vBStealth 2.0

vBStealth 2.0
(by Martin64, martin64@vbhackers.com)

[about]

vBStealth is a hack that prevents trouble makers from spreading their stupidity at your board and it does that by hiding their threads, making their posts magically disappear and helping the world by ignoring their pityful private messages. These users are unaware that they are ignored; their threads and posts show up normally when they're viewing them - only admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests are able to see these. Mhuahahah!

vBStealth was initially based on Frank's "Secretly ban a user" hack (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=36205) but is much more advanced and is is taking the idea of putting users on ignore further. This hack makes the secretly banned users even more secret - they have been stealth banned! *LOL*, please forgive me for naming the hack that.

[what it does]

- Threads and posts before the user was banned will show up, but threads and posts after the user was banned will be hidden to everyone but admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests.
- Hides threads in forumdisplay started by stealth users to everyone but admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests.
- Hides posts in showthread by stealth users to everyone but admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests.
- Ignores private messages sent by stealth users.
- Gives the option for moderators to either set a regular ban or a stealth ban in the Mod CP.
- Moderators are able to unban stealth banned users in the Mod CP.
- Skips updating the count post, last poster name and date for stealth banned users in forumdisplay and forumhome.
- Hides stealth users threads and posts when searching to everyone but admins, mods, stealth banned users and guests.

[note]

Make sure to backup your files! I don't want to be held responsible if you lose your two hundred hacks installed.

[important!]

You MUST stealth ban your users from the Mod CP, just changing usergroup in the Admin CP won't add the neccessary timestamp. The same goes for unbanning stealth banned users, you MUST do that from the Mod CP as well for the same reason.
If you have upgraded, you MUST put the users back to the registered group and then stealth ban them, or it won't add the neccessary timestamp.

[credits]

SJR and Xenon, for helping with some code fixes
Frank for creating "Secretly ban a user" which inspired me to work on vBStealth.

[upgrading from 1.X]

Be sure to do what's listed under [important!] above! Also, although not needed, I recommend completely uninstalling 1.X versions before installing vBStealth 2.0, as the file changes have changed for many of the files. If you are to upgrade, be sure to run the query, and go through the file changes very carefully.

[change log]

2.0: Hack now uses timestamps: Threads and posts before the user was banned will show up, but threads and posts after the user was banned will be hidden to everyone but stealth banned users, admins and mods.
1.3: Undid the changes to showthread.php, as it could lead to suspicion among stealth banned users if they communicate (thanks WetWired for the heads up). Also, I changed the code changes to newreply.php, so that it'll work if you have the Store Hack by Lesane installed.
1.2: Small fixes to search.php and newreply.php. New file modified: newthread.php.
1.1: Added changes to search.php as suggested by TECK (thanks ), which hides stealth users threads and posts when searching.
1.0: First release, no changes dummy. :P

[Link14716]

I'm thinking that he means the stealth banned member can view the private forum(s) of the board.

You must deny their access by going to "Forum Permissions" in the Admin CP.

[subu1]

yeah, that was it. Thanks

greetz subu1

its my favorite Hack :-))))

[subu1]

hi Friends , i have a little bug.The User can see the Stealt banned Table in the Showgroups.php. Its not so good, what can i do?

i hope my eng. is ok aranoid:

[Martin64]

That's an option when you create the new usergroup:

Add/Modify Usergroup -> Viewable on Show Groups? Set to "No".

[subu1]

thxx, thats was it, i'm verry stupid

greetz subu1

[Boofo]

This looks like a great hack. Is there a way to make it so you can stealth ban and unban (is that even a word?) from the Admin CP? I'd like to be able to do it from there also.

[Martin64]

Originally posted by Boofo
This looks like a great hack. Is there a way to make it so you can stealth ban and unban (is that even a word?) from the Admin CP? I'd like to be able to do it from there also.

Yeah, you'd have to change admin/user.php and admin/index.php but it shouldn't that be hard. Have a look at the changes for mod/user.php and mod/index.php and you'll see how to do it.

[khat]

Fantastic....

A couple of ideas though. You may want to work on a way to get the "Last Post by" field to show up as the user for the user. I tell you why: If a user realises that while he or she is stealth banned that they don't show up on the Last Post part then detection of a stealth ban will be very fast.
I was thinking that you could add another "lastpost/lastposter" field to the tables, and use that for the admins etc... But I know that would mean a handful of columns and that's not so great...

Another idea would be to add a flag on the posts table to record if the post was made from a user stealth banned at the time. This might also be useful if the user gets un-stealth banned, and all the posts they made during stealth banned status won't suddenly appear.

[Martin64]

Originally posted by khat
Fantastic....

A couple of ideas though. You may want to work on a way to get the "Last Post by" field to show up as the user for the user. I tell you why: If a user realises that while he or she is stealth banned that they don't show up on the Last Post part then detection of a stealth ban will be very fast.
I was thinking that you could add another "lastpost/lastposter" field to the tables, and use that for the admins etc... But I know that would mean a handful of columns and that's not so great...

Another idea would be to add a flag on the posts table to record if the post was made from a user stealth banned at the time. This might also be useful if the user gets un-stealth banned, and all the posts they made during stealth banned status won't suddenly appear.

Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't noticed any stealth banned user at my board discovering this "bug" though.

Anyway, I won't release any new versions of my hacks because of two reasons: 1) vB3 is just around the corner. 2) lack of time.

[khat]

mmm, well I banned two as soon as I installed the hack and within hours they are both complaining that their names aren't on the Last Post by part.

I'll mod it in myself. Thanks