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.

[noppid]

Originally Posted by AuroraStorm

Okay, I have a problem - this hack disabled my Thank You Hack. How can I prevent that from happening?

We use the Thank You hack on vB 3.x with this mod and don't have any issues.

[boothole]

Hello Brother!
I've been using "SRB" for a week now and absolutely wish I had this years ago! It works exactly as advertised! I just wanted you to know (from me) that this Mod does just what everyone is looking for.

Thank you again for this Mod! :up:+
Tony (boothole)

[eric1]

I had this installed but it did not appear to be working right as I would get an error on trying to register. So I uninstalled it and followed the directions to a T and have it running again but still with the error.

I am using vbadvanced CMPS and Fcb_pro_music_fluid style with the friends product installed also. Vbulletin boards are version 3.7.2 http://exposingamerica.info/forum/

This is the error that I'm receiving :


Warning: require_once([path]/includes/stb_functions.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in [path]/register.php(81) : eval()'d code on line 4

Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/exposing/public_html/forum/includes/stb_functions.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/exposing/public_html/forum/register.php(81) : eval()'d code on line 4


EDIT : I figured it out. I was not putting the 5 files in the "includes" directory.......it's working now! Gesh....I knew it was something simple....

Can anyone help me out?

[TrudyD]

I got the exact same message as the poster above and I see his response that he fixed the issue

"I was not putting the 5 files in the "includes" directory...."

Can you tell me how to fix this? Simple instructions please. I'm not extremely tech savvy.

Thanks!

[Ata123]

VB 3.7.6 P2

Like others I had the "You have left a required field blank" error in IE (9)

Seems solved after putting his right after <head> in both the register and register_rules templates

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=8">

[Ata123]

Had the issue again, I removed the manual addition of

<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=8">

from both templates again and instead changed this option to "No":

Vbulletin Options -> Cookies and HTTP Header Options -> Send Internet Explorer 7 Compatibility Header: [x] NO

[manning]

This seems to stop a lot of the bots that were getting through ... now I get dozens of emails like this every day >

The following username and email address were denied registration: AtFeel-SoGO - heidyfulbrdaz@gmail.com Form Processing Time in Seconds: 0

There still are a few that get through though, and despite the fact that I also have admin must authorize enabled some of these dang bots get through that as well and are shown as new members. I also installed a no sig mod so that helps too....

Tonight I decided to rename my register.php file to see if that would slow them down - it wasnt even 30 minutes and I was getting emails telling me an address was denied registration. WTF?

vbulletin needs to get onto of this - this is way out of control! I dont understand - the idiots keep getting denied, the ones that do get through cant add a url and they cant post. HOW can I keep them off my IP all together? And how to these scammers (I figure its only a few doing it in a major way) still have ISP access? They should be banned from the Internet for life for being so darn stupid!

Is there a new mod that will keep these bots out for good?

[JohnSG]

Is there a version for 4.x

Cheers
John

[dirkji]

I too get the error "You have left a required field blank".
Any solution?

[noppid]

Originally Posted by dirkji

I too get the error "You have left a required field blank".
Any solution?

Try going to the vB ACP under Options, go to settings group User Registration Options, COPPA Registration System. Set it to deny registration for users under 13 or COPPA on.