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]

Hi Jason, having re-read that post https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showp...&postcount=122 I have edited the style templates and can confirm that this is working perfectly in v3.7.

I now have 8 images and the phrases are displayed correctly.:up:

Good luck with the next version!

[steadicamop]

Glad you got it going ... currently testing out on 3.7, I see it's working fine, now going to work on adding AdminCP options for number of images .... image directory - I can't think of any other items I could add ... suggestions welcomed!

[Artes_Marciales]

Great mod!
Thanks : )

[RCK]

Originally Posted by steadicamop

Suggestions welcomed!

I have one idea, most of user will use the default images you provide, and the only failure of this script is that image final size won't change. I can imagine bot will easily know "default" picture size, and click on the good one depending of the question !
One easy fix for this would be to randomly change the jpg output quality in GD from 70 to 100%, this way, each page reload would really display 'new pictures' to spam bots

anyway, it's a very cool mod, I can't wait 3.7 official version

[tehblob]

thanks a lot :P

[steadicamop]

Originally Posted by RCK

I have one idea, most of user will use the default images you provide, and the only failure of this script is that image final size won't change. I can imagine bot will easily know "default" picture size, and click on the good one depending of the question !
One easy fix for this would be to randomly change the jpg output quality in GD from 70 to 100%, this way, each page reload would really display 'new pictures' to spam bots

anyway, it's a very cool mod, I can't wait 3.7 official version

Your suggestion has been noted, I have another idea with this, to make different size images, that was that could also fool the bots ... just want to give as many possibilities as I can.

I'm away for a week now but will get the latest version going as soon as I can ... should also be backwards compatible I hope!

[DiverTree]

Originally Posted by 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!

Originally Posted by 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.

working fine on 3.7.0 for me ... somebody said it was stock in 3.7 series but no one has yet found it. seems to be working like a charm. like with my 3.6.8 board, it stopped the bots dead in their tracks and users have sucsefully registered without issue.

[NeitherSparky]

Yes this seems to be working on 3.7 for me, of course I have only been using it a day. I did use my own images as I have a themed board...it isn't necessary to match the exact same number of images used by default is it? I could use more or fewer couldn't I?

I look forward to the updated version.

[ngx]

Hi Steadi. I just installed this about 30ish hours ago, and so far 5 bots have signed up. I either have some very persistent bots who just keep clicking until they strike it lucky, or they have found a way around it. *sigh*

Thanks anyway.

[RCK]

Originally Posted by ngx

Hi Steadi. I just installed this about 30ish hours ago, and so far 5 bots have signed up. I either have some very persistent bots who just keep clicking until they strike it lucky, or they have found a way around it. *sigh*

Thanks anyway.

Have you extended the number of picture to 8 ?