Miscellaneous Hacks - Enhanced Captcha Image Verification - stop bots from signing up!!

Title : Enhanced Captcha Image Verification

Version : 1.1

Coder : Andy Calderbank & Jason Williams

Purpose : Add extra Image Verification to the registration process, using an alternative system to the Captcha system.

Why : It would appear that spammers can now "read" the Captcha codes and overcome the verification process.

How : This extra feature uses images which are harder for a spam program/bot to interpret than text characters. The user has a choice of 4 randomly displayed images, and the answer is given below. The user must click on that image to proceed, if the incorrect image is selected an error message is shown. The images are randomly shown (from however many are in the directory - you can have as many as you want, just has to be more that 4!) and are automatically created from the images/verification/ directory - all on the fly. Sample images are included with this release, but you can use your own - I recommend using 100 x 100 pixels, in .jpg format and naming the image with a meaningful title (ie A House.jpg) - the extension is stripped so only the filename itself is shown.

To further enhance security, the images are passed through a script which means that none of the images on the screen have file names - and cannot be associated to the question by title alone.

I have been testing this on my forum and have found it to be effective - I cannot guarantee that this will stop all spamming, but this relies more on human input than a computer "reading" the image.

Important : This has been tested on 3.6.2 - I cannot guarantee it will work on anything above, please test with caution - and as always BACKUP FIRST! This will not work on anything below 3.6.0.

Demo : http://www.steadiforum.com/register.php

I hope this is help to the VBulletin community as I know this is a growing problem. I don't fancy the thought of trawling through hundreds of new members deleting stupid usernames and spam posts.

Installation :

1. Upload the verification/ directory to your images/ folder - make sure .htaccess and show.php are present - otherwise it won't work.
2. Import Product - product-image_verification.xml

Upgrading :

1. Upload show.php to the images/verification/ directory.
2. Import Product - product-image_verification.xml - select Allow Overwrite to enable upgrade.

Requirements : GD Libraries installed

File uploads : 39 (including images)
Files to Import : 1
New Templates : 1
New Phrases : 5
Uses Hooks : 1
New Queries : 0

History :
v1.0 - Original release
v1.01 - Slight code change for forums in sub-directories (thanks go to Barakat for solving this one)
v1.1 - Issue resolved with Windows servers also template clean up for xhtml compliance
v1.11 - Added version check function, minor upgrade.

Done - if you like please click install! (and I won't ask for any donations as long as you click Nominate for MOTM!)

Don't forget you don't have to use the provided images - you can customise these to any you wish - I've used ones that are hopefully universal and everyone will recognise.

[GNeRaL]

Doesnt working correctly:

[steadicamop]

Working on this one - I used a clean install of 3.6.4 and have the same problem, will get back with an update very soon.

[TheBlackPoet]

that worked!!!! thank you for sticking to it and solving the issue!! now i feel like my site is more secure....!!!

[muttt]

thanks very much for being so attentive to the issue!

[steadicamop]

Originally Posted by GNeRaL

Doesnt working correctly:

It looks like you don't have GD Libraries installed, the images are processed through that for security reasons - unfortunately at this point there's no way around it - if you run your own server it's possible to get this installed fairly easily or maybe ask your ISP if they can install it for you.

Sorry I can be of more help.

Jason

[steadicamop]

You will need to check if you have GD installed - you can check this in the AdminCP -> Maintanence -> View PHP Info then scroll down and find GD - image attached to show if it is installed and working.

This is a requirement of the script to secure the images from being read.

[muttt]

Originally Posted by steadicamop

You will need to check if you have GD installed - you can check this in the AdminCP -> Maintanence -> View PHP Info then scroll down and find GD - image attached to show if it is installed and working.

This is a requirement of the script to secure the images from being read.

Yup, installed and working for me.

[omsa]

I would like to install this but I don't see show.php anyplace in my tree. What is it, how do I get it, and what location should it be in?

Thanks!!!!!

[NiTRoN]

Originally Posted by omsa

I would like to install this but I don't see show.php anyplace in my tree. What is it, how do I get it, and what location should it be in?

Thanks!!!!!

show.php should be in same directory as your "verification" folder is..

/forum-root/images/verification <-there you should have .htaccess and show.php and all the images used for verification.

[cavyspirit]

Based on your research, what's your opinion of this hack: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=124828 which asks an admin-defined, forum-specific random question? Which way is better to go. Can/should we install both?