Miscellaneous Hacks - Stop the Registration Bots

Control your vBulletin forum registration process and stop the registration bots.

This mod will check the the time it takes for a vBulletin registration form to be submitted. If the form is submitted faster then humanly possible, the registration will be denied and the admin contact will be emailed about the event. The time is settable

We will start the registration on the forum rules page in two ways. First we will add a custom hidden field with a hash. Second we will insert a randomly named hidden field with a random value. This should make it a bit difficult to program a bot since the field names on all sites will be different as well as the values.

We will use a second set of random hidden fields on the form page as well to add to the confusion.

Time stamps to check the time spent on registration submission are stored in a DB table and private.

A registration will have to come through the Rules page and the form. Every Site will be different.

Installation is very easy.

There are two templates to edit.
One database table is added.
Three hooks are utilized.
Includes uninstall code.
Adds to vBulletin options.
Set time frame option.
Includes Phrases.
Sends Mail to Admin.
No files to upload.
XML product install.
Instructions attached in zip.

Demo usage and view source at http://www.riderinfo.com/

Compatibility
This hack is known to work on vBulletin 3.6.11 PL1 and will likely work back a few versions in the 3.6.x vBulletin series. Of course it works on 3.7.x as posted too.

HISTORY
1.2.2
added admin email on/off setting
moved hook code to files to reduce overhead.
1.2.1
Added Enable/Disable setting.
Fixed coppa includes file probem
Added file upload instructions to readme file.
1.2.0
Added JS timer to registration button.
Added enable/diable for email.
Removed ACP settings for random fields on rules and reg form pages and automated.
Reworded Pharses in ACP.
Recoded rules form and reg form edits.
Renamed variables for better code following.
Added more DB fields per user reg for tracking random automation.
New Hook on start_registration for functions.
Added new functions file. includes/stb_functions.php.
1.0.3
Changed input user name on rules form to random named hidden field with hash value.
Removed \n chars from email phrases.
All changes to registration are transparent to the folks registering.
Renamed DB username field to hash.
New hook on register_signup.
1.0.2
Added new Pre Reg Name hidden field to register form edits and ACP.
Added code to deal transparently with user deciding to change name after pre submitting it.
1.0.1
Fixed typo, changed 36000 to 3600 in product file.
1.0.0
Original Release.

[pigpog]

Thank you for this - I have installed it with no problems. I bought my vBulletin software three weeks ago, and since then I've averaged one bot per week - and the forum hasn't even been released yet! I read on this forum somewhere today that the bots have recently got clever with capcha, so I'm pleased to see that this plugin will deny bots that complete forms too quickly. Thanks for creating a plugin that attempts to thwart them from a different angle!

[jburnette84]

Install was seamless, took less than 5 minutes. Very nice hack!

[Skyrider]

Does this plugin has any issue with this one?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=181731

As that one says I left some forms blank, while I filled all the needed information.

EDIT, just tested. It seems this plugin is having issues with the quick register for quest plugin.

[noppid]

The quick register hack will not have all the necessary hidden form fields to work with Stop The Registration Bots.

It's not a conflict, it's because the Stop the Registration Bots code is not added to the quick register hack. It can be done, but I won't be supporting that or coding it at this time.

[Aclikyano]

XML in download file is still 1.2.0

lol

[noppid]

Originally Posted by Aclikyano

XML in download file is still 1.2.0

lol

Just the file name. The product is versioned correctly. (versioned isn't a word?)

I'll update that for the fastidious.

[Aclikyano]

never mind it works now

[noppid]

You didn't read the install instructions. That one we know is covered and in there. Upload the functions file in the upload folder.

[Wired1]

Suggestion: Make a log file like the vBStopForumSpam one does, so that it's easier to see the patterns of the bots.

[noppid]

Originally Posted by Wired1

Suggestion: Make a log file like the vBStopForumSpam one does, so that it's easier to see the patterns of the bots.

We can probably do that. Good idea.

Thanks