Miscellaneous Hacks - Proxy/Web-Proxy Registration Prevention

Proxy/Web-Proxy Registration Prevention allows to block registrations from most of the Web-proxy/Proxy services. It allows to you to specify count of checked Ports and timeout (max time for respone which system must wait during testing of every port).

Also you can configure product to block all users who have empty HTTP_CONNECTION parameter or who have web-server on his IP with empty Index page (in most cases, that situation reminds Web-proxy).

Product requires "curl" support on forum web-hosting (but currently it is enabled in most web-hostings... except free).

Screenshot with all possible parameters :

Installation :

Just import xml file as usual product. Then configure it via admin pannel in VBulletin Options.

Uninstallation :

Just uninstall product.

Tested on 3.7.3 and 3.8.6 versions. Currently I'am working for adjusting it to VB 4 version.

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Registration process when "Proxy/Web-Proxy Registration Prevention" installed :

1. User must accept usuall Forum Rules (Or so called Users agreement).
2. User will see form with asking to run proxy check with calculated time to wait (time = timeout*count of ports). :

3. After user will click on continue button, system will make needed checks of users's IP. If script will not detect no any proxy, then user will be able to continue registration. If proxy was detected - user will see an error message :

For multilanguage forums :

After installing of "Proxy/Web-Proxy Registration Prevention" product, you will be able to find and edit needed vbphrases :

• settinggroup_preventproxyregs
• setting_preventproxyregs_canblockemptyhttp_title
• setting_preventproxyregs_canblockemptyhttp_desc
• setting_preventproxyregs_canblockemptyserverhttp_t itle
• setting_preventproxyregs_canblockemptyserverhttp_d esc
• setting_preventproxyregs_webproxy_sentences_title
• setting_preventproxyregs_webproxy_sentences_desc
• setting_preventproxyregs_checkurl_title
• setting_preventproxyregs_checkurl_desc
• setting_preventproxyregs_timeout_title
• setting_preventproxyregs_timeout_desc
• setting_preventproxyregs_proxyports_title
• setting_preventproxyregs_proxyports_desc
• setting_preventproxyregs_onoffwebproxy_title
• setting_preventproxyregs_onoffwebproxy_desc
• setting_preventproxyregs_onoffproxy_title
• setting_preventproxyregs_onoffproxy_desc
• preventproxyregs_continue
• preventproxyregs_notification2
• preventproxyregs_notification
• preventproxyregs_isanonsite
• preventproxyregs_isproxy

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(English and Russian language included).

[Hornstar]

What about Singapore users. I believe many of them are on proxy by default.

[Haltech]

This will come in very handy for us. We have two users who continue to re-create a username via proxy and access the site. I hope this helps the situation.

[Haltech]

It detected some proxies and failed at detecting others. Would it be possible to modify it so we could list common proxy webservers on the net and add them to a blacklist?

[LordOfWAR_PC]

Originally Posted by Hornstar

What about Singapore users. I believe many of them are on proxy by default.

Hm, I can add field with allowed CIDR (NetMask), where you will be able to specify some Net Addresses (like 192.168.1.0/24 and e.t.c.), which will not be checked.

Originally Posted by Haltech

It detected some proxies and failed at detecting others.

Are you mean web-proxies (like anonymouse.org or hidemyass.com) ? Or proxy servers ?

If you about web-proxies, then please, post there few examples which was skipped by the script - I want to check them manually. (Or just post there IP's from where your "bad" users still can register).

If you about proxies, then you can increase list of checked proxy ports (by default there is only 3 checked ports - 80,8080 and 3128). But increasing ports list will increase time to wait for normal users (time = timeout*ports count). You can find an working proxy list (and most used proxy ports) there.

Also script are not able to detect special proxies (in this case proxy server will give to the user other IP, which is not same as proxy server IP).

You also can enable two options which is disabled in the down of options list. This will also increase security, but sometimes there will be some normal users who will be blocked too.

Originally Posted by Haltech

Would it be possible to modify it so we could list common proxy webservers on the net and add them to a blacklist?

Script just checks users IP, so if you want to ban some proxies, you can add proxy IP's into your IP black list.

For example if you have proxy list :

209.159.147.197:80
66.197.164.213:80
216.46.129.159:3128

So, you can add them into black list there (without ports) :

[Trip3151]

I get a database error when some one trys to register

maybe that Working url (please, enter URL with permanent content) : is wrong? not sure I added my sites URL

[LordOfWAR_PC]

Originally Posted by Trip3151

I get a database error when some one trys to register

maybe that Working url (please, enter URL with permanent content) : is wrong? not sure I added my sites URL

If you are not sure, then leave all settings include vbulletin.com as it was by default.

1. Install the product.
2. Enable first two options (to enable plugin).
3. Check if all working. If not, then make sure that your web-hosting have enabled "curl" support (but I still don't understand why there is DB error, probably you entered some settings incorrectly).

Script do not make any changes in your DB, no any queries and e.t.c.

[ctrlbrk]

Developer - Can you clarify whether or not hidemyass and anonymouse are supported by your plug-in (blocked)?

Second, would it be possible to use a cron job instead of "holding" the user in a timeout pattern while checking real-time? Simply have a cron job which runs every 1m, 5m, 30m whatever and then moves the user into a special usergroup class for example so they cannot use the forum and they receive a notice that proxy's aren't supported (notice manager - show notice to this usergroup class).

[Trip3151]

Originally Posted by LordOfWAR_PC

If you are not sure, then leave all settings include vbulletin.com as it was by default.

1. Install the product.
2. Enable first two options (to enable plugin).
3. Check if all working. If not, then make sure that your web-hosting have enabled "curl" support (but I still don't understand why there is DB error, probably you entered some settings incorrectly).

Script do not make any changes in your DB, no any queries and e.t.c.

Done all that and I get a Mysql time out error I had to unistall it but it works I use hide my ass and a few others and the script picked it up! shame that I get this time out error

[LordOfWAR_PC]

Originally Posted by ctrlbrk

Developer - Can you clarify whether or not hidemyass and anonymouse are supported by your plug-in (blocked)?

Yes, they are supported (blocked). Any web-proxies what I checked was blocked without problems. If you will find some new which will be skipped, then just write a list of them there.

Also all proxy-servers like (192.168.1.1:80) which users can add into web-broswer settings, will be blocked if they use standart ports (80,8080,3128), also you can add your own ports in plugin settings.

Originally Posted by ctrlbrk

Second, would it be possible to use a cron job instead of "holding" the user in a timeout pattern while checking real-time?

Hm, I am doubt that PHP have something for this. In any case it will be needed to wait in real time, but the question - just wait, or make it as AJAX request and show to the user some picture or something else during checking.

P.S. Of course it is possible, but for this we must have our own server, where we can launch some other program, written on C++ or so, which will get users from DB and make checks. It will be transparent for users, but it will be separate program for the server, not just an plugin for VB).

Originally Posted by ctrlbrk

Simply have a cron job which runs every 1m, 5m, 30m whatever and then moves the user into a special usergroup class for example so they cannot use the forum and they receive a notice that proxy's aren't supported (notice manager - show notice to this usergroup class).

Also if we will make checking for proxy even after registration, every 1,2,5 mins, then probably it is not very nice idea, because every time server will make many requests to its users, so if you will have many users, then there can be situation, when server will be overloaded.

Originally Posted by Trip3151

Done all that and I get a Mysql time out error I had to unistall it but it works I use hide my ass and a few others and the script picked it up! shame that I get this time out error

Ok, let's find solution. Can you pls tell me, which VB version do you have ? Maybe there is some others mods for registration installed ?