Miscellaneous Hacks - Enhanced Image Captcha - Stop bots from signing up!

Title : Enhanced Image Captcha

Version : 2.2b

VB Versions : Currently working and tested on 3.8.4 (as of Dec 2014)

Coder : Andy Calderbank & Jason Williams

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

The Enhanced Image Captcha system is a unique system using images versus text to stop spammers signing up to your forum. The script automatically detects images and uses the filename as the title, making adding new images extremely simple. To further improve 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 - and cannot be viewed by trying to access the images directly.

Please note, there is a .htaccess file within the images directory, to keep security tight, this must be kept, without it bots are able to scan the images and make a match, I understand not every server can utilist .htaccess but cannot get around this.

Important : This has been tested on 3.7 and 3.6.2 - as far as I know this should be backwards and forwards compatible.

My thanks go to all the guys who have helped with this, all the suggestions and feedback, all has been take on board and where necessary included in this new version - members in particular are : King Kovifor, Danny.VBT, Lynne and RCK.

Also thanks to ogameclub for the Turkish translated version.

I must thank Opserty too for their hard work in making me understand where I was going wrong!!

New features from original 1.11 release!!

Admin settable options:

• Number of images to display
• Path to image directory (so you can change if you prefer)
• Resize image between 50% - 150% of original image
• Number of images to display before a line break (see History)
• Enable/Disable

Demo : http://www.steadiforum.net/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 show.php to your forum root directory (or wherever register.php is).
2. Upload the images/verification directory, this can be moved to the forum root or have the verification name changed, but needs updating in the Enhanced Image Captcha AdminCP options.
3. Import Product - product-enhanced_image_captcha.xml
4. Make sure that you check that the Images Path is correct in AdminCP -> VBulletin Options -> Enhanced Image Captcha.
5. You can also select how many images and what size from the original you would prefer.

Upgrading:

1. Import Product - product-enhanced_image_captcha.xml - overwrite if necessary.
2. Set any options you need in AdminCP -> VBulletin Options -> Enhanced Image Captcha.

Upgrading from v1.xx :

1. Remove the images/verification directory and all images inside.
2. Uninstall the product - Enhanced Captcha Image Verification - important for phrase and template removal!
3. Upload show.php to your forum root directory (or wherever register.php is).
4. Upload the images/verification directory, this can be moved to the forum root or have the verification name changed, but needs updating in the Enhanced Image Captcha AdminCP options.
5. Import Product - product-enhanced_image_captcha.xml - overwrite if necessary.
6. Make sure that you check that the Images Path is correct in AdminCP -> VBulletin Options -> Enhanced Image Captcha.
7. You can also select how many images and what size from the original you would prefer.

Requirements : GD Libraries installed

File uploads : 53 (including images)
Files to Import : 1
New Templates : 2
New Phrases : 15
Uses Hooks : 1
New Queries : 0

History :
v2.0b

• Original Beta release

v2.1b

• Added Enable/Disable Option
• Also added Turkish Translated version
• Added new image page

v2.2b

• Bug Fix : Opera browsers, any number over around 8 images disappears over side of screen, added number of images before line break function to stop this happening

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.

[masterme]

@jwashburn: Strange, I updated mine last week (vista) and it shows 2.0.0.16. Maybe language related?

@lok:
Are the imagepaths correct? You can check that by rightklicking the red cross and see what the right URL should be. Than check if the images are indeed in that folder.

[lok]

http://forums.legendsofkesmai.com/show.php?1 is what the first one is pointing to.

http://forums.legendsofkesmai.com/register.php


show.php is in the root and the images are in the \images\verification folder.

@lok:
Are the imagepaths correct? You can check that by rightklicking the red cross and see what the right URL should be. Than check if the images are indeed in that folder.

[csavern]

i am having same problem get the boxes with red x and when i change the path to the images i get a blank screen any one know how to fix ?

[csavern]

This Mod Still Supported ?

[columbusgeek]

great concept. I look forward to seeing if this will work for me.

[mark99]

Finally got around to upgrading from v1.1 on my 3.7.2 PL1 forum, followed the upgrade instructions to the letter but the system doesn't work. It's installed fine (2.2.b), the images are uploaded and the image path is correct but when I click 'Register' on my forum it just goes right to the rules page and then the normal registration, there's no image choice check like there was in v1.1.

Also, when I try to call show.php directly I get this (not sure if it's meant to show this or not):

Warning: imagecreatefromjpeg() [function.imagecreatefromjpeg]: gd-jpeg: JPEG library reports unrecoverable error: in [path]/show.php on line 22

Warning: imagecreatefromjpeg() [function.imagecreatefromjpeg]: 'images/verification/' is not a valid JPEG file in [path]/show.php on line 22

Warning: imagecreatetruecolor() [function.imagecreatetruecolor]: Invalid image dimensions in [path]/show.php on line 27

Warning: imagecopyresized(): supplied argument is not a valid Image resource in [path]/show.php on line 28

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at [path]/includes/class_core.php:3243) in [path]/show.php on line 30

Warning: imagegif(): supplied argument is not a valid Image resource in [path]/show.php on line 31

Warning: imagedestroy(): supplied argument is not a valid Image resource in [path]/show.php on line 32

I'm thinking it could be to do with the new .htaccess file in /images/verification because that one now uses Mod_rewrite, yet on my system MR doesn't work properly unless I call it from the root but my test forum is at something similar to /test/forum . I don't know, it's a weird error.

[mark99]

Somebody else told me this, although when I removed all the images I still get the above error so I don't think it's the cause:

If you get this error: "Warning: imagecreatefromjpeg(): gd-jpeg: JPEG library reports unrecoverable error" then check the JPEG files. If they are saved in CMYK format (instead of RGB) then GD will fail to load them (tested with GD 2.0.12)

UPDATE: Not sure what I did but on the 5th reinstall try it worked . Putting it down to server gremlins.

[repcan]

Alright so I am totally new to this editting of the templates etc ....But I NEED to fix these bots signing up like mad....

Is this an easy fix or do I need to get a tech guy/gal to do it? If so any available LOL

How do I get or where do I get the show.php file?

Thanks

Grant

[intricatic]

I get this when I view the image (which is just a link, and not an image at all): Warning: in_array() [function.in-array]: Wrong datatype for second argument in [path]/includes/init.php(293) : eval()'d code on line 89

Attachment 86855

Attachment 86856

Anyone have any ideas?

[acorndomains.co]

Does it work if you have VBSEO installed?