Unregistered user names (attempted spamming)

[steponfrog]

Hi all,

I've searched everywhere for the type of thing I want....

I have vB 3.7.2:-

From vBulletin.org, I installed the Mod Track Guest Visits by Paul M, as it shows pages that have been viewed and by whom, primarily by IP address (so I can spot SearchEngine Bots). But, more to the point, the Track Guiest Visits mod shows what usernames have attempted to register through the registration page.

Needless to say, that if someone has tried registering with a username and have not been successful, in my opinion, they are likely to be spammers; why try registering on a forum, when you are not going to bother confirming the registration through your eMail address? No, they are spammers, and if not, they can contact me through the usual processes on the Contact blahblah page.

However, I've come across something that I, and I'm certain everyone else, would like to be able to do, and so, I'm here to ask how to go about doing it. I'm not overly competent with php programming, so I'm not after turning this thing into a mod.

What I would like to do is keep a list of all usernames, IPs and eMail addresses that have tried registering, but have failed the CAPTCHA process - CAPTCHA is a bloody good thing, and without it, I would have had 7 spammers in the space of 2 hours.

Forgive me for being dense, should there already be a way of listing the failed attempt registratees (sorry, if that isn't a word; it just sounded good).

What I would eventually like to do, is put the usernames, IPs and eMail addresses in a list, and have them move into a user moderation queue should they eventually pass the CAPTCHA process, because they may one day come back to finish the process off and actually confirm registration!

I believe vBulletin to have extremely good Spammer prevention routines and processes, but actually listing the usernames and eMail addresses of possible spammers would be the ultimate icing on the vBulletin cake, don't you think?!

[Vtec44]

It's too easy to abuse the system.

[steponfrog]

It's too easy to abuse the system.

I don't understand. Which are you referring to: too easy to abuse the vBulletin CAPTCHA registration system; or too easy to abuse a failed registration logging system?

[Vtec44]

Nevermind, I misread and thought you meant webmasters posting a list of failed attempt on their forum(s). My apology.

[steponfrog]

Anyone..?

Surely, spamming is a problem on everyone's board?

Regardless of how vigilant you are with pruning and deleting Spammed posts, you STILL have to physically remove a spammed post.!

What I have asked, at the start of this thread, will lead to something that prompts Admins and Mods to pay attention when a dodgy attempt to register on your forum fails at the robot stage - the CAPTCHA image.

In the space of 5 days, 2 spammers have finally physically come back to complete the registration process. The question that I have asked, at the start of the thread, will have placed these users, and their posts, into a moderation queue even before they had started daubing crap on my forum walls.

Any answers, please?

[copiertalk]

There are already several lists that you are asking about already.

why not update one of those rather than create another one?

[steponfrog]

There are already several lists that you are asking about already.

why not update one of those rather than create another one?

Sorry, I'm not entirely sure you understand my request.

I am not after CREATING another spammer list.!

Yes, there are a vast number of lists, freely available, that contain an IP address, eMail address, and domain details regarding spammers. BUT, and this is where I believe my question has been repeatedly misunderstood, these lists DO NOT contain the username that (said) spammers have decided to use in the registration process on your (or my) board.

For example, Joe Bloggs comes to register on my board, BUT (and this is the important bit) Joe Bloggs doesn't actually complete the CAPTCHA image process. Sure, Joe Bloggs gives his eMail address ([email protected]), but the important part of regration has failed... a dead giveaway that a BOT may be involved, especially because there is an option to keep changing the CAPTCHA image, should you not be successful in interpreting it yourself.

Now, please tell me that there is a list that I can use to identify these usernames that have tried and failed to register on my board, and NOT the IP addresses, eMail addresses, or domains that spammers use.

I reitterate, what I want to do is take the USERNAMES of spammers that have tried and failed to register on my board with, and have these names move into a moderated queue. When each username actually makes a first post, the Admin is alerted to do something about it. This way, I can further narrow-down the possibility of a spammer actually making a post.

Using my proposed method would force spammers to physically register on your board, because the BOTs will be automatically recognised, and hence, the spammers' username will be effectively marked for death upon first post.

I really cannot see how more simple this request can be put. I have been as specific as possible.

[copiertalk]

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275885

[copiertalk]

I can buy a domain if you can code it and we can make a list?

[steponfrog]

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275885

Yeah, sort of. But, the problems with that thread is that...

1. the spammer has to be registered on your forum before you can prevent them from doing anything (you are, therefore, chasing the spammers' posting activity, rather than preventing it);
2. being pre-aware of the spammer name in use will not prevent the spammer from freely posting without being moderated;
3. spammer bots are now using a various number of differing words, and piecing them together to form another: RED, HOMER, SIMPSON --> spammer bot does some witchcraft --> HOMERREDSIMPSON

Just an example.


Do you see why the CAPTCHA image process is the important part of stopping spammers? In my opinion, the key to spammer prevention is at registration...

• Place every new registration in a moderated queue;
• If new registration succeeds CAPTCHA process, move into registered users, etc;
• if the new registration fails the CAPTCHA image process, mark as SPAMMER;
• if new registration re-tries the CAPTCHA and succeeds in the same cookie session, mark as POSSIBLE SPAMMER (still moderate, may be a bot 1st time round, and then human assisted 2nd, etc., or may just be a legitimate user having problems);
• if new registration fails CAPTCHA, but succeeds on a different cookie session, mark as SPAMMER;
• if user, marked as SPAMMER (or POSSIBLE SPAMMER), makes a post, move post into moderater queue;

... or something like that... Basically, an automatic filter. Admins should have the ability to unmark users as SPAMMER, or POSSIBLE SPAMMER.

There's never any guarantee to stop spamming, because if someone wants to freely advertise crap on your board, they will eventually do so. If I can't stop them, I just want to, at least, cause as many problems for them along the way.

Don't forget, we've paid bloody good money out of our own pockets for vB software, performed tons of hard and timely work in getting our boards to do what we want, in the way we want them to, and even more time and effort in making them look the way we want. Then some tw*t decides they have free run of advertising utterly pathetic crap in your forums, ruining the continuity of discussions. It's like spotting a floating turd in the water at some holiday location.

If spammers paid me for an oportunity to advertise on my board, or webspace, then I would allow them the space to advertise. But, they can get to f**k if they think they're getting something for nothing! We don't get things for nothing. Seriously!

Sorry, I was ranting. But, besides that, I'm not too sure how I would code the proposition, because it means adding a table to the vB database (vb_newregistrations, etc.), would mean completely editing the registration template(s) and/or file(s), and placing some sort of conditional in some posting template that would check to see if the post is a first one and if the user posting is marked as a SPAMMER, or POSSIBLE SPAMMER.

There's a lot in this thing that I'm asking.