Duplicate user names!

[titntin]

I have a problem user who keeps using proxies to come back to the forums. Not in itself unusual, but he manages to create an account using the same banned user name each time? How can I have several users called exactly the same thing. Now I've added his name to the restricted names list, he is registering new accounts in other senior members names!

How can this be? How can I prevent this guy from registering user names that already exist? How is he doing it? Please help as this is major major issue and points to a serious flaw or bug.

[Steve Machol]

There is no way someone can create the same username with the default vB code.

To troubleshoot this, first reupload all the original vB non-image files (except install.php). Make sure you upload these in ASCII format and overwrite the ones on the server. Also be sure to upload the admincp files to whichever directory you have set in your config.php file. Then run 'Suspect File Versions' in Diagnostics to make sure you have all the original files for your version and that none show 'File does not contain expected contents':

Admin CP -> Maintenance -> Diagnostics -> Suspect File Versions

[Note: In some cases you may also need to remove any of the listed .xml files in the includes/xml directory.]

Next, disable all plugins.

Note: To temporarily disable the plugin system, edit config.php and add this line right under <?php

define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);

Then if you still have this problem, create a new style and choose no parent style. This will force it to use the default templates. Finally empty your browser cache, close all browser windows then try again. Make sure you change to the new style and view your forums with it.

Do you have the same problem?

[Lats]

I recall this coming up around a year or 2 ago where a new user enters a control, or alt key combination that makes the username look like another, but in fact it's different.

[Lats]

Something similar...

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=175914

[Steve Machol]

This can happen if people use hidden characters in their name. You can stop that by limiting usernames to Alphanumeric characters including space:

vBulletin Options > vBulletin Options > User Registration Options > Username Regular Expression: ^[A-Z0-9 ]+$