Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vbStopForumSpam - known spammer lookup for new registrations

vbStopForumSpam

This provides access to a RBL type system for forum admins, listing known spam IP / email / usernames. The RBL database is provided by www.stopforumspam.com. You do NOT need an API key from the website in order to access the database. only to submit data if you should wish to do so.

At the point of user registration, the mod checks if the IP number / provided username / email addresses appear on a block list and can block the registration.

Whilst this isnt the most perfect way to stop all forum spam, its another step that spammers have to overcome.

VB4 here https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...hreadid=230921
Its the same code, it works in 3.54 to 4.0


What it does

It checks with a remote database of known forum spammers. Their IP number, email address and forum username are tested and based on your configuration, you can reject / log / accept user registrations based on what you get back.

This version doesnt have
- whitelisting or the ability to submit users to the database but it will within the next week.
- automatic user deletion / post / PM purging. There are good tools out there already, this does something else.

Instructions are included in the installation.txt file - PLEASE read it first and dont forget to actually upload the files in the upload folder, otherwise it WILL kill your registration progress and you wont see the log file options in admincp. You do not need to download the product-vbstopforumspam-3.54.xml file unless you are using a vBulletin version older than 3.6.0

Changes to vB
- 3 new database tables
- 2 database table alternations
- No new templates.
- 2 Hook (register_addmember_process & register_addmember_complete)

Ive tested it but had feedback that it works with versions as old as 3.6.2... Support should go back to older versions, as long as they have hook support for register_addmember_process / register_addmember_complete

Known to work - tested by me
- vBulletin 3.6.8 on Apache 2.2 / PHP 5.1.2 on Linux using cUrl
- vBulletin 3.7 Gold on Apache 2.0 / PHP 4.4.3 on Windows without cUrl (template changes wont work on 3.7 - thats in the next version with auto template changes)

For code to submit spammers to the database, check this post for code changes
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=288

Reported in the thread to work
- 3.6.1, 3.6.2, 3.6.9, 3.6.10, 3.7.0, 3.7.1, 3.7.2, 3.7.3, 3.74, 3.80, 3.81, 3.82, 3.83, 3.8.4, 4.0beta3

If you have 3.54, then you can use the product-vbstopforumspam-3.54.xml file attached instead of the one in the ZIP file, which will allow older vBulletin versions to access this mods' features. I personally havent tested this version, its a user contribution, thanks to Darrell Mobley, that changes the way the XML works when imported into older versions.

Installers should remember to refresh their ACP navigation window when they first install it so they can see the new log file menu item.

REQUIRES MySQL 4.1.1+

Future versions
- Automatic integration into vBulletin to add users to the stopForumSpam.com database from a form
- Whitelisting of username / IP / email addresses
- AJAX integration to allow for lookups from within the users profile
- Decreased remote query count from three per user to one per user.

Versions / Changes

0.1 Initial Release

0.2 pedigrees special brew birthday release.
- Small security update. If you have 0.1 installed, download 0.2 and replace your existing functions_vbsfs.php with the one in the archive. It just tests to see if its running inside the VB framework before anything else. This is what happens when you code at 2am after drinking wine

0.3
- stopped it processing valid registrations twice
- moved all non-function code into the plugin. Not a big one as 0.2 basically did that
- fixed a typo in the log pruner that stopped it working (404)
- removed unused fields from the database for people with mysql that doesnt support varchar > 255 (ie mySQL4). If you have 0.2 installed and dont need to prune your logs just yet, you dont really need to install this version but can instead wait for 1.0 unless of a massive security update.

0.4
- logs registrations that arent/wouldnt be blocked
- fixed XML errors when username has a space it in
- tightened up the cache so that it doesnt test a username against an email name to give a bypass result (for when a username is an email address that isnt banned where the email address is)
- fixed some basic logic errors in the PHP

0.6
- Should work on PHP 4.4 now - rewrote the XML with PHP4 in mind (tested on Apache2.0/PHP 4.4.3)
- Fixed a caching system where data wasnt being updated correctly which could cause a remote query when one wasnt needed
- Possible false negative situation when a spammer was blocked due to SFS.com being down who then visited again when it was up but within the cache expiry time
- Remote query failure when the result page isnt XML should work a bit better now. It does a very basic test for valid XML results.
- Fixed log purging (again) and it should actually work properly now.
- No longer requires PHP5
- The log viewer now links to a user profile when registration is allowed.

v0.61 - Removed a template change that was invalid vBulletin code. The package you download will still say its 0.60 however

NB : When upgrading from any version to 0.6, you must remove and then add the plugin due to changes in one of the database tables

You need to have an API key from www.stopforumspam.com in order to submit data, its free and easy to get... You DONT need an API key in order to use this mod however, only to submit spammer data.

Issues are
- The usergroup permissions / view details etc DONT work. I jumped the gun and put the permissions controls in there before I put the code in. Please delete the includes/xml/bitfield_vbstopforumspam.xml file and rebuild your postbit

Installation
- Follow the instructions in the zip file, that includes upload the correct folders
- ONLY download the 3.54 xml file if youre using a vbulletin version prior to 3.6.0. use this file to install the mod instead of the xml file in the zip file.

Please click Installed

[R34GTT]

Sorry if this has been answered before, but I dont fancy reading the 73 pages of posts to find out!

I installed this a few weeks ago after an influx of spam registrations. All seemed to install fine with no issues.

It then came to my attention that other admin were being emailed saying they can not register. Not only that, when I go in to the logs to see if any have been 'caught' and shows as no results.

Is this an issue on vb 4.x or is it something stupid which ive not done. Im getting loads of ear ache from the mods on the forum now.

Thanks!

[z0diac]

vb 3.8.6

Uploaded files.
Went to import xml and go this:

vBulletin Message

XML Error: Empty document at Line 1

------------

- not showing up in AdminCP -> vBulletin Options -> vbStopForumSpam
- not even showing up in installed products

EDIT: Re-installed again and it imported fine. Not sure what happened first time 'round. Will continue to check it out and see how she goes. Cheers.

[Fuzzy Orange]

Does this work on 4.1.2?

[Stefan118]

Does anyone know how to erase the data?
I installed this mod last night, and allready there are 317 log entries!

Is there a simple way to delete this data from the database?

[gr8dude]

I've installed this on 3.6.0; in case someone is in the same situation as myself - I will share my experience.

The description says it is "reported to work in 3.6.1"; and that the 3.54 XML must only be used for versions prior to 3.6.0. I interpreted that as "great, it works in 3.6.0".

The XML itself, on the other hand, indicates 3.6.2 as a minimal version. I edited that to 3.6.0, attempted to install it again - all went well.

I ran a few tests - the behaviour is as expected.

So I can say that it works in 3.6.0, though I believe I will need a bit more time to make sure everything is flawless.

I hope this 'manual intervention' will not cause the universe to fold upon itself, and that a dinosaur won't come out from under my desk to eat me.

If someone is aware of some issues between this plugin and 3.6.0, please po

NO CARRIER

[Arkham]

Originally Posted by gr8dude

NO CARRIER

ATS11=1

[JamesC70]

Originally Posted by Stefan118

Does anyone know how to erase the data?
I installed this mod last night, and allready there are 317 log entries!

Is there a simple way to delete this data from the database?

AdminCP -> Statistics & Logs -> vbStopForumSpam Logs -> Delete

It's directly below the option where you view the SFS logs. :up:

[SamirDarji]

Originally Posted by gr8dude

...between this plugin and 3.6.0, please po

NO CARRIER

Wow, I haven't seen this happen since the old days of BBS chat.

[SamirDarji]

Originally Posted by Arkham

ATS11=1

I forgot what that one was and had to look it up. I used to know all the Hayes commands from memory. I would've done an atdt and check if the call waiting was disabled. That would knock off a modem every time.

[rob4448585]

Added this mod to my 3.8.1 board.

Everything works great, catches and logs spammers trying to sign up.

Only issue I have is when I go into the log and sort it by IP address it throws a database error

Database error in vBulletin 3.8.1:

Invalid SQL:

		SELECT * FROM vbstopforumspam_log AS logs
		
		ORDER BY ip ASC, date DESC
		LIMIT 0, 15;

MySQL Error   : Unknown column 'ip' in 'order clause'
Error Number  : 1054
Request Date  : Saturday, March 12th 2011 @ 12:22:11 AM
Error Date    : Saturday, March 12th 2011 @ 12:22:11 AM
Script        : http://forums/admincp/vbstopforumspam.php?do=view&pp=15&orderby=ip&page=1
Referrer      : http://forums/admincp/vbstopforumspam.php?do=view
IP Address    : 
Username      : 
Classname     : vB_Database
MySQL Version : 5.1.49-log

Any help with getting this resolved?