Miscellaneous Hacks - Enhanced Image Captcha - Stop bots from signing up!

Title : Enhanced Image Captcha

Version : 2.2b

VB Versions : Currently working and tested on 3.8.4 (as of Dec 2014)

Coder : Andy Calderbank & Jason Williams

Purpose : Add extra Image Verification to the registration process, using an alternative system to the Captcha system.

The Enhanced Image Captcha system is a unique system using images versus text to stop spammers signing up to your forum. The script automatically detects images and uses the filename as the title, making adding new images extremely simple. To further improve security, the images are passed through a script which means that none of the images on the screen have file names - and cannot be associated to the question by title alone - and cannot be viewed by trying to access the images directly.

Please note, there is a .htaccess file within the images directory, to keep security tight, this must be kept, without it bots are able to scan the images and make a match, I understand not every server can utilist .htaccess but cannot get around this.

Important : This has been tested on 3.7 and 3.6.2 - as far as I know this should be backwards and forwards compatible.

My thanks go to all the guys who have helped with this, all the suggestions and feedback, all has been take on board and where necessary included in this new version - members in particular are : King Kovifor, Danny.VBT, Lynne and RCK.

Also thanks to ogameclub for the Turkish translated version.

I must thank Opserty too for their hard work in making me understand where I was going wrong!!

New features from original 1.11 release!!

Admin settable options:

• Number of images to display
• Path to image directory (so you can change if you prefer)
• Resize image between 50% - 150% of original image
• Number of images to display before a line break (see History)
• Enable/Disable

Demo : http://www.steadiforum.net/register.php

I hope this is help to the VBulletin community as I know this is a growing problem. I don't fancy the thought of trawling through hundreds of new members deleting stupid usernames and spam posts.

Installation :

1. Upload show.php to your forum root directory (or wherever register.php is).
2. Upload the images/verification directory, this can be moved to the forum root or have the verification name changed, but needs updating in the Enhanced Image Captcha AdminCP options.
3. Import Product - product-enhanced_image_captcha.xml
4. Make sure that you check that the Images Path is correct in AdminCP -> VBulletin Options -> Enhanced Image Captcha.
5. You can also select how many images and what size from the original you would prefer.

Upgrading:

1. Import Product - product-enhanced_image_captcha.xml - overwrite if necessary.
2. Set any options you need in AdminCP -> VBulletin Options -> Enhanced Image Captcha.

Upgrading from v1.xx :

1. Remove the images/verification directory and all images inside.
2. Uninstall the product - Enhanced Captcha Image Verification - important for phrase and template removal!
3. Upload show.php to your forum root directory (or wherever register.php is).
4. Upload the images/verification directory, this can be moved to the forum root or have the verification name changed, but needs updating in the Enhanced Image Captcha AdminCP options.
5. Import Product - product-enhanced_image_captcha.xml - overwrite if necessary.
6. Make sure that you check that the Images Path is correct in AdminCP -> VBulletin Options -> Enhanced Image Captcha.
7. You can also select how many images and what size from the original you would prefer.

Requirements : GD Libraries installed

File uploads : 53 (including images)
Files to Import : 1
New Templates : 2
New Phrases : 15
Uses Hooks : 1
New Queries : 0

History :
v2.0b

• Original Beta release

v2.1b

• Added Enable/Disable Option
• Also added Turkish Translated version
• Added new image page

v2.2b

• Bug Fix : Opera browsers, any number over around 8 images disappears over side of screen, added number of images before line break function to stop this happening

Don't forget you don't have to use the provided images - you can customise these to any you wish - I've used ones that are hopefully universal and everyone will recognise.

[kemical]

Thank you, installed and working great!

Is it possible to add my own custom made images into this mod? Are there any particular formatting or settings in my image editor I should pay close attention to?

[Fred.]

Installed

And thanks for the dutch translation Masterme

[Fred.]

Some bots come true this...

They always click on the first image

/register.php?clicked=1

if image 1 is the right one there in.

[NeitherSparky]

Originally Posted by Fred.

Some bots come true this...

They always click on the first image

/register.php?clicked=1

if image 1 is the right one there in.

Using IsBot too helps with this.

[Oblivion Knight]

Thanks, using a combination of this and IsBot, as well as using reCAPTCHA..

Hopefully this will help, already had an advertising bot sign up on a 2 week old forum!!

[Fred.]

Originally Posted by NeitherSparky

Using IsBot too helps with this.

Originally Posted by Oblivion Knight

Thanks, using a combination of this and IsBot, as well as using reCAPTCHA..

Hopefully this will help, already had an advertising bot sign up on a 2 week old forum!!

I already use IsBot and reCAPTCHA.

Level 1 : Enhanced Image Captcha
Level 2 : IsBot
Level 3 : reCAPTCHA

With these three levels i can stop the most bots, but some come true.

[street tactic]

This is an excellent modification & very well thought out. I did though have to uninstall it due to the images not showing, I went through all the trouble shooting processes normally associated with tracking down an issue up to and including uninstalling & reinstalling. GD is installed, files are uploaded, show.php is within the correctly spelled verification folder. For whatever reason though, after working perfectly and being in use during a few registrations it no longer showed the images.

This was on 3.8.2, currently I've installed NoSpam! and running recaptcha to have both image verification as well as questions/answer. Thanks again though, would've been a great way to fight those damn spams.

[Oblivion Knight]

Originally Posted by Fred.

I already use IsBot and reCAPTCHA.

Level 1 : Enhanced Image Captcha
Level 2 : IsBot
Level 3 : reCAPTCHA

With these three levels i can stop the most bots, but some come true.

Try this modification aswell:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=208088

BotScout Register Check.

[vidar808]

I wish that I could ban users or block users IP's for a set amount of time, automatically, if they get the image incorrect a number of times.

[abdulbasitsaeed]

Originally Posted by street tactic

This is an excellent modification & very well thought out. I did though have to uninstall it due to the images not showing, I went through all the trouble shooting processes normally associated with tracking down an issue up to and including uninstalling & reinstalling. GD is installed, files are uploaded, show.php is within the correctly spelled verification folder. For whatever reason though, after working perfectly and being in use during a few registrations it no longer showed the images.

This was on 3.8.2, currently I've installed NoSpam! and running recaptcha to have both image verification as well as questions/answer. Thanks again though, would've been a great way to fight those damn spams.

I must agree, that I am having the exact problem as mentioned above and it seems to have started after an upgrade to 3.8.3.