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

[Barteh]

vB.org sent out an auto-update for vBSFS last night, but I only see the 0.6.1 version... Clicked the wrong button there?

Sent: Wednesday 27 January 2010 21:00
Subject: Auto-Update: vbStopForumSpam - known spammer lookup for new registrations


** DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE **

* Automatic Update Notification *

The following modification has been updated (by pedigree) ;

vbStopForumSpam - known spammer lookup for new registrations
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...hreadid=176481


From vBulletin.org
================================================== ==============

To edit your Auto-Update notifications for this modification please visit the Edit Settings Page ;

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/vborg_mis...hreadid=176481

[skippybosco]

@Barteh: Given the updated dates of the files in the .zip I would say it is indeed updated, but retaining the legacy version number. Pedigree eludes to the included fixes a few threads above this one.

[Barteh]

Ah, alright. As I'm not experiencing any vBSFS problems right now, I suppose I can stick with my current installed version, then

[pedigree]

It was to fix an issue with a re-install without first having removed it. There is no need to redownload and reinstall

[pedigree]

It was to fix an issue with a re-install without first having removed it. There is no need to redownload and reinstall

[blog8491]

Thanks for helping us to reduce spams.

[imported_silkroad]

FWIW, we are seeing a significant problem with vbStopForumSpam because of pollution in the www.stopforumspam.com database.

For example, the other day we found that the www.stopforumspam.com database was blocking the IP address of Sun Microsystems, definitely not a spammer.

The problem has become so bad, we have disabled all IP checking

Of course, this is not a problem with this great mod, but a problem with most RBL type systems where the data is user contributed and often inaccurate.

We might have to deinstall this.... unfortunately.

[skippybosco]

@imported_silkroad: What is the IP address in question? Have you reported it to the admins at Stop Forum Spam so it can be investigated and potentially removed from the database?

Consider a few possibilities:

1) The IP address has been recycled and is no longer being used by Sun MicroSystems
2) Could very well be a compromised machine of a Sun MicroSystems employee (like the 43 companies that were recently had employees computers compromised such as Google, Adobe, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc)
3) Could very well be a Sun MicroSystem employee trolling/flaming forums from their work computer. While not a traditional "bot" activity, many admins still consider this "pollution" of their forums and as such will report it.

That being said, you're correct that until the "reputation" system is in place and refined, there is a chance that someone could enter a valid IP address into the database intentionally or accidentally. There are, however, things you can do as an admin to reduce the impact of such a thing:

1) make use of the additional details available from the API such as "last seen" and "frequency reported". Unless someone is maliciously targeting a specific IP, the likelihood of multiple entries in a short period of time are fairly low.
2) set your configuration to not "block" registration but rather quarantine the "suspect" users (ie. those with matching info) to more restrictive VB usergroups and either have their posts content validated by something like AkiSmet (automated) or moderated (manually) and then make use of promotion rules within vB to automate their transition to non-quarantined. Even without fear of "data pollution" this is a sound strategy that I employ on my sites.

[tomarsyd]

Installed. Good to see a coder like you Pedigree actively involved in this thread and product. As a new forum owner, I'm hoping this thing helps a LOT! :-)

-Tom

[imported_silkroad]

Originally Posted by skippybosco

@imported_silkroad: What is the IP address in question? Have you reported it to the admins at Stop Forum Spam so it can be investigated and potentially removed from the database?

Consider a few possibilities:

1) The IP address has been recycled and is no longer being used by Sun MicroSystems
2) Could very well be a compromised machine of a Sun MicroSystems employee (like the 43 companies that were recently had employees computers compromised such as Google, Adobe, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc)
3) Could very well be a Sun MicroSystem employee trolling/flaming forums from their work computer (while not a traditional "bot" activity, many admins still consider this "pollution" of their forums and as such will report it.

That being said, you're correct that until the "reputation" system is in place and refined, there is a chance that someone could enter a valid IP address into the database intentionally or accidentally. There are, however, things you can do as an admin to reduce the impact of such a thing:

1) make use of the additional details available from the API such as "last seen" and "frequency reported". Unless someone is maliciously targeting a specific IP, the likelihood of multiple entries in a short period of time are fairly low.
2) set your configuration to not "block" registration but rather quarantine the "suspect" users (ie. those with matching info) to more restrictive VB usergroups and either have their posts content validated by something like AkiSmet (automated) or moderated (manually) and then make use of promotion rules within vB to automate their transition to non-quarantined. Even without fear of "data pollution" this is a sound strategy that I employ on my sites.

No, it was non of those scenarios.

I spoke directly to the Sun employee, who is very professional and very intelligent. They were actually kind enough to contact us and tell us of the problem.

I have a lot of experience with problems with abuse of user-generated blacklists for anti-spam, etc going back nearly 15 years.

The database used for this mod has serious problems.

I like your strategies above to reduce impact and will consider them before removing this mod, which is causing more problems than benefit as our other anti-spam plugins that do not use the Stop Forum Spam database are "pretty good" and do not lock out perfectly good registrations!

PS: There is no way we will spend time reporting problems to the Stop Forum Spam admins. This would take more time that deleting spammers!! The admins of Stop Forum Spam should validate better. Their system is really bad and does block good people consistently, we have seen this.

In addition, anyone can report an IP address and use this malicious to hurt others. It is unfair to put the validation on the end user or forums who have problems. The db should have a better validation algorithm, period!