Miscellaneous Hacks - Stop the Registration Bots

Control your vBulletin forum registration process and stop the registration bots.

This mod will check the the time it takes for a vBulletin registration form to be submitted. If the form is submitted faster then humanly possible, the registration will be denied and the admin contact will be emailed about the event. The time is settable

We will start the registration on the forum rules page in two ways. First we will add a custom hidden field with a hash. Second we will insert a randomly named hidden field with a random value. This should make it a bit difficult to program a bot since the field names on all sites will be different as well as the values.

We will use a second set of random hidden fields on the form page as well to add to the confusion.

Time stamps to check the time spent on registration submission are stored in a DB table and private.

A registration will have to come through the Rules page and the form. Every Site will be different.

Installation is very easy.

There are two templates to edit.
One database table is added.
Three hooks are utilized.
Includes uninstall code.
Adds to vBulletin options.
Set time frame option.
Includes Phrases.
Sends Mail to Admin.
No files to upload.
XML product install.
Instructions attached in zip.

Demo usage and view source at http://www.riderinfo.com/

Compatibility
This hack is known to work on vBulletin 3.6.11 PL1 and will likely work back a few versions in the 3.6.x vBulletin series. Of course it works on 3.7.x as posted too.

HISTORY
1.2.2
added admin email on/off setting
moved hook code to files to reduce overhead.
1.2.1
Added Enable/Disable setting.
Fixed coppa includes file probem
Added file upload instructions to readme file.
1.2.0
Added JS timer to registration button.
Added enable/diable for email.
Removed ACP settings for random fields on rules and reg form pages and automated.
Reworded Pharses in ACP.
Recoded rules form and reg form edits.
Renamed variables for better code following.
Added more DB fields per user reg for tracking random automation.
New Hook on start_registration for functions.
Added new functions file. includes/stb_functions.php.
1.0.3
Changed input user name on rules form to random named hidden field with hash value.
Removed \n chars from email phrases.
All changes to registration are transparent to the folks registering.
Renamed DB username field to hash.
New hook on register_signup.
1.0.2
Added new Pre Reg Name hidden field to register form edits and ACP.
Added code to deal transparently with user deciding to change name after pre submitting it.
1.0.1
Fixed typo, changed 36000 to 3600 in product file.
1.0.0
Original Release.

[TheInsaneManiac]

I just want to have it like the original Is Bot where if the registration time is too fast it stops the registration. Is this possible?

[noppid]

Originally Posted by TheInsaneManiac

I just want to have it like the original Is Bot where if the registration time is too fast it stops the registration. Is this possible?

That's in there. It hides the time stamp in a DB table instead of passing it in the post vars or URL.

[Boofo]

Originally Posted by noppid

Let me ponder that while I'm at an appointment this morning. We may need a "start over" link for that. That seems easy enough. Good catch.

EDIT: On second thought, if they change their mind on the name, the bot detection mechanism should be transparent. We likely need another field in the DB.

Also, does it empty the info after the registration is deemed legit, or does the info keep collecting with each registration attempt?

[noppid]

It dumps the info on registration and dumps the table of expired lost records that are 60 minutes or older if any exist.

[Boofo]

Ahh, OK, great! So, are you going to update this with another field in response to my first question? And I can un-install ISBot if I am using this, right? Or do I need both of them?

[noppid]

Originally Posted by Boofo

Ahh, OK, great! So, are you going to update this with another field in response to my first question? And I can un-install ISBot if I am using this, right? Or do I need both of them?

You don't want to use both I don't think. I used the best ideas from that and made them a little stronger. With the ideas ya'll are sharing, we should only need one app once we get all the features sorted.

I'm still tossing around how to handle your Name thing. My best idea is to pass a hash of something from the rules page and then check the DB against that and the name no longer matters.

Or, we should just remove the username input field and display the name already chosen with a note and link. Don't like this username Anymore? Click here to start over. I like this idea best myself.

[Boofo]

Either way would work but I think the hash idea, if done properly, would be a better way to go. If someone registers on a site that has this installed and they also register on sites that don't, they might get confused as to what the name part is all about in that section of the registration process.

[noppid]

Yeah, familiarity breeds contempt. Keep it as similar as possible.

Ok, unique hash coming up. we'll all have a unique name for that hidden hash field too. That'll keep um confused.

[Boofo]

Sounds good. Looking fiorward to it.

[g0dfather1984]

Thank you!