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

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

VB4.x Version of Ban Spiders By User Agent

Tested on vb3.7.x, vB3.8.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, Extra logging and statistics added by Ozzy47 (Chris)
18th December 2014 Version 3.1.2 uploaded, due to rogue process from other mod
18th December 2014 Version 3.1.3 uploaded, due to previous one being VB4 mistakingly uploaded

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

[Simon Lloyd]

Just checked the code and it should give you the UA in the mail, here's the code that does it

PHP Code:

$message = "DATE: " .$DateOfRequest ."\n\nUserAgent: " .$_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] . " \n\nhas visited \n\n" . $vbulletin->options['homeurl']
. $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] . "\n\nFound In Your List As " . $bots2[$iz] . "\n\nRegards, \n\nBan Spider Mod"; 


see the bit that says

PHP Code:

\n\nUserAgent: " .$_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] . " 


that should show the useragent!?

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by Simon Lloyd

Just checked the code and it should give you the UA in the mail, here's the code that does it

Yes, I'm dumb. *slaps forehead* I apologize for wasting your time, this isn't the Mod I am looking to get this feature on. I thought this was the thread for the "Is Bot" mod, which doesn't capture the UA.

That mod is not supported and the developer hasn't been online for over a year. Any chance we can add this feature to that one, working via PM?

[Simon Lloyd]

Ok i've pm'd you witb what i think is a solution for that mod

[Midohash]

Hi Simon,

I would much appreciate it having a look on my recent thread regarding an evil obscene banned member keep registering himself in dozens of evil names every day to cause as much damage as possible to the forum:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=289646

I have his user agent strings but afraid to block other innocent members if putting the full strings in Ban Spiders by User Agent product! Would much appreciate your advise.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.0; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0

and

Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 6.0; Trident/5.0)

Many thanks,

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by Midohash

Hi Simon,

I would much appreciate it having a look on my recent thread regarding an evil obscene banned member keep registering himself in dozens of evil names every day to cause as much damage as possible to the forum:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=289646

I have his user agent strings but afraid to block other innocent members if putting the full strings in Ban Spiders by User Agent product! Would much appreciate your advise.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.0; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0

and

Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 6.0; Trident/5.0)

Many thanks,

There's nothing in those strings you can block without affecting 100s of millions of people.

[Midohash]

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

There's nothing in those strings you can block without affecting 100s of millions of people.

ٍBelieve it or not! ... I put the full 2 strings in ban spiders by user agent and in spite of that he had registered again by another evil username!!! ... Surprisingly when I tried to check his user agent for his newly registered account while he is still online I found it obscene words rather than:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.0; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0


!!!!!!!!

He replaced his user agent string by obscene words!

[Midohash]

Just to let you know that the evil obscene guy I am talking about him has registered here by my real name (mohamed hashesh) to continue his disgraceful and obscene behavior!

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by Midohash

Just to let you know that the evil obscene guy I am talking about him has registered here by my real name (mohamed hashesh) to continue his disgraceful and obscene behavior!

So, he is watching you jump through his hoops here, and knows how to spoof his user agent string. (Which, isn't all that hard to do.)

You are giving him just what he wants, attention.

[Midohash]

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

So, he is watching you jump through his hoops here, and knows how to spoof his user agent string. (Which, isn't all that hard to do.)

You are giving him just what he wants, attention.

I have no doubt he is Psycho! ... He spends at least 18 hours watching the forum, just waiting for the moment registration to new members opens again to bombard the forum with dozens of evil usernames! ... Would appreciate it communicating via PM if you have any suggestions

Many thanks

[Simon Lloyd]

Midohash, i'll pm you later with some other way of helping against this.