Miscellaneous Hacks - Ban Spiders by User Agent

What this mod does
With this mod you can enter User Agents to watch or ban, you can also recieve emails or have an Output.txt created and updated with time and date of visits. It doesn't just have to be spiders, you can watch, log or ban any useragent!

How to install
Simply import the product ban_spider, the mod is active by default but none of the other options are turned on.

What is a UserAgent?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent

Understanding a UserAgent string
http://user-agent-string.info/parse

Genuine User Getting Blocked?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=105

Tools to help
http://whatsmyuseragent.com/SwitchingUserAgents.asp
http://www.botsvsbrowsers.com/SimulateUserAgent.asp

FAQ
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=137

How does it work?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=381

What's a bot?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spambot

How do i ban a bot?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=318
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....7&postcount=51

Where's output.txt located?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=216

Bad bot lists
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=259
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=224
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=281

Tested on vb3.7.x, vB3.8.x , vB4.x.x but should work on any version.

__________________________________________________ __________________
Special thanks to:
Lior
KH99
BoP5
for helping me sort out a few issues

...and beta testers
ForceHSS (Special thanks to Force for latest testing)
ozzy47
GreyHost

If you use this please mark as INSTALLED

History
9th June 2011 Orginal xml added
12th June 2011 Added both email notification and text file logging
22nd June 2011 Version 2.0.0, Added create thread on activity

1. Added match facility you can now use something like Yandex and it will match MOZILLA/5.0 (COMPATIBLE; YANDEXBOT/3.0; +HTTP://YANDEX.COM/BOTS)
2. Added clickable link to visited thread

22nd September 2011 added user redirect url selection
08th October Beta testing started for thread creation.
20th October Beta testing started for emailing.
21st October Beta testing complete Ver 3.0.0 uploaded
29th October minor fix added to cope with empty userid on thread creation
30th October Beta testing automatic redirection to spiders/bots IP
31st October New xml uploaded with automatic redirect to IP
25th November Minor fix for blank forumid fixed
26th November 2011 Fixed version check & create thread Off by default
17th December 2014 Version 3.1.0 uploaded, Hook changed extra logging and statistics added by Ozzy47 (Chris)
18th December 2014 Version 3.1.1 uploaded, prevented spiders being counted when mod turned off.
17th December 2014 Version 3.1.2 uploaded, due to rogue code from another mod
The Bad Bots list is now included in the product
Please prune out all those that you wish to be able to see your site (i suggest you definately prune out "DA" and "Custo" :

Support will now only be given to those who have this mod marked as INSTALLED

[nikosb]

Installed....works great

[markoroots]

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASEEEEEEE HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

I have setted the plugin to redirect to the ip of the bots there are in the list, but it redirect everyone to the own ip, so the site is from today inaccessible.
How can I delete manually the plugin from ftp for a while??

Thanks in advance

[MarkFL]

Originally Posted by markoroots

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASEEEEEEE HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

I have setted the plugin to redirect to the ip of the bots there are in the list, but it redirect everyone to the own ip, so the site is from today inaccessible.
How can I delete manually the plugin from ftp for a while??

Thanks in advance

Download your file "includes/config.php" and add this to the top, right below "<?php":

PHP Code:

define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true); 


Then go into the AdminCP and disable the mod, then comment out the line you added to config.php to re-enable your plugin hooks.

[markoroots]

Magic Mark!
Really thank you... I was waiting this answer like water in the desert...
Thanks... I'm trying.

[markoroots]

Wow MarkFL you rock!!

Really many thanks you really save me... All the day that no one was understanding what was going on.
This bug would be resolved....

Thanks again Mark I wish you all the best.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by markoroots

I have setted the plugin to redirect to the ip of the bots there are in the list, but it redirect everyone to the own ip, so the site is from today inaccessible.

Using Cloudflare by any chance?

What's happened here isn't a bug in the Mod, it's something unique to your site.

[markoroots]

Hi Max, no I don't use Cloudflare, but I have only set the option to let redirect the bot to their own ip but then no one was able to reach the forum, everyone was treated like bot.
So if this is never succeeded with no one maybe is my forum...

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by markoroots

Hi Max, no I don't use Cloudflare, but I have only set the option to let redirect the bot to their own ip but then no one was able to reach the forum, everyone was treated like bot.
So if this is never succeeded with no one maybe is my forum...

Must be something you shouldn't have, in the ban list I would think.

[markoroots]

Then quite sure..
because I added "Mozilla" to make a test in that list.
Thanks for the info.
But another thing we have seen that this app is using really more cpu.
Is this normal? And if yes, why?
We had to disable it to reduce the cpu load because have an high increment when is active.

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by markoroots

Then quite sure..
because I added "Mozilla" to make a test in that list.

And that caused the entire problem.

But another thing we have seen that this app is using really more cpu.
Is this normal? And if yes, why?
We had to disable it to reduce the cpu load because have an high increment when is active.

I've never seen this Mod cause high CPU load, but I imagine it might be able to do so depending on the settings, and the items in the list you're using.