Hyperlink feature of editor being used to spam

[Snowhog]

Running vBulletin 4.2.3 Patch Level 2

The Basic and Enhanced Editor (we have the Enhanced Editor as the default when a user registers) has a Hyperlink button. We have been experiencing a number of (maybe the same person using different usernames) new registrations where the first post is responding to an existing post and 'almost' makes sense given the prior posts contents, but they always contain a hyperlink (the text varies) pointing to the same services website.

If I remember correctly, changing the default editor under User Registration Options > Default Registration Options > Options > Message Editor Interface to Do Not Show Editor Toolbar is the only way to prevent this from happening without the new member going into Settings > General Settings and changing the editor to either Standard or Enhanced.

Is there any way to make the Standard and Enhanced editor available as a function of Usergroups Promotion, forcing new registrations to use of the Basic editor only?

[Seven Skins]

That will not make any difference they can still type manually ..

www.site.com

However there is mod here which can stop users from posting links ..search for "url posting" or something similar.

[Kane@airrifle]

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=233979

--------------- Added [DATE]1482873781[/DATE] at [TIME]1482873781[/TIME] ---------------

or, if it is the same url every time you can add it to your style RVM and change it to something arbitrary.

[Snowhog]

Originally Posted by Seven Skins

That will not make any difference they can still type manually ..

[URL]www.site.com[/URL]

I don't think that is an issue for us, as we disallow use of BB code for all new registered users; they gain use of BB code when they get promoted (based on number of posts) into the next usergroup.

[Dragonsys]

Originally Posted by Snowhog

I don't think that is an issue for us, as we disallow use of BB code for all new registered users; they gain use of BB code when they get promoted (based on number of posts) into the next usergroup.

If they cannot use BBCode, how are they posting links?

[Snowhog]

Originally Posted by Dragonsys

If they cannot use BBCode, how are they posting links?

Thru the Link button in the Editor.

Use of BB Code as Yes or No only exists in the Blog and Signature sections of Usergroup settings; it isn't in Post/Thread section. So, the Editor is the vector for spamming with hyperlinks.

[Dragonsys]

Originally Posted by Snowhog

Thru the Link button in the Editor.

which uses BBCode. If they cannot post BBCode, then the link button won't get around it, as that check is performed in POST

You might want to double check the usergroup permissions & the forum permissions, which they are posting to.

[MarkFL]

If you wish to remove the link button from the toolbar, create a plugin hooked at "editor_construct" and use the Plugin PHP Code:

PHP Code:

if (is_member_of($vbulletin->userinfo, array(X, Y, Z)))
{
    $k1 = 0;
    $k2 = 0;

    foreach($this->config['toolbar'] AS $arr_1)
    {
        if (is_array($arr_1))
        {
            foreach($arr_1 AS $arr_2)
            {
                if ($arr_2 === 'Link')
                {
                    unset($this->config['toolbar'][$k1][$k2]);
                    break 2;
                }

                $k2++;
            }
        }

        $k1++;
        $k2 = 0;
    }
} 


Replace "X, Y, Z" with the comma-delimited list of usergroupids of those groups for which you wish to remove the link button.

[Snowhog]

I'm assuming that X,Y,Z simply means "a comma separated list of usergroup id's", and not simply "three different usergroup id's". Correct? What if I only want to remove the link for Registered Users (id: 2), the usergroup these spam posts are generated from? Would the array then take a single value?

[MarkFL]

Yes, it you want just usergroup 2 then just put a 2 in the array, but for example if you wanted usergroups 2,3, and 8 then you would put 2, 3, 8 in there.