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

[rasp187]

This is an awesome plugin. Just by implementing it yesterday has trapped over 75 spammers. I love it. I'll definitely use it every time I install vBulletin for a forum. Excellent work.

[Arsh]

any one had issues with the plug in stopping non-spammers? I had a complain from a user who couldn't register. I tried registering myself and couldn't do so. Then I disabled the IP check hoping that would work. That worked alright - I've had about 20+ spam registrations today Anyone have any idea how to fix that?

[Arsh]

Originally Posted by Arsh

any one had issues with the plug in stopping non-spammers? I had a complain from a user who couldn't register. I tried registering myself and couldn't do so. Then I disabled the IP check hoping that would work. That worked alright - I've had about 20+ spam registrations today Anyone have any idea how to fix that?

I tried again just now:

Registration denied. We check new registrations against a database of known forum spammers. At this time, we are unable to contact this database to verify your registration. We are sorry for the inconvenience but please do try again later.

[qubed]

i have encountered the same thing as arsh - i had to completely uninstall the plugin in as it was preventing any users from registering even if their address/ip was not banned or part of the stopforumspam ips/addresses.

any idea on what has caused this?

[J105C]

Originally Posted by qubed

i have encountered the same thing as arsh - i had to completely uninstall the plugin in as it was preventing any users from registering even if their address/ip was not banned or part of the stopforumspam ips/addresses.

any idea on what has caused this?

Last Update: 06 May 2009

Perhaps it's outdated lol

[pedigree]

Working as it should, you need to read more about what the mod does.

If a person cant register, then check your logs and find out why. If theyre registering from AOL, then no surprise. Check the stopforumspam.com site for the users listing.

There is an option to set an expiry "timeout" - If you want people registering from old "expired as you say" addresses, then set the expiry period to 30 days.

No where does any spam / filtering system guarantee no "collateral damage"

You can disable fields that it tests on.

You can create the user manually in the admincp

You can tell the user that theyre coming from a spam friend ISP

You can uninstall the mod

[pedigree]

Originally Posted by qubed

any idea on what has caused this?

Your config?

How about, I dont know, posting a log or something when you have an issue. I can not be expected to know your config or why something as vague as "why did it not work"

[mattwmc2001]

I just noticed all these registration attempts by goofy names, however not one has got through.

I use human verification ( a question that must be answered) so I don't think spam bots can get through that.

Just some advice for others.

[Wired1]

They can't by themselves, however they can still capture the various questions and then a human can add them to the bot so next time they'll get through.

[Thomas P]

I like the idea that 0.7 an admin can submit the data of a spammer to the stopforumspam.com database via ACP.

Ideally also moderators should be able to add spammers to the database after banning them in vb ModCP.