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

How does it work?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=381

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

Tested on vb3.7.x, vB3.8.x , vB4.x.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, Hook changed extra logging and statistics added by Ozzy47 (Chris)
18th December 2014 Version 3.1.1 uploaded, prevented spiders being counted when mod turned off.
17th December 2014 Version 3.1.2 uploaded, due to rogue code from another mod
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

[Bengie]

Thank you gentlemen. I did the import and 3.0.2 is now showing in my 'Installed Products', is that all I have to do, is it now active?

I might be almost 70, but how embarrasing, WOL = Who's On Line, sorry, should have seen that.

[ForceHSS]

Originally Posted by Simon Lloyd

Force there isn't any files to upload , simply go to Admincp>Plugins & Products>Product Manage Products>import new product and thats it, if you don't have a previous version there is no need to check the overwrite radio button.

WOL = Who's On Line

was thinking of another plugin, really should sleep more lol

[Bengie]

Wonderful stuff, I can't thank you enough, and for the install instruction as well.
Baidu was creating havoc on my forum, sometimes there were around 30 at the same time and now there are none.

I have voted this mom and recommend the writer is taken out for a beer or 3.

Installed and working fine. (vb 4.1.5)

[Simon Lloyd]

Originally Posted by Bengie

Wonderful stuff, I can't thank you enough, and for the install instruction as well.
Baidu was creating havoc on my forum, sometimes there were around 30 at the same time and now there are none.

I have voted this mom and recommend the writer is taken out for a beer or 3.

Installed and working fine. (vb 4.1.5)

I'll be round to colect those beers

Glad it's working as you expected!

[gigawiz]

Can you modify this mod so as the output.txt file is stored in a folder of your choosing which can then be CHMOD for read/write access, I don't like the idea of having my entire forum folder having that sort of access.

Unless I am missing something of course :P

Epic mod/hack this thanks very much.

marked as installed.

gigawiz.

[Simon Lloyd]

Your entire forum folder isn't being given "that sort of access", it's simply one text file all restictions that all your other files have are and have never been unchanged, if i get time (really bogged down with working 2 jobs at the moment) i'll add a custom box so that you can set where the file is written but if you CHMOD that to read only then how can it write to it?

The contents of the output.txt do not give any information about your site that you cannot get from browsing your site or its users, the fact that it's just bot information makesit even less desirable info

Glad you like the mod

[victorvu]

Simon:

thank you for this awesome mod. It works like a charm.

However, I am receiving this below and If I do not want them to visit my webiste, what else can I do ? Is there a way to ban them when they type in the domain namẻ

DATE: 11-04-2011 14:58:13

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Baiduspider/2.0; +http://www.baidu.com/search/spider.html)

has visited

http://kieumau.net/index.php/forum/f...E1%BA%A3?ltr=F

Found In Your List As Baidu

Regards,

Ban Spider Mod

Installed, voted and nominated.

Victor

[Simon Lloyd]

Don't worry that you are getting notification, they have many many ip's, they are getting redirected before your forum, thread or post that they request loads, you get notofication of the thread they attempted to call.

So in a nutshell Victor, the mods working great, relax and worry not

Edit: You don't need to use the full UA to ban them, you can simpy use Baidu in the list and that will do the trick, using the full UA means you are only banning anything that visitis with that entire UA so if they use one thats slightly different they'll get through but using just Baidu will trap them all!

[Simon Lloyd]

Victor, you should also upgrade to the very latest version 3.0.2

[victorvu]

Originally Posted by Simon Lloyd

Don't worry that you are getting notification, they have many many ip's, they are getting redirected before your forum, thread or post that they request loads, you get notofication of the thread they attempted to call.

So in a nutshell Victor, the mods working great, relax and worry not

Edit: You don't need to use the full UA to ban them, you can simpy use Baidu in the list and that will do the trick, using the full UA means you are only banning anything that visitis with that entire UA so if they use one thats slightly different they'll get through but using just Baidu will trap them all!

Simon:

Thanks for the info .

I look through a list of 20 emails and found out that the duration for each email was 4 minutes consistantly. So, they must automated the access and record the results if any. That is why if somehow, as soon as they enter the domain name, the redirect will take them to a sex website for example. Before I have 5 spiders on my site 24 hours a day. I donot know why they target my website.

It is working awesome with your mod.

Thanks again.

Victor:up: