Trace and log user actions...

This hack was requested by ossi69 and John Mac.

This is a pretty simple hack that allows you to track and document a user's
actions while they are logged into your board. Every click made by the user
makes a brand new entry in a log file. The log file entries include, username,
IP address, date and time, and the URL clicked on. The user actions are
documented even before the user has a chance to see the page he clicked on.

Templates affected by this hack: none
Tables affected by this hack: user
Files affected by this hack: global.php, admin/user.php

Execute the following query to create a new field in the user table:

alter table user add trace smallint(5) unsigned DEFAULT 0 NOT NULL;

You also need to create a brand new directory in your forums directory by
the name of tracelog. You need to make sure that your give the appropriate\
read/write permissions to this directory so that the http server on your
host can create files in there.

Here is a sample output:

Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:31:30, /forums/index.php
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:31:36, /forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=9
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:31:42, /forums/showthread.php?threadid=143901
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:31:51, /forums/rules.php
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:31:53, /forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=9
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:32:07, /forums/showthread.php?threadid=143901
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:32:11, /forums/index.php
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:32:15, /forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=103
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:32:28, /forums/showthread.php?threadid=225576
Zed, 192.168.1.101 , 2003-04-28 18:32:38, /forums/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=4112

Note:Go to this post to download the directory protection file for this hack.

[WEForums]

Is it possible (I am almost positive it is) to track individual users selected by admins? I ask this because currently WEForums has 23,000+ members so it isn't exactly something I'd want to install. Additionally, hundreds sign up per day.

So how hard would it be?

[Intex]

WEForums - by default nobody is traced. You select the users you want to trace in the AdminCP.

[cYbercOsmOnauT]

Nice one!
/me clicks on install.

Sad that there is no function to show the logs via ACP. Anyways nice security hack!

[WEForums]

Thanks, Intex.

I have installed this now...and while everything works...there is one exception. Once I clicked the "Show all traced users" log, I get ALL usernames who have registered. Sure, may not be a problem, you think...but considering it just froze up my PC because it was loading 23,100+ names...I don't think it's very good.

Showing records 1 to 23169 of 23169. Click username to view forum profile.

Strange though...anyone else having this problem? I don't think I did anything wrong, but I will check again...

[Intex]

I'm personally not experiencing that particular problem, but then again I've got nowhere near that many members .

[WEForums]

Nope. Followed instructions perfectly.

Perhaps it is to do with the miserable hack or the country hack. I noticed in the DB query part there is two hacks there. Perhaps those are it?

[Intex]

ZZed - is there any way you can include guests in the trace logs? The reason I ask is because I want to keep an eye on actions taken by people who aren't registered yet.

[WEForums]

I fixed my problem.

I was tampering with the code and this seems to work. (Although not sure about the userid = part. Guess it stays blank...)

if($bbuserinfo['usergroupid']==1) {
  if ($handle = fopen("tracelog/Guest.log", 'a')) {
    $location=$DB_site->query_first("select location from session where userid = $bbuserinfo[userid] order by lastactivity 

desc limit 1;");

    $ztime = strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", time());
    $data = sprintf("%s, %-15s, %-19s, %s\n", Guest, $REMOTE_ADDR, $ztime, $location[location]);
    fwrite($handle, $data);
    fclose($handle);
  }
}

Put that above

if($bbuserinfo[trace] == 1) {

I am going to assume tracking an entire group would be just like the above, right? Then just replace Guest with whatever name... Perhaps useful for tracking a group you are nearly going to ban.

[quinte]

A lovely hack -

ALAS.....
Allthough everything seems to be intact - for one or other reason when editing a user's profile in the adminCP (tick the option to trace) - it will not save.

Clicking on the 'list users who are being traced' likewise indicates that there are none!

Any help on this problem will be appreciated - as it is a very useful hack indeed!

(Using VB 2.2.9)

[Zzed]

Today at 06:44 AM quinte said this in Post #59
A lovely hack -

ALAS.....
Allthough everything seems to be intact - for one or other reason when editing a user's profile in the adminCP (tick the option to trace) - it will not save.

Clicking on the 'list users who are being traced' likewise indicates that there are none!

Any help on this problem will be appreciated - as it is a very useful hack indeed!

(Using VB 2.2.9)

check your PM's.