Miscellaneous Hacks - NoSpam! - an alternative to CAPTCHA images

This hack is for vBulletin 3.6.x. For 3.5.x, please use the one provided in this thread. If you are using 3.7.x, you must use the one in this thread.

This simple hack is meant as a replacement for the default CAPTCHA system in vBulletin. There are two main reasons one might want to do this: firstly, new technology is constantly being developed to crack CAPTCHA images and make spam accounts anyway, and secondly, the more secure the CAPTCHA, the more difficult it is for genuine users to tell what the numbers in the image are. There is also the issue of visually impaired users, and the fact that not all servers are capable of generating CAPTCHA images.

So what does this hack do instead? It asks a question. Any question you want. That's the best part: YOU make up the questions, which means that every forum is unique, which means that it is impossible for spambots to be simply programmed to bypass it at all forums with the hack installed. You can make one or many questions - if you make many, the hack will pick one at random when a guest attempts to register, search, post or send mail through the Contact Us form. Their input is compared with your specified answer, and voil?, if they get it right they're pretty much guaranteed to be human. If they get it wrong, they're given an error message.

It doesn't have to be a complicated question. Heck, you can just make it "Please type 'blah' into this box." Or you can go with inserting a simple image with HTML and ask what is shown on the image. Or you can ask them to tell you two plus two. It's up to you. In fact, this can also be used as a means of forcing people to read the rules by asking for a certain password found there, or if your forum focuses on a specialized subject, ask a question concerning the subject that all your genuine users will be able to answer, but a random troll or "CAPTCHA-sweatshop-reader" will be scratching their head over.

It's simple to install, too: just one product to import, and that's it.


VERSION HISTORY:

3.0: Added functionality to allow users to specify which pages should use NoSpam!.
2.0: Extended the NoSpam! functionality to guest posts, guest searches and guest "Contact Us" in addition to registration.
1.1: Made template edit automatic (with thanks to Cole2026), added ability to have more than one answer to each question, and made answers case insensitive. To upgrade, I recommend undoing the template edit so you won't have to worry about it anymore (replace $nospamfield in the template register with $imagereg, or if you added $nospamfield above $imagereg, just remove $nospamfield altogether), and then reimport the product through the Admin CP (making sure that Allow Overwrite is set to On).
1.0: Initial release.


INSTALLATION:

Please download NoSpam!.zip, not product-nospam.xml, for the tested version. product.nospam.xml is NoSpam! 4.0 adapted blindly to 3.6, i.e. by editing the XML file for the 3.7 version without actually testing it on a 3.6 board. Theoretically it should work, but I cannot guarantee it at this time. If you download NoSpam!.zip and unzip it, it will contain another file called product.nospam.xml, which you should use.

1. Import product-nospam.xml through the Admin CP product manager.
2. Go to your vBulletin options in the Admin CP and select NoSpam! Settings. Once there, turn the system on and input your questions and answers according to the instructions there.

The system should now be functional and running.


UNINSTALLATION:

Just uninstall the product through the Admin CP.


SUPPORT:

Full support will be given here in this thread. All suggestions are welcome.

Thank you and please click "Mark as Installed" if you like it.


If NoSpam! is not working for you or you are looking for something a little different, you might want to check out Advanced Textual Confirmation.

[richier]

Originally Posted by dartho

There in may lay the problem - there is no "$imagereg" See template code below:

I added in a $nospamfield just above this, and it all came togther - thanks!

			<if condition="$show['regimagecheck']">
			<fieldset class="fieldset">
				<legend>$vbphrase[image_verification]</legend>
				<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0">
				<tr>
					<td>
						$vbphrase[enter_text_image_right]
					</td>
					<td rowspan="2"><img src="image.php?$session[sessionurl]type=regcheck&amp;imagehash=$imagehash" alt="$vbphrase[registration_image]" width="201" height="61" border="0" /></td>
				</tr>
				<tr>
					<td><input type="text" class="bginput" name="imagestamp" size="50" maxlength="6" /><input type="hidden" name="imagehash" value="$imagehash" /></td>
				</tr>
				</table>
			</fieldset>
			</if>

I have tried everything and I can't get the mod to work. VB 3.5.4

I instlled the mod as directed and followed the directions listed above and it never shows up.

I really want to stop the spam. I get 10-15 new spam members per day

[Smoothie]

Originally Posted by richier

I have tried everything and I can't get the mod to work. VB 3.5.4

I instlled the mod as directed and followed the directions listed above and it never shows up.

I really want to stop the spam. I get 10-15 new spam members per day

Cause I think this is for 3.6, maybe.

[richier]

Originally Posted by Smoothie

Cause I think this is for 3.6, maybe.

Look on page 3 theres a mod for 3.5 :alien:

[Smoothie]

Originally Posted by richier

Look on page 3 theres a mod for 3.5 :alien:

Well, go re-read page 3 again. Nobody got it to work w/ 3.5.x.

[richier]

Originally Posted by Smoothie

Well, go re-read page 3 again. Nobody got it to work w/ 3.5.x.

Yes they did by adding a line in the register temp. go read then come back

[makaiguy]

Haven't had a single new spammer registration since installing NoSpam!

I managed to find the pieces for doing this in 3.5.4 by scouring the whole thread. But to save some of the rest of you some trouble:
INSTALLING IN VERSION 3.5.x

1. Download from here:
   https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....6&postcount=36
   
2. Modify 'register' template per this post:
   https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....6&postcount=40

Don't forget to actually turn it on in the options (accessed via your vb options) in addition to enabling the plugin.

[Top Nurse]

Think I am came up with a simple solution to our Spanish/English forum as the hack doesn't allow for a translation of questions in vB. We just add the same question in Spanish to each English question and use the two different answers the hack can utilize. Then it doesn't matter what language the reader is using.

[Red Matrix]

Installed easily, turned it on, had fun with the questions! Great hack.

I find it keeps out the dummies, too.
How many continents are there?:7:seven
GMT stands for Greenwich _ Time:mean
How many letters in this question?:28
Four squared divided by 2, then add 2:10:ten
What's the cube root of 27?:3:three

[Smoothie]

Originally Posted by Red Matrix

Installed easily, turned it on, had fun with the questions! Great hack.

I find it keeps out the dummies, too.

LOL

[Smoothie]

A suggestion for future versions, not sure if it could be implemented or how hard it would be, but this would bust the bots balls for sure. After say "X" number of tries (configured in the admin cp of course) at answering the questions and not getting any of the tries correct, the user/bot/spammer gets locked out of the registration page. Just like users who try to login with a wrong username or password.