Anti-Spam Options - vbStopForumSpam

vbStopForumSpam

Mod of the month winner October 2009.... That cant be bad :up:

Apologies in advance, this is a copy of the 3.6/3.7/3.8 mod that has been verified to work in 4.0 (its so that I dont get a billion PMs asking if it works in 4.0)

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.

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.

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

For code to submit spammers to the database, check this post for code changes
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=288

Reported 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, 4.0 Gold, 4.2pl1,2

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+

There is a small mod, coded by Wired1 that will allow you to submit spammer details to the database from the admin control panel, here https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=289 This relies 100% on javascript being enabled and makes no tests that it is enabled.

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 the file upload the correct folders.

Please click Installed

The original thread is at https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=176481 where there is a wealth of knowledge about the mod, please ask questions in there.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by kylek

Installed on a site running 4.0.2 patch level 1 - new install.

This is one of the ones that seems to be getting through;

KIClarence 2010-03-25 11:50:39 kiclarence@gmail.com 123.236.164.24 Allowed registration KIClarence 2010-03-25 11:50:39 kiclarence@gmail.com 123.236.164.24 Result on field email - kiclarence@gmail.com [REMOTEERR] Unverfied but allowed by policy KIClarence 2010-03-25 11:50:39 kiclarence@gmail.com 123.236.164.24 Result on field ip - 123.236.164.24 [REMOTEERR] Unverfied but allowed by policy KIClarence 2010-03-25 11:50:39 kiclarence@gmail.com 123.236.164.24 Result on field username - KIClarence [REMOTEERR] Unverfied but allowed by policy


Manual check via stopforum spam shows email ip, name, etc is in the database. This is just one of the ones that are getting thru to the site and registerring, why are they not blocked?

I think the key is in this part:

[REMOTEERR]

If I'm not mistaken, that's telling you you were unable to connect to the database. I assume you have it set to approve if that happens, which is what I'd recommend. If you prefer, you could set it in options to NOT approve if you can't connect to the database.

[kylek]

I installed this on a friends site and its hosted by GoDaddy (yuchh) so will see if I can get a hold of their crappy support and see why the connection is not being made.

[El Orans]

I like this hack a lot.

The only issue I've found on vB 4.0.2 so far that incidentally it displays a few records in the log that user ABCD has been allowed to registrate but then fails to actually create the account.

Has anybody else encountered this issue?

[rollerman]

This seems to have stopped working, or at least isn't working as effectively, since I installed PL4. Any chance that patch might be affecting the performace of this hack?

As a for example, today I got this spammer. Same user name, same IP. Not the same e-mail, but the same @electronnics.info domain. Shouldn't two out of three nabbed this spammer?

[rollerman]

Originally Posted by rollerman

This seems to have stopped working, or at least isn't working as effectively, since I installed PL4. Any chance that patch might be affecting the performace of this hack?

As a for example, today I got this spammer. Same user name, same IP. Not the same e-mail, but the same @electronnics.info domain. Shouldn't two out of three nabbed this spammer?

Anyone? Some help here, please.

[DBStattoo]

nice work perfect on my vb 4.0.2 patch level 4 :up:

[Mastergumble]

Originally Posted by rollerman

Anyone? Some help here, please.

So far no problems here...

[vitoreis]

Mod of the month nomination! Thanks man.

Untill now no problem... 10/15 spammers blocked by day

[Cadellin]

Fantastic mod but I've had to disable it to allow Facebook Connect to work. Could you perhaps add the option to make an exception for Facebook users?

[Mastergumble]

Originally Posted by Cadellin

Fantastic mod but I've had to disable it to allow Facebook Connect to work. Could you perhaps add the option to make an exception for Facebook users?

I did a few tests with 4.0.3 Facebook connection without disable this mod and didnt got any problem.

What issue you getting with it enabled?