Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Multiple Account Detection & Prevention

It happens all of the time. Some members will make multiple accounts to back their own opinion or get an extra vote in a poll. Here's a modification that will detect and prevent multiple accounts, as well as notify the administration about multiple accounts. Inspiration for this modification came from the work of MPDev (creator of the Multiple Account Login Detector) and randominity (creator of the Multiple Account Registration Prevention). This is basically a combination of those two modifications but with new and improved functionality.

This is not an update to the "Multiple Account Login Detector (AE Detector)" nor is it an update to the "Multiple Account Registration Prevention." If you have either one of these (or both of them) installed, you should uninstall them before installing this modification.

With the initial release of Multiple Account Detection & Prevention, I believe that I have fixed previous bugs/complications as well as improved the efficiency and logic of the code. This is my first publicly released modification. I would appreciate any comments and suggestions!

Confirmed! This works perfectly on all vBulletin 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 versions.

Unfortunately, I cannot give support right now. I may be able to help periodically, but until my schedule yields some more free time, I won't be much support. Please check back in a week or two.

Basic Details
File Edits: None
Template Edits: None
New Files: 6
Hooks/Plugins: 3
Global Phrases: 36
Install Time: 2 Minutes or Less
Install Difficulty: None, Very Easy

Features and Settings
- Login Detection
- Registration Prevention (Multiple Methods)
- Ignore Child Accounts
- Ignored Users
- Ignored Usergroups
- Ignored ISPs
- Prevention Usergroup
- IP Address Based Prevention
- Extended IP Address Prevention
- IP Address Time Inclusion
- Banned Account Check
- Primary Banned Usergroup
- Cookie Expiration Time
- Cookie Refreshing
- Cookie Name
- Cookie Reset
- Multiple Account Reporter
- Reports via PM
- PM Report Recipients
- Reports via New Thread
- Forum for Report Threads
- Verbose Mode
- BB Codes: LIST, URL, CODE

How it Works
With every newly recognized login/registration, an account-counting cookie is set (or added onto) with the member's User ID. Depending on the settings, Multiple Account Detection & Prevention will analyze the cookie during login/registration to see if there are any multiple accounts.

Login Detection offers cookie-checking and reporting. Registration Prevention offers the same thing, plus more advanced features. First of all, when it prevents an account from registering, it actually moves the registrant to the Prevention Usergroup so that the administration can review the case. This also allows for customized privileges for recognized multiple registrants. Registration Prevention also has IP address detection which finds out just as much information about users. Depending on an administrator's preference, this modification can also reban a new registrant if one of their previous accounts has been banned. In fact, if the administration wishes, multiple registrants can simply be denied registration all together.

Whenever there is a detection/prevention, the modification will report the information to the administration through private messages, a new thread, or both (depending on settings). The Multiple Account Reporter can be any valid user.

Known Issues
- vB Optimise users: Reporting via thread seems to get messed up by vB Optimise, so try reporting via PM instead.
- PhotoPost vBGallery users: The registration handling appears to not work properly when PhotoPost vBGallery is enabled.

From what I can tell, these known clashes have been caused by the other modification's coding. The author of vB Optimise will not even work with me to fix it. Until they improve their coding, I'm not sure if I can do anything about these issues. As far as I know, administrators that do not use the above modifications will not have any problems.

Installation / Upgrade
Unzip the package (madp.zip), upload the files to your forum location, and import the product file (allow overwrite if upgrading). Please read the ReadMe.txt file that is packaged with the modification for more information.

Please remember to mark this modification as installed if you use it!
If you like it, nominate it for the Mod of the Month!

Thank you!

[Alan_SP]

Originally Posted by Kiros72

Okay guys... Umm... I know that a lot of you are a bit ticked off at me since I've been so inactive in the development of this modification and support for it, but I'm trying to get back on the horse now. I have resumed development of Multiple Account Detection & Prevention and I will be returning to this thread on a much more regular basis.

Excellent, thank you. :top:

If you could also (there are many suggestion, mine too) take a look how to integrate evercookies?

[Vick98]

Could this be updated for 4.x.x

[HMBeaty]

Originally Posted by Vick98

Could this be updated for 4.x.x

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=557

[Kiros72]

Let me make a note of something.

Originally Posted by FreshFroot

That is a lie.

I just talked to the owners at DBTech and they stated they are willing to give their files to you to get it to work properly.

Maybe they did this earlier off, but right now they have their hands full and are letting you take care of it.

This? This is an example of lying out of favoritism. When a person likes one thing (be it a person or a modification for forum software), said person will typically defend it, even if it comes down to intentionally providing misinformation. Now I know vBOptimize is an awesome modification and it beats the hell out of mine, but try to have a little decency here.

I have directly asked Deceptor three times now for help in trying to resolve the conflict between my mod and vBOptimize. Have I received any messages from Deceptor or DBTech asking for my cooperation in resolving this? No. Any responses to MY requests? Nope.

FreshFroot didn't contact me either, hence why this affectionate message was posted in the first place.

Originally Posted by DragonByte Tech

Just popping in to confirm that we are indeed happy to give access to the necessary files, and that the author of this mod has never been told otherwise by anyone at DBTech.

Further - as normal post reporting works perfectly fine with vBOptimise the issue must lie within a change to that process cause by this modification - it's not something vBOptimise has "broken".

Iain

Just popping back to confirm that I was never informed of anything at all by DBTech or by Deceptor. The problem here is that you were willing to post here, saying that I wasn't told `otherwise` when a fan attempts to label me as a liar before you tried to contact me even once. I would have loved to find a message in my inbox from DBTech or Deceptor, but as it stands I have not.

If you're willing to work with me, contact me via PM. The sooner, the better. If a solution is found, I will release a new version with the fix included so vBOptimize users can use MADP and vice versa without any conflict.

[mapleleaffans]

Excellent Excellent Mod! Installed and marked as installed! Thank you very much!

[Taurus MFF]

installed on 4.1.3. reporting is working fine but detected multiple accounts are not being moved to the specified user group. settings are correct.

any suggestions why this function is not working correctly?

[Markos]

doesn't work for me only detects once in a blue moon even tho i know ppl come on using the same pc's and laptops

[DragonByte Tech]

Originally Posted by Kiros72

Let me make a note of something.



This? This is an example of lying out of favoritism. When a person likes one thing (be it a person or a modification for forum software), said person will typically defend it, even if it comes down to intentionally providing misinformation. Now I know vBOptimize is an awesome modification and it beats the hell out of mine, but try to have a little decency here.

I have directly asked Deceptor three times now for help in trying to resolve the conflict between my mod and vBOptimize. Have I received any messages from Deceptor or DBTech asking for my cooperation in resolving this? No. Any responses to MY requests? Nope.

FreshFroot didn't contact me either, hence why this affectionate message was posted in the first place.



Just popping back to confirm that I was never informed of anything at all by DBTech or by Deceptor. The problem here is that you were willing to post here, saying that I wasn't told `otherwise` when a fan attempts to label me as a liar before you tried to contact me even once. I would have loved to find a message in my inbox from DBTech or Deceptor, but as it stands I have not.

If you're willing to work with me, contact me via PM. The sooner, the better. If a solution is found, I will release a new version with the fix included so vBOptimize users can use MADP and vice versa without any conflict.

Deceptor is no longer the coder of vBOptimize (nor has he been for over 6 months).

For those wondering we have never turned down a request for access to the files. While I cannot vouch for Deceptor, I can say that the official DBTech vb.org account, DBTech emails and the personal accounts of the DBTech owners at dragonbyte-tech.com have never received a request for the files.

I should also note that you never responded to my post here in this thread, which is unsurprising since you seemed to flat out abandon the mod for several months.

It seems to me like you are trying to shift the blame onto us because you dropped off the radar and stopped updating your mod for 5 months or so, which strikes me as rather cheap and petty.

Regardless, the offer still stands: if you would like access to the files feel free to drop me a PM or an email and i'll get them sent over to you =)

Iain

[CK]

Originally Posted by Markos

doesn't work for me only detects once in a blue moon even tho i know ppl come on using the same pc's and laptops

It's rather trivial to defeat depending on the settings you're using for detection.

For example perhaps you only detect via IP - Use a proxy
Perhaps you detect by cookie - clear your cookies

Maybe you have both settings enabled - use a proxy and clear your cookies.

Some of your users may be wise to the detection methods.

[Alfa1]

Originally Posted by DragonByte Tech

Deceptor is no longer the coder of vBOptimize (nor has he been for over 6 months).

For those wondering we have never turned down a request for access to the files. While I cannot vouch for Deceptor, I can say that the official DBTech vb.org account, DBTech emails and the personal accounts of the DBTech owners at dragonbyte-tech.com have never received a request for the files.

I should also note that you never responded to my post here in this thread, which is unsurprising since you seemed to flat out abandon the mod for several months.

It seems to me like you are trying to shift the blame onto us because you dropped off the radar and stopped updating your mod for 5 months or so, which strikes me as rather cheap and petty.

Regardless, the offer still stands: if you would like access to the files feel free to drop me a PM or an email and i'll get them sent over to you =)

Iain

What do you mean 'access to files'?
How does giving access to files alone mean that you are willing to fix the problem? I do not understand this 'If you want to fix it for us, then we will provide you access' attitude.
I'm sorry if I am misunderstanding you but as I see it there is an issue with either your product or this addon and it needs the effort of both you and Kiros to resolve it. So just giving access to the files effectively means that you are not willing to participate in resolving it.
Please correct me if I am understanding this wrong. I have been trying to purchase your product for over a year now and together with others we have repeatedly asked you to try resolve this.
Instead of fixing the issue, we are seeing an unprofessional quarrel for a year that does not reflect on your company in a positive manner. I've noticed posts about this on various websites.
Please take into account that Kiros is providing a free service here on vb.org