Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vbStopForumSpam - known spammer lookup for new registrations

vbStopForumSpam

This provides access to a RBL type system for forum admins, listing known spam IP / email / usernames. The RBL database is provided by www.stopforumspam.com. You do NOT need an API key from the website in order to access the database. only to submit data if you should wish to do so.

At the point of user registration, the mod checks if the IP number / provided username / email addresses appear on a block list and can block the registration.

Whilst this isnt the most perfect way to stop all forum spam, its another step that spammers have to overcome.

VB4 here https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...hreadid=230921
Its the same code, it works in 3.54 to 4.0


What it does

It checks with a remote database of known forum spammers. Their IP number, email address and forum username are tested and based on your configuration, you can reject / log / accept user registrations based on what you get back.

This version doesnt have
- whitelisting or the ability to submit users to the database but it will within the next week.
- automatic user deletion / post / PM purging. There are good tools out there already, this does something else.

Instructions are included in the installation.txt file - PLEASE read it first and dont forget to actually upload the files in the upload folder, otherwise it WILL kill your registration progress and you wont see the log file options in admincp. You do not need to download the product-vbstopforumspam-3.54.xml file unless you are using a vBulletin version older than 3.6.0

Changes to vB
- 3 new database tables
- 2 database table alternations
- No new templates.
- 2 Hook (register_addmember_process & register_addmember_complete)

Ive tested it but had feedback that it works with versions as old as 3.6.2... Support should go back to older versions, as long as they have hook support for register_addmember_process / register_addmember_complete

Known to work - tested by me
- vBulletin 3.6.8 on Apache 2.2 / PHP 5.1.2 on Linux using cUrl
- vBulletin 3.7 Gold on Apache 2.0 / PHP 4.4.3 on Windows without cUrl (template changes wont work on 3.7 - thats in the next version with auto template changes)

For code to submit spammers to the database, check this post for code changes
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=288

Reported in the thread to work
- 3.6.1, 3.6.2, 3.6.9, 3.6.10, 3.7.0, 3.7.1, 3.7.2, 3.7.3, 3.74, 3.80, 3.81, 3.82, 3.83, 3.8.4, 4.0beta3

If you have 3.54, then you can use the product-vbstopforumspam-3.54.xml file attached instead of the one in the ZIP file, which will allow older vBulletin versions to access this mods' features. I personally havent tested this version, its a user contribution, thanks to Darrell Mobley, that changes the way the XML works when imported into older versions.

Installers should remember to refresh their ACP navigation window when they first install it so they can see the new log file menu item.

REQUIRES MySQL 4.1.1+

Future versions
- Automatic integration into vBulletin to add users to the stopForumSpam.com database from a form
- Whitelisting of username / IP / email addresses
- AJAX integration to allow for lookups from within the users profile
- Decreased remote query count from three per user to one per user.

Versions / Changes

0.1 Initial Release

0.2 pedigrees special brew birthday release.
- Small security update. If you have 0.1 installed, download 0.2 and replace your existing functions_vbsfs.php with the one in the archive. It just tests to see if its running inside the VB framework before anything else. This is what happens when you code at 2am after drinking wine

0.3
- stopped it processing valid registrations twice
- moved all non-function code into the plugin. Not a big one as 0.2 basically did that
- fixed a typo in the log pruner that stopped it working (404)
- removed unused fields from the database for people with mysql that doesnt support varchar > 255 (ie mySQL4). If you have 0.2 installed and dont need to prune your logs just yet, you dont really need to install this version but can instead wait for 1.0 unless of a massive security update.

0.4
- logs registrations that arent/wouldnt be blocked
- fixed XML errors when username has a space it in
- tightened up the cache so that it doesnt test a username against an email name to give a bypass result (for when a username is an email address that isnt banned where the email address is)
- fixed some basic logic errors in the PHP

0.6
- Should work on PHP 4.4 now - rewrote the XML with PHP4 in mind (tested on Apache2.0/PHP 4.4.3)
- Fixed a caching system where data wasnt being updated correctly which could cause a remote query when one wasnt needed
- Possible false negative situation when a spammer was blocked due to SFS.com being down who then visited again when it was up but within the cache expiry time
- Remote query failure when the result page isnt XML should work a bit better now. It does a very basic test for valid XML results.
- Fixed log purging (again) and it should actually work properly now.
- No longer requires PHP5
- The log viewer now links to a user profile when registration is allowed.

v0.61 - Removed a template change that was invalid vBulletin code. The package you download will still say its 0.60 however

NB : When upgrading from any version to 0.6, you must remove and then add the plugin due to changes in one of the database tables

You need to have an API key from www.stopforumspam.com in order to submit data, its free and easy to get... You DONT need an API key in order to use this mod however, only to submit spammer data.

Issues are
- The usergroup permissions / view details etc DONT work. I jumped the gun and put the permissions controls in there before I put the code in. Please delete the includes/xml/bitfield_vbstopforumspam.xml file and rebuild your postbit

Installation
- Follow the instructions in the zip file, that includes upload the correct folders
- ONLY download the 3.54 xml file if youre using a vbulletin version prior to 3.6.0. use this file to install the mod instead of the xml file in the zip file.

Please click Installed

[segwayon]

Someone in the 3.8 modifications forum is offering a lite version of your mod. I pointed out that stopping spammers via calls to the StopForumSpam.com database only works well because of forum feedbacks - something your full-featured mod does which the lite mod doesn't.

Nominated this for the MOTM, and would do so for the year if such an honor existed. As a suggestion, perhaps if you were to offer this mod in the 3.8 section then more people would be able to find your very cool and full-featured mod, and won't have to settle for less.

[skippybosco]

Seems that the confusion is around the fact that this mod is not specifically labeled for vB 3.8.. perhaps that is something that can be done to remove the confusion and prevent splintering the project.

[pedigree]

Originally Posted by skippybosco

Seems that the confusion is around the fact that this mod is not specifically labeled for vB 3.8.. perhaps that is something that can be done to remove the confusion and prevent splintering the project.

I guess I copy just copy/paste the mode into the 3.8 forum as well.

... or people could just read

That "lite" version will offer you a very simple method but only 1/3 of the checks as each IP is limited to 5000 queries a day and it does no caching.

Ive dusted off Firebug and cut a huge chunk of code out in order to get 0.7 out the door ready to put that code back in for 0.75

[pedigree]

I just created a copy of this mod in the 3.8 forums, lets see

[Medtech]

they have to change all 3 things or they will be denied. then they just get submitted again.

[pedigree]

The stopforumspam.com domain is down at the moment as the site owner forgot to renew the domain. Ive tried to contact him and just hope that hes reading his emails this morning.

EDIT: Looks like GoDaddy was at fault this time. If youre using GoDaddy, expect problems, for ever.

[BadgerDog]

Originally Posted by pedigree

T
EDIT: Looks like GoDaddy was at fault this time. If youre using GoDaddy, expect problems, for ever.

Does this translate to the mod is no longer functional with that web site any more?

Thanks

Regards,
Badger

[pedigree]

Originally Posted by BadgerDog

Does this translate to the mod is no longer functional with that web site any more? :confuse:

Its all back up and running. After he renewed the domain, godaddy changed all the site DNS to point to their advertising pages. That alone is a good enough reason to move your domains to a much more reliable and above-board company.

[pedigree]

Warning, large image

This is a teaser for the 0.7 profile page. The drop down provides this list but I will be moving it to a tick list shortly

Ban & Cleanup (removes all posts / threads / PM / signatures / text fields in profile)
Delete User
Move to group
Ban IP

The large colour image has a toogle button to display the data in the cells or just the colour map, selectable in the options.

The rows in the "by relation" subnet data doesnt yet include the status on any cached spammer data. Refreshing the entire table could result in anywhere from a dozen to several hundred queries, so it will only be cached data if any is found. The red X shows a user already banned. Clicking on a user takes you to their profile. There will also be another table, which dispalys all that users posts, all posts "by relationship of subnet" as well.

Ive editted out some of the email and usernames to protect my test accounts

The full size image can be found at

http://www.fizzleblood.net/vbStopForumSpamProfile.png

[Brathamike]

Has anyone tried this with 3.8.4 with mods on your forum? i would like to have this but dont wanna mess up my forum and forum mods