Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Stop the Registration Bots

Stop the Registration Bots for vBulletin 4.2.0 PL3 and up.

This mod will check the the time it takes for a vBulletin registration form to be submitted. If the form is submitted faster then humanly possible, the registration will be denied and the admin contact can be emailed about the event.

First we will add a custom hidden field with a hash. Second we will insert a randomly named hidden field with a random value. This should make it a bit difficult to program a bot since the field names on all sites will be different as well as the values.

Time stamps to check the time spent on registration submission are stored in a DB table and private.

Installation is very easy.
Template edits.
Files to upload.
Product xml file to import.

Backup your database before any install or upgrade.

To upgrade from 2.x to 4.0.2, remove the existing Stop the Registration Bots product in the ACP and then follow the installation file instructions.


History

4.0.2
Added 10 minute delete interval
Fixed bug in part 3
updated table query
removed old hook code from product.

4.0.1
modify phrase vars
modified install instructions for 4.2.0 pl3 templates.

4.0.0
modified to work with vB 4.x.

2.0.2
Edited file includes/stb_reg_process.php
Added IP and Proxy IP to email notification.

2.0.1
Added tabindex="1" to input box template edit.
Fixed onsubmit code in input box template edit.

2.0.0
Conversion from vB 3.x version to vB 4.x
Reduced template edits to one.
Edited all arrays to include single quotes.
Removed ACP Setting StopBotReg_rulespage_hash
Removed Rules page instructions. All one page now.
Removed file includes/stb_reg_signup.php
Removed hook register_signup
Edited includes/cron/strb_cron_job.php Removed Rules page query.
Removed `rf_name` and `rf_value` fields from DB table.
Moved register_form_start hook code to register_form_complete hook
New Phrases
stop_reg_bot_please_wait
stop_reg_bot_seconds_more
stop_reg_bot_seconds_remaining
Removed phrase stop_reg_bot_enter_prereg_name
Removed phrase setting_StopBotReg_rulespage_hash_title
Removed phrase setting_StopBotReg_rulespage_hash_desc

[hugh_]

I get this error when I try to install this:

Database error in vBulletin 4.2.0:

Invalid SQL:

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS stopbotsregistry (
`hash` varchar(100) NOT NULL default '',
`regtime` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`rf_name` varchar(10) NOT NULL default '',
`rf_value` varchar(10) NOT NULL default '',
`uf_name` varchar(10) NOT NULL default '',
`uf_value` varchar(10) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (`hash`),
KEY `regtime` (`regtime`)
) TYPE=MyISAM;

[DAMINK]

I would love for this mod to be able to write the results of failed registrations to thread instead of or as well as email.
Me personally i like to name and shame and this mod could do well for that.
If anyone could give advice on how to do this, that would be great.

[Videx]

Originally Posted by DAMINK

Me personally i like to name and shame and this mod could do well for that.

You want to "name and shame" bots? Do you think that would make them feel so bad they will stop annoying us?

[DAMINK]

No not really Videx.
Way i figure it........
Better in a thread than 500 emails a day.
To have them available to visually see i think could be a good thing if only for reference and perhaps a constant ip address that is not dynamic and therefor easy to ban.
Dunno just think it would be better in a thread than an email.
( I get too many emails NOW)
But im guessing your comment was infact a smartarse one rather than a constructive one so i will not reply further to that.

[Videx]

No, I was not being a smartass. I really think you're doing something terribly wrong if you're getting 500 emails a day from rejected bots. Have you just tried a simple Q&A? That eliminates about 100% of our bots, and no email notification is necessary.

That leaves real humans as our only remaining source of spam. And when you ban these guys, they won't be able to read your 'shame' forum anyway so why bother?

And the few bots that may register but never post - and thus don't get banned - aren't a problem anyway. They just swell our ranks which isn't a Bad Thing.

[DAMINK]

Yep i run a Q&A mate.
I do email verification.
I put all new users into a special group.
I force all new uses to post in one area only that is moderated. (non visible to members or bots)
They have no access to spam my site. None actually.
Once someone registers they loose access to my forum unless they are allowed.
It works just fine. I dont care if its difficult. I only want members who are real anyway.

I dont have visible spam on my forum. I just dont. I have in place the measures to stop that.
I simply want this mod to post in thread as other mods do like duplicate ips and what not.

Do you think that would make them feel so bad they will stop annoying us?

That is my point about sarcasm or being a smartarse.
Did i think it would stop annoying us?
Well first of all. I dont concider me and you US.
But as for me. No i dont. I simply want to post a thread about it.
Public or private. My choice. But is that too much to ask without comments like above?

ps....
i dont show my member list.
I dont promote spammers as members.
I have anyone who has not posted after X deleted as a user.
I have people that are inactive moved to different user groups.
My forum was never about ego and stats. Others are and i get that.
Mine is not.

[stickskills]

Originally Posted by hugh_

I get this error when I try to install this:

Database error in vBulletin 4.2.0:

Invalid SQL:

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS stopbotsregistry (
`hash` varchar(100) NOT NULL default '',
`regtime` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`rf_name` varchar(10) NOT NULL default '',
`rf_value` varchar(10) NOT NULL default '',
`uf_name` varchar(10) NOT NULL default '',
`uf_value` varchar(10) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (`hash`),
KEY `regtime` (`regtime`)
) TYPE=MyISAM;

Yeah, I'm receiving the exact same issue.

[togotutor]

Downloaded and Installed..

[DAMINK]

Any chance of adding and option to push the user who registered too quickly to a specific URL or our choice?
That would be GOLD for me.

[mrsbuzzy]

Before I upgraded my forums and then this hack to the most recent vB (not the version 5) this hack worked beautifully. But, since the upgrade to the vB and to this hack I am getting TONS of new bot registrations. Literally 30+ a day are making it through this hack. I have checked and double checked the settings. I have the time for registration set to 65 seconds.

Anyone else having this problem?