Anti-Spam Options - Rename register.php by BOP5

Brought to you by BirdOPrey5 / Qapla.com

It's great when you stop spam bots during registration but this mod gives you a chance to stop them BEFORE they even attempt to register.

I have received multiple reports from people who say their "register.php" was getting hammered with spam requests- so much so it was like a denial of service attack. Even if they disabled registration they would waste so much resources their site was slow or worse- had to be taken offline.

What this mod does is allow you to rename the register.php file- my theory is many of the vBulletin spamming bots are hard coded to look for register.php. Using a unique name will throw them off, at least for a while.

To manually change the name of register.php would have meant dozens, maybe hundreds of manual edits to files and templates previously.

This mod makes it as simple as possible. At worst you will need to edit 2 phrases and 1 file, and some people don't need to edit anything at all.

Compatible with VB 3.8.x (and 3.7, and 3.6 probably too) and all VB 4.x.x versions.

Basic Instructions
1) Import XML File
2) Go to mod settings in Admin CP
3) Rename your register.php file via FTP or some other means- make it a unique value but only use basic letters, numbers, underscores, or hyphens. Something like "joeregister999.php"
4) In the mod settings, set the value of register.php to the new file name you chose.
5) If you require email verification during registration follow the next setting in the Admin CP and edit the phrases listed (activateaccount and activateaccount_chnage phrases in Email Body)
6) Finally, if you use Facebook Connect on your forum make the manual file edit of class_bootstrap.php as instructed.

Now enjoy your new filename for register.php, I hope it reduces server load and spam in general.

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Please "Mark as Installed" if you use this.
Donations always appreciated. :up:
Nominate MOTM if you LOVE it!

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Note- if having problems sending activation codes or other Admin CP related activities use the solution in post #197.

[BirdOPrey5]

register.php shows up in a number of phrases but it is only the email body phrases that need manual updating, the other phrases all get replaced at runtime as needed.

[cgraye]

Thanks for this. I installed it a couple of days ago and it worked fine.

[smirkley]

You know, this mod is working well on two fronts for me.

1 - A way of preventing "register.php" from being used by bots.

2 - A real good honeypot when combined with the other mod, "really fast registration", and turning off registration at the vb oem level.

Saweet!

[BirdOPrey5]

Originally Posted by cgraye

Thanks for this. I installed it a couple of days ago and it worked fine.

Thanks. Please click the "Mark as Installed" in the first post when you get a chance.

[CAG CheechDogg]

Holé Molé ! ...Marked as installed and thank you for this great mod if I haven't said so before. Love it!

[icona]

great mod, installed!
Now I have to test it for a few days to see if it stops spam, but I'm sure it do it very well!

thnak's!

[Bubble #5]

Ever since this hack has been installed I've noticed that new registrations come through WITHOUT birth dates.

Is there a way to correct this?

[BirdOPrey5]

Originally Posted by Bubble #5

Ever since this hack has been installed I've noticed that new registrations come through WITHOUT birth dates.

Is there a way to correct this?

I can't replicate the issue, I just did a test registration on my forum and the birth date is showing in the profile fine.

Are you sure it is this mod and and not my "Really Fast Registration" mod you are talking about?

[Bubble #5]

I don't use Really Fast Registration.

BTW, I can't replicate it either, meaning, whenever I try to register I come across the birth date section and can't get past it. I've also tried registering on my phone, same thing. Yet everyone else seems to breeze right through the birth date section

I've just noticed that every registration since this has no birth date showing. I'm trying to track down why this is. At first I thought it was some sort of backdoor registration (like the vB install folder issue) but I don't have a install folder so that couldn't be it. There's one other thing that it might be, but if anyone else notices that you have new registrations that have no birth date (ACP > Users) please post here.

[smirkley]

I use this mod, as well as RFR.

But I use it differently. My new members dont have the birthday field filled, as RFR doesnt require it at all. But I have regular registration shut off, with Rename of register.php. I use the rename to eliminate some of the predestined bot traffic to the register page, and by shutting off regular vb registration, the renamed register page just becomes a honeypot error page.

Not one spammer since doing it this way, and an increase of registrations by real people.
(may not last long, but then again, what does anymore lol)