IPB useless now because of spambots

[Shawn Alain]

I'm wondering if anyone else is now like me and is considering their IPB board useless and closing it down because of spambotters? It looks like I'll have to turn off all posting allowed by members. :/

[Ryan H.]

:|

Did you install 2.3.6?

[Shawn Alain]

Yep, I've got all the latest updates but that has done nothing to stop the botters.

[augenj]

Yep, I've got all the latest updates but that has done nothing to stop the botters.

Are they bots or humans?

[Alex K.]

Try this: http://forums.invisionpower.com/topic/277712-anti-spam-mod-free-release/

[Mark H.]

Shawn, try this:

For the default Member group, turn off their ability to START a new post. This will allow them to make a REPLY to an existing one, they just can't START a new one.

Create a new group identical to the Member group (Call it Full Member or some such), but which DOES have permission to make new posts.

Set the default Member group to get auto-promoted after "X" posts (remember that a REPLY counts as a POST for auto-promotion) to the new group.

For some reason, spam-bots (or their human registrants) never reply. They always try to start a new post. On my board, this has shut them down altogether. Yes, a human can register the account (and there's not a damn thing you can do about that) but the bot will fail.

Put whatever wording in your "Rules Page" is necessary to let members know how to get promoted. (Bots, or their human registrants, never read the rules either!)

Once a month, delete all accounts created the month before AND which have not yet made a reply. (Post Count = 0).

In addition, I'd suggest (for IP for 2.3.x) you install Calypso's "Ultimate Bot Blocker" or similar program that adds a question/answer form on the registration page.
(Note that, although NOT documented, your ANSWER for the UBB Mod must be numeric and not contains letters or punctuation. i.e. 666, 438697873, 25, whatever.)

[rct2·com]

I run 2 boards. Neither have been affected by spambotters.

[*]One uses admin validation at registration [*]The other has an extra field that has to be completed on the registration form.

[Hunting insects...]

I'm wondering if anyone else is now like me and is considering their IPB board useless and closing it down because of spambotters?

No. Spam sign-ups are an increasing problem and I dare say will continue to be so, but Admin validatiion of all new registrations solves the problem for me. Pain though it is, it works.

The problem is getting worse, but spammers and troublemakers have always been there. My board has never had an open registration policy for this reason.

[Josh Davidson]

2.3.6 really fixed this for me..

[Shawn Alain]

Shawn, try this:

For some reason, spam-bots (or their human registrants) never reply. They always try to start a new post. On my board, this has shut them down altogether. Yes, a human can register the account (and there's not a damn thing you can do about that) but the bot will fail.

My Spambots only reply and have never started a new topic. See here http://www.thevalleysentinel.com/index.php?showtopic=1414.
I'll try those recommendations to see if it stops.

[Mark H.]

Ewww... I see what you mean.

Looks like the human registrants are learning more tricks, and programming their subsequent bots to reply.

For some reason, on my board, they never reply. I have no idea why.

Yeah, install what I or BacTalan suggested and see if that solves the problem.

Good luck!

[Morrigan]

You could try enabling posting moderation. It might discourage the human bots because their posts won't show.

[Amy T]

Hmm I do not get much to any spam, nothing like what it was 2 years or so ago. I get maybe 1 or 2 a month.

I got 100s a day 2 years ago so i am glad I no longer get that.

[Hunting insects...]

See here http://www.thevalleysentinel.com/index.php?showtopic=1414.

Interesting that the posts are advertising the software that causes all the trouble in the first place! Spreading the disease...

[Si.]

I use a mod available on www.stopforumspam.com which checks their database upon registration for usernames, email addresses and IP's, and since implimenting that mod, I have had no sign ups from spambots or spammers.

[Shawn Alain]

Interesting that the posts are advertising the software that causes all the trouble in the first place! Spreading the disease...

I tracked down one of their blog sites http://xrumer-palladium.blogspot.com/ and near the bottom there is an interview

square: Now let

[sparc]

I use a mod available on www.stopforumspam.com which checks their database upon registration for usernames, email addresses and IP's, and since implimenting that mod, I have had no sign ups from spambots or spammers.

it's there something specific to IPB?

http://www.stopforumspam.com/downloads/

i only see phpBB, VB, and simplemachines

[Si.]

it's there something specific to IPB?

http://www.stopforumspam.com/downloads/

i only see phpBB, VB, and simplemachines

Thers a mod on their forums, its not actually listed in the downloads section

[Hunting insects...]

I tracked down one of their blog sites http://xrumer-palladium.blogspot.com/ and near the bottom there is an interview

I did send them a message to take me off their list a couple weeks ago, but earlier today I was still deleting their posts.

I'm sorry, but you are being a little naive if you thought that would make a blind bit of difference. It's akin to the "unsubscribe" links on all those billions of spam emails sent every day.

I'm sure your message if it was even read, gave them a good laugh.

[sparc]

Thers a mod on their forums, its not actually listed in the downloads section

found it....looks like it's a link from their forum to two other forums...lol

http://www.calendarofupdates.com/updates/index.php?s=&showtopic=17080&view=findpost&p=74291
http://temerc.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=6487

[Teddy Rogers]

You have tried banning their IP, IP range and email service - you do have email verification enabled?

Ted.

[Shawn Alain]

You have tried banning their IP, IP range and email service - you do have email verification enabled?

Ted.

IP address is all over the map so I'd prefer not to ban the entire eastern seaboard. Email addresses are gmail, hotmail etc... email verification enabled and rarely do they post from the same poster twice, because after they post one I ban them. So if it is a human signing up each one they sure are spending a lot of time doing it. I probably have more spambots registered now than actual members.

[rct2·com]

What version of the IPB code do you run Shawn?

[Rheddy]

Sheesh ... you think IPB is useless because of spambots? That's kind of harsh.

Spambots and Spammers will always exist. No matter what kind of security IPB or other forum software that is being used, this will always remain a problem. First, you cannot stop all spambots or spammers. Second, automated spambots are a thing of the past now and spammers are getting others to register and validate new accounts and then feeding that information into the spambot after the account has been manually created.

I have banned two such accounts in the past few days.

[atomicknight]

You could try enabling posting moderation. It might discourage the human bots because their posts won't show.

A better idea would be to enable moderation on all posts with links (I don't think this is supported natively, but would be relatively easy to code). That way, you'd probably avoid issues with most human posts (assuming that your forum isn't centered around posting links to other sites - even then, you could always use a whitelisting system to mitigate those issues).