation / Upgrade
Unzip the package (madp.zip), upload the files to your forum location, and import the product file (allow overwrite if upgrading). Please read the ReadMe.txt file that is packaged with the modification for more information.

Please remember to mark this modification as installed if you use it!
If you like it, nominate it for the Mod of the Month!

Thank you!

[Kiros72]

Originally Posted by Alfa1

Yes, thats true. Such modification would be a wonderful addition to the functionality that the MAD&P is offering.

Please create this modification when you find the time.

Will do. I have a different ban-oriented modification that I'm about to release for public consumption. Keep an eye out for it.

[JiggyDempsey]

Originally Posted by sfc

how do I uninstall.. I did a test and now can't get into my admin...

Warning: require_once([path]/madp/detection.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in [path]/includes/functions_login.php(185) : eval()'d code on line 3

I've ran into this problem too

I cant access my admin cp to disable

Help!

[gamerscms]

Originally Posted by JiggyDempsey

I've ran into this problem too

I cant access my admin cp to disable

Help!

That is a common error when you have not uploaded the files correct, try uploading them again and it should fix your error

[Kiros72]

Originally Posted by JiggyDempsey

I've ran into this problem too

I cant access my admin cp to disable

Help!

Just like gamerscms said, you have to upload the files in the correct way. Make sure that the /madp/ folder is uploaded to the forum root and also make sure you uploaded all of the files within /madp/.

[barbados]

Is this hack working with 3.8.2 ?

[BlueNinjaGo]

Originally Posted by barbados

Is this hack working with 3.8.2 ?

Yes... No one has said it hasn't

[Kiros72]

Confirmed! This works perfectly on all vBulletin 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 versions.

Just to get that out there

[tranceup]

The deal with using Chrome in 'incognito' mode is that it clears the cookies after closing it.
This means that a user that closes that browser and reopens it, won't trip the detector after
logging in with another identity, though we know that he/she may trip it when trying to log
in with an alter ego before closing that browser.


:up::up::up::up:

[BlueNinjaGo]

Firefox has the same option. That's why he has the IP checker in there too...

[Kiros72]

Originally Posted by tranceup

The deal with using Chrome in 'incognito' mode is that it clears the cookies after closing it.
This means that a user that closes that browser and reopens it, won't trip the detector after
logging in with another identity, though we know that he/she may trip it when trying to log
in with an alter ego before closing that browser.


:up::up::up::up:

Originally Posted by BlueNinjaGo

Firefox has the same option. That's why he has the IP checker in there too...

Mhmm! Unfortunately, I still need to get IP checking into the login feature, but as of the current version, IP checks can be done during registration. Therefore, even if a person is using Chrome and thinks that he/she is being cunning by using Incognito Mode to register a new account, it will still catch them. Of course, the IP address feature needs to be enabled if you want it to check.