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

[skippybosco]

@El Orans: That path should be changed to what is relevant to your vB install and whether you changed the path of your admin control panel such as:

http://yourdomain.com/vb/admin/vbstopforumspam.php

Alternative, assuming you have stopforumspam installed and working:

1) log into your admin control panel
2) look for the sidebar on the left side and scroll to the bottom (Statistics and Logs)
3) Expand the "Statistics and Logs" section
4) You should see a "vbStopForumSpam Logs"

[techtir]

We only launched on 10th Oct
Spammers building up to 5 a day.. Load of porn posted this morning and 7 new possible spammers.

I started using geo ip to check IPs and found http://www.stopforumspam.com/

Which led me back here

Installed no problem on VB 3.8.4 patch1

Working fine (tested with a good email and a bad one from www.stopforumspam.com ) and when I checked the log it had blocked a really spammer too.

I turned off checking user names. On 18 out of 20 checked manually there was email match. 2 had similar kinds of email and had spammed us. 14 matched on user name.

Great Job.

At the current stage what is best thing to to next to report the scammer/spammers?

[zeloreo]

Great Mod. I voted for you for motm

[pedigree]

Originally Posted by techtir

At the current stage what is best thing to to next to report the scammer/spammers?

There is a small mod by Wired1, taken from code I posted, that allows you to report users from the admincp/user page. hardly the best method for bulk removal/reporting but its two clicks to report something. The mod can be installed just as any other, import a XML file. This will allow you to submit spammers on a per user basis (and requires javascript sry) and is here

The current version on my machine allows you to select multiple users and submit them in bulk. It also has geoIP built in for registration denial based on country.

[Alfa1]

That sounds very interesting pedigree. Thanks for developing this. I'll surely install 0.7

[pedigree]

Thank you for the votes

[pedigree]

Originally Posted by Alfa1

That sounds very interesting pedigree. Thanks for developing this. I'll surely install 0.7

I wonder why sometimes as I dont run a board anymore. I think its because I just hate spammers that much.

[techtir]

I have two suggestions:

1) On the extra XML that adds a Report Box under the User's main details, I would only display it if the user is in the Banned Group (easy extra if )

There is a small mod by Wired1, taken from code I posted, that allows you to report users from the admincp/user page.

Installed. Thanks.


IPs can be shared. But a working email address is REALLY going to be the scammer/spammer. Oh the beautiful irony.

I don't check user names, but IP and email Address.

2) Rather than just a text view of the log, put it in a form.
The log/checking should show status of each of the items you asked to check, not just one.
It should have "Check and add" button, so if new user name, ip, address combination (or any new item) you can check and add. I manually check the email and add all details if no email match, or no matching username or IP for that email address.
It should also have a "Pass, Put into awaiting registration, send email button" to clear false positives. Known because you know or have verified the email is OK.


I don't see an Inline hook so important. I'd only want "considered" reporting via AdminCP as present if a spammer slips in (so far after two days this is great)

[mmurtha]

Hey Pedigree,

It's about time you and your Mod got the attention each deserves.

Congrats on the amount of votes you are accumulating for Mod of the Month!

Hope you win it this time, you deserve it ...


Mary


Btw I think we can all say we're very glad that you hate spammers that much.

[techtir]

Originally Posted by pedigree

There is a small mod by Wired1, taken from code I posted, that allows you to report users from the admincp/user page. hardly the best method for bulk removal/reporting but its two clicks to report something. .

I've uninstalled the reporting feature as it was causing intermittent loss of the menu / frameset. I'd get only the main part of page as entire web page.

I'm simply not getting spammers through now anyway.. so Reporting registered users isn't an issue..