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

[imported_silkroad]

What are the MOTM rules?

Is it ethical and acceptable to "rally everyone to vote"?

Like most people here, we are perfectly capable of voting and do not appreciate "spam-type" of posts telling us what we should vote for, when we should vote, and what we should do and whom we should promote.

It seems like a form of "mind control", which, personally, I find offensive.

In other words, community building is "a great thing", but there is also "a small thing" called ethics and not spamming :-)

[skippybosco]

@imported silkroad: point taken and I apologize for any offense, certainly not intended.

As not all members are aware that motm exists, or that their favorite mod has made it to the list, messages like mine help serve as a means to inform. As the original message was posted almost 2 weeks ago and has been bumped up over ~2 pages, there are a number of visitors/users of the Mod that have not / will not see it.

I personally was excited to see my favorite Mod doing so well in the polls and wanted to share the good news with the community that helped get it there. My post was intended to be a satirical rally (hence the "in all seriousness"). The humor was apparently lost in the delivery.

Originally Posted by imported_silkroad

What are the MOTM rules? Is it ethical and acceptable to "rally everyone to vote"?

As far as ethics goes, I don't personally believe that 2 posts in 2 weeks for a contest that runs 4 weeks justifies calling to question ethics, but that is just one guys opinion.

To answer your question, as outlined in the rules, the coder of the Mod (ie. Pedigree) is not allowed to solicit nominations. If the Mod makes it to the poll, the Coder is allowed to post one link within the Mod thread. There are no guidelines limiting the community.

To remove any confusion or distraction, however, my post above has been updated to reflect its original intent.

[pedigree]

And to add, Ive not solicited any votes, here or on the stopforumspam.com (where I could do so, within the rules) site or asked anyone to do the same as I dont want to risk any infringement and get removed

Shall we leave it at there and wait to see what happens at the end of the month?

[skippybosco]

agreed.

[Kat]

As someone who comes to this board infrequently, I was glad that the MOTM info was posted in this thread, otherwise I would not have known about it. This mod has made my life so much easier and I was very happy to vote for it and the coder.

I won't say anymore as I realize you are trying to let this die down (and understandably so) but I did have to say that I, for one, am glad it was mentioned, and mentioned more than once.

[pedigree]

Either way, pro or con, Im extremely flattered that I got nominated with thanks to the people using the mod, and very thankful that people have voted for it as well.

[imported_silkroad]

Better...

It takes away from "the greatest" of the mod when it is reduced to a "get out the vote" cheap contest.

When people like the mod, they can easily vote on it, but to overhype it like some cheap "let's make sure we win" simply distorts the process.

I like this mod -- but frankly it starts to look "cheap" when people find is necessary to spam the board with this type of overt marketing. That is why I posted. It is simply offensive to be told how to act and behave by others.

Just let the mod win, or not, based on the merits of the mod, not some spam / overtly influence the vote effort.

Then you can be proud you did the right and ethical thing.

Thanks.

[Kat]

I am not a sheep. Being told to vote does not make me vote. And frankly I do not feel like anyone on this thread did tell me to vote.

[pedigree]

Im going to try to push this thread back to what its here for, to support the mod and to discuss the various painful ways in which we would all like spammers to die in.

agreed??

[Kat]

Agree...... and sorry for the sidetrack.