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

[whatsthegoodwor]

I'm not sure if the mod is working because no log entry says denied or blocked. Right now it's set to block based on only email and not username/ip. The mod is set to "log and block registration" but allow registration for query connection errors.

The way I can tell who is a spammer is because the user name isn't linked and there's no account made - but the log for those entries still says "allowed registration". I think my vbulletin human verification is what's blocking the spam entries.

Also, what does "Result on field email - [REMOTEERR] Unverfied but allowed by policy" mean?

[adwade]

Originally Posted by whatsthegoodwor

The way I can tell who is a spammer is because the user name isn't linked and there's no account made - but the log for those entries still says "allowed registration". I think my vbulletin human verification is what's blocking the spam entries.

I've noticed this happening as well, and wondered what was going on? Thanxx for the explanation, as I think my board is doing the same as well.


Otherwise, I must say: THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPRESSIVE WORKING MODIFICATION I'VE EVER WITNESSED. The Logs are just amazing to read through.

Kudos to pedigree for such a fine product! :up:

[JesterP]

Originally Posted by pedigree

OK, Ive been nagged and nagged and nagged (and not by my wife this time).

Here is a small change to 0.61 that will be worked on in 0.7 that will allow you to submit spammer details to the database from the admin control panel. It requires editting admincp/user.php



These line numbers are for my 3.71 dev install, they might be a bit different depending on the version. Ive only tested it in 3.71

Find (about line 524)

// QUICK LINKS SECTION

Insert ABOVE that (but below the if ($vbulletin->GPC['userid']) { )

		// VBSTOPFORUMSPAM MOD
		if ($vbulletin->GPC['userid'] > 1) { // we dont want to ban our admin account now do we
			print_table_header("vbStopForumSpam");
			if ($vbulletin->options["vbstopforumspam_apikey"])
				print_label_row('Submit these details to www.stopforumspam.com ban list<BR><table><tr><td>Username:</td><td><input type="text" name="username"  size="30" value="'. $user['username'] . '"></td></tr><tr><td>Email:</td><td><input type="text" name="email"  size="30" value="' . $user['email'] . '"></td></tr><tr><td>IP:&nbsp;</td><td><input type="text" name="ip_addr"  value="' .$user['ipaddress'] . '"></td></tr></table><input name="api_key" type="hidden" value="' . $vbulletin->options['vbstopforumspam_apikey'] .	'"><input onclick="this.form.action=\'http://www.stopforumspam.com/add.php\';this.form.submit()"  type="button" class="button" value="' . $vbphrase['submit'] . '"/>');
			else
				print_label_row('You need an API key from www.stopforumspam.com before you can submit to the database' ,'');
			print_table_break('', $INNERTABLEWIDTH);	
		}

You need to have an API key... This is a quick hack that changes the pages form so that it submits to the database. As its a quick hack, this relies 100% on javascript being enabled and makes no tests that it is enabled.

if all goes well, then Ill update the first post with a copy/paste of this. Now, stop PMing me about "can I submit data directly" please

I have been confronted by a white page in the ACP main frame when manually submitting. It used to show the spam site telling me it was successful. What could cause the white page upon submit suddenly?

Thanks!

[Wired1]

1. That code was turned into a plugin (by me) a couple of days later, so there's no need to edit anything. Link's in the main post, but here it is again: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=289

2. White page is normal for the time being. Happened after they upgraded the StopForumSpam site. If you get that page, it was successfully submitted.

[Alfa1]

Pedigree, what do you think of the following idea?

Many spammers use temporary / fake email providers. i.e. harry1234@trashmail.net
Most fake / temporary email addresses disappear after 1 day or even 5 minutes.
Serious registration use real email providers. There are many temporary email providers and they keep changing their domain names to dodge or

I believe it would help against spam and trolls if there would be a database of temporary email domains. So that if a user registers with such an email domain, the registration is denied. Like with SFS: admins could submit the temporary domains. A system could be used that when an email domain is submitted by more than X vbulletin sites, the domain is marked as a temporary/fake email.

Admins who moderate their new registrations could submit such domains with the click of a button if the 'new users moderation' queue would have a button for it. Other admins could submit trough an adminCP/modcp option.

[Wired1]

Originally Posted by Alfa1

A system could be used that when an email domain is submitted by more than X vbulletin sites, the domain is marked as a temporary/fake email.

That would block sites like gmail, yahoo, hotmail, etc.

Now keeping track of sites w/ throwaway email addresses and/or super secret ones (e.g. hushmail, etc) might not be a bad idea. Could give admins the option to block registration based upon having an email address from one of those sites, and use a custom phrase for the denied reason (e.g. "You are attempting to register with a temporary email address. We require that our members use real email addresses so that if we need to contact them we can."

[Alfa1]

Popular email domains like gmail, hotmail, yahoo, etc could be white-listed. Additional checks can be built in. For example by having a small group of volunteers double-check each throwaway email domain submission. Im sure there are admins/moderators that are willing to do that, as there will not be that many new domains a month.

Another reason for this suggestion is bouncing email. If your users can sign up with fake email, then this will cause a mass of bounces to be sent to your server.
Bouncing email can cause your site to be listed as a spammer. Its bizarre but true.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Alfa1

Another reason for this suggestion is bouncing email. If your users can sign up with fake email, then this will cause a mass of bounces to be sent to your server. Bouncing email can cause your site to be listed as a spammer. Its bizarre but true.

How is bouncing email from fake email addresses going to get you listed as a spammer? Email to the fake email address never gets anywhere to be listed as spam.

The bottom line for me is that i do not want and will not use ANY scheme which autospams bounced email. I don't even use autodelete for spam on my server because of the potential for false positives, however low that may be. I want the option to scan what's being flagged.

[GlowHost.com]

Or you could just use Spam-O-Matic...

I hope Pedigree does not mind me posting here, but it sounds like he is busy maintaining the code for SFS instead of interfaces to the data that he provides.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=248042

It does all of that without code mods. The 1.x version should be fine for your vB3 boards.

[JesterP]

Originally Posted by Wired1

1. That code was turned into a plugin (by me) a couple of days later, so there's no need to edit anything. Link's in the main post, but here it is again: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=289

2. White page is normal for the time being. Happened after they upgraded the StopForumSpam site. If you get that page, it was successfully submitted.

What a relief. Thank you. Was hoping it wasn't me.

I would think I need to undo those edits before installing the plugin, correct? I don't think it was a lot.....memory fuzzy.

J