SPAMBOTS - how can we stop them - read FIRST post.

[Brammers]

Sorry, another newbie question - where does that log come from?

Thanks

Nick

That 'log' came from me to 3Di via a PM, as he asked for help in collecting information for his anti-spam bot.

As for the 'log', well it's actually a post in the admin section of one of my forums, to note what Spambots had been deleted. All I did was C&P the most important bits out of the users profile (Like username, reg date, ip and email) It's useful to log this information before deleting bots, so you can help spot patterns from spambots.

This loging does take a bit of time, maybe a sugguestion for a small mod would be to log all the user details to the built in logs in PhpBB when a user is deleted.

[azetras]

You need to apply the mods to the style(s) in the subfolders of the MOD (at least for the style you have set as default).
Nick

Thansk Nick, how do you do that ?

[Dog Cow]

backdoor, the spambots are automated and I don't see that will help. The way they work is to either have a database of sites that run phpbb or seek them out. For phpbb2 specifically they would simply post the registration and never even load the registration page.

On phpBB 2, the registration page MUST be loaded, else you cannot get the captcha and its ID. All others, like you have said, are then optional, but the index is usually loaded to get a list of forum ID's.

And yes, there are spammer directories. I happen to have seen a few, and some sites that I know of (am a member of) are on some of those lists.

[dazedjeffy]

I installed the Prime Anti-Bot MOD and it seemed to install OK.....

..and then when testing it by creating an account, I get this message in red at the top No human verification key exists, which indicates a robotic submission.

So, i went back over the install.xml and realized that I'm not using the prosilver style, I'm using subsilver2.

So, I attempt to add the bit of code to styles/subsilver2/template/posting_editor.html and I don't have that file available to edit.

styles/subsilver2/template/ucp_register.html is there and updated and uploaded.

What is the corresponding correct file that I need to edit??????

Thanks.

[bsmither]

No one needs to know about your domain name to find your forum.

Well... Yes and no.

I run a small personal web site on my home computer. When I look at the log, I see many attempts to visit without any of the domain names my server is set up for. There are people who run probes that go from one IP to the next...

I run ten sites off this one IP (four are intra-office use only). By using just the IP address, one gets a Bad Request message. Probers are out of luck.

As I asserted earlier, my SWAG is that someone downloaded a batch of domain names from the DNS system, posted that list for the benefit of spammers on some other site, of which Google just happened to index. Google did not have to come to my site. Google indexed that other site with the list on it. That's my SWAG.

[amazer39]

Refreshing the styles worked for me. Thankyou.

[hikernick]

You need to apply the mods to the style(s) in the subfolders of the MOD (at least for the style you have set as default).
Nick

Thansk Nick, how do you do that ?

The MOD contains a "templates" subfolder. Within there are two further subfolders named after the two default styles in phpbb. In each one of those is a .xml file. Double-click it and follow the instructions. This patches the user interface side of the BB - the edits you did earlier patched the back end. When you've done those edits, do the refresh styles I mentioned earlier.

Scary, I almost sound like I know what I'm talking about ...

[hikernick]

Sorry, another newbie question - where does that log come from?

Thanks

Nick

That 'log' came from me to 3Di via a PM, as he asked for help in collecting information for his anti-spam bot.

As for the 'log', well it's actually a post in the admin section of one of my forums, to note what Spambots had been deleted. All I did was C&P the most important bits out of the users profile (Like username, reg date, ip and email) It's useful to log this information before deleting bots, so you can help spot patterns from spambots.

This loging does take a bit of time, maybe a sugguestion for a small mod would be to log all the user details to the built in logs in PhpBB when a user is deleted.

Understood. Thanks. I thought there was a logging facility I hadn't found yet. Ho hum ...

[3Di]

This loging does take a bit of time, maybe a sugguestion for a small mod would be to log all the user details to the built in logs in PhpBB when a user is deleted.

Interesting feature. I will see what I can do there, I'm actually busy finishing the ACP part of one of my MODs.

[CareersNG]

i think we are horridly thinking of installing MODs as a solution to this problem.
Whereas the simple custom profile fields that comes with phpBB3 by default is enough to solve this SPAM registration problems. We only need to use this future more intelligently.
SPAM has stopped on my forum even with the simplest CAPTCHA and without requiring user registration confirmation.
SPAM bots cant register anymore for more than 4days now.
The solution is to create a unique question in your costume profile field that BOts cannot solve and human would solve easily.
i wouldnt post the idea i used here, but if you need tips you can send me a PM.

Regards to all.