Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Token of Death (cookie ban)

Token of Death (cookie ban)
by http://www.shinraonline.com
Version: BETA!

Products: 1
Plugins: 2
Queries: 1 (if the user is in banned group)


THIS IS A BETA... DON'T INSTALL IT...

Really, I mean it. Okay, so it worked on my test forum, but do you really want to be a guinea pig?

Actually, its using the "forumhome_complete" hook to initiate the banning process... I think there's probably a better hook, but I'm not sure where yet.

Sounds cool, does it destroy robots?

Um, no. If a user is banned, it will set a cookie and if they re-register or log onto an alias, they will be auto-banned.


IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE:

If you test this out on your forum, delete the cookie before you log back into your admin account or you will get banned!!

Already locked yourself out? Try these steps by Harmor19
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....15&postcount=6

(Next version, I'll add a check so admins are exempt)


Installation:

Step 1: Import product-token_of_death.xml

Step 2: edit the 'Token Of Death: Bake a Cookie!' and change the 8 to your preferred banned usergroup ID. 8 I think is the default.
admincp -> plugin manager -> Token Of Death: Bake a Cookie! (edit)

PHP Code:

if (is_member_of($vbulletin->userinfo, 8)) 


Step 2: edit the 'Token of Death: Stealth Ban!' plugin and change $TODgroup to the usergroup you want to add the user to.
admincp -> plugin manager -> Token of Death: Stealth Ban! (edit)

PHP Code:

// This is the usergroup you want to change the user to (banned).
$TODgroup = 10; 


Step 3: Take over World!

[Sonic625]

Tested on a forum and it started banning members for no reason. What is the difference between 'Token Of Death: Bake a Cookie and 'Token of Death: Stealth Ban! settings? should there be a new usergroup created? I set both to 8 (banned)

I started unbanning members and noticed some were being put into the coppa Registation group and still showing members the banned message until I saved them to the registered usergroup again.

[Shazz]

Originally Posted by hornstar1337

This could become really handy ^^ however a simple clear cookies would stop this from happening, so in a way, the really annoying users would figure this out in no time :/

Nice work tho, it seems really original.

Sooo, That clears the cookie bann... eh

[aveon]

im waiting for the new version when are u gunna release it bro??

[The Finman]

Originally Posted by Alfa1

Could you please make an option to connect this to the Miserable users member group? After getting re-banned right away, most banned members will start to think about clearing their cookies. But if a returning banned member is automaticly put into Miserable users, then it will just seem like the site is acting weird and is much more fun as well.

I agree...I would love to be able to use this with Paul's fantastic "Miserable Users" hack

I am trying to work on a Mod (hack) that I would like to develop. My mod would display a user's registration IP and E-mail in their profile for Mods and/or Admins only. Mods/Admins could instantly see a user's registration IP & E-mail by clicking on that user's profile without having to log into their ModCP or AdminCP...and would be able to view their E-mail address even if the user chooses to hide it from regular members. Mine really isn't doing anything new, just reorganizing information so it's easier to get. I've have a few people trying to help with mine, I will see what they think about yours, as I feel it could be useful in adding another "layer" of difficulty in stopping trolls/problem posters.

A great example is I have a user that uses anonymous proxies to get back in, I ban his new proxy IP and he changes it. I've also installed Paul M's (I think Paul makes the bulk of the hacks I use! ) Proxy to Real IP hack, so it's become a fight between he and I over proxies, so adding a cookie might help, even if only temporarily.


My troll spends a good part of his day looking for workable anonymous (I'm not sure he even knows that he needs anonymous proxies, as I think he just sits there going through proxy after proxy, looking for one that works). Even though the probability in the long run may be that he figures out that it's now also a cookie blocking him...I think it would at the very least make it a little more difficult for trolls as it's another "monkey wrench" thrown at them.

Although there is no technique for getting rid of troll and problem posters that is 100% foolproof (when I resorted to putting new members in the moderation queue, he started getting family and friends to register new accounts with valid IPs and E-mails for him, then giving him the new account), but I think each layer combined (while still not 100%) does increase the "hoops" trolls and problem posters must jump through, thus increasing the difficulty level for trolls versus their stubbornness.

Another thought on your mod (hack), or maybe even a completely different one (might be better) altogether, is I had a friend of mine that ran a UBB board and he developed a mod (hack) that checked what port a user was connecting on and the hack blocked all connections to his forums except for port 80 (http). Same problem, even though many proxies connect using port 80, a very large portion of them don't and he was at least able to cut down on the numbers of trolls using proxies by blocking those proxy connections that weren't on port 80. He moved back to Hungary, and I have no way to reach him, but your idea and the other's (like Paul's) would really help turn the table for admins when it comes to fighting trolls/problem posters. I just wish I was a lot better at PHP and could help directly. :ermm:

I will bookmark this thread and I will check back occasionally, or I will PM you or post if I have something useful to contribute.

[Reeve of shinra]

I havent had time to work on this the last few days but due to some of the issues presented, I am thinking of changing the hack so that it adds a cookie and if that cookie is present, it adds to the user to a secondary user group. You could specify that usergroup to be a banned group or a miserable users group. What do you guys think about that?

Incidentally, this hack is open source as in hey just give a line of credit in the post and keep the cool name please kind of way should anyone ever want to add to this.

finman, totally agree, sometimes its just about making them jump through more hoops.

[Alfa1]

Why not combine this hack with the AE detector? They seem to be doing very simular things. AE only alerts when the same pc/cookie is connected to 2 accounts. ToD will move the 2nd account into a secondary group if the 1st account is banned. Both are very handy features. Can't they be handled by one cookie, instead of two? May be worth while to talk to MDPev.

But to answer your question; moving the 2nd account to an additional user group is a good idea IMO.

[itsid]

awesome idea!

I will check that out
without reading your code.. isn't it possible to just add ( AND $bbuserinfo['usergroupid'] != 6) to an appropriate if condition of your hack to avoid admins getting banned while testing?

'sid

[G0F0RBR0KE]

Possible to work on vB 3.5.4 I'm still trying out the code aveon provided.

[Bigblah]

Looking at your code:

if ($TOD = '1')

It's no wonder that this plugin is banning everyone.

Change it to

if ($TOD == '1')

[MimeSong Erk]

rofl@people who installed beta software to their main forum, apparently with no db backup, and banned themselves.

This is a great idea and I hope the kinks iron out. We shall be watching your career with great interest, young hack.

As for les miserables integration: miz is a usergroup is it not? Least it was when I installed it! Just have the autoban point to the miz usergroup rather than the banned usergroup. voi, as they say, la. My trolls are well aware of the miz plugin but I bet they would not think of it if their next newly created account suffered the same problem.