EasyPHPBB

merwin10

Hi -

My fourm has been getting new members from all over the world posting messages with porne and other undesirable sites. It appears to be a bot with fictious names. I have been banning them and deleteing the posts and users. This started towards the end of October. Today I have five more bot created users. Is there any way to stop this?

Thanks
Mike -

EasyPHPBB · EasyPHPPB Owner Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 408

It is an battle with them. I have tried various things but they keep coming back.

merwin10 · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject:

I don't know how the engine is set up but how about a random code that needs to be typed in before you can become a member of a forum. In this way no Bot is going to be able to see the code and only a human can actually sign up! I know it won't stop all of the problem but at least it will stop all but the human reducing the problem to something tracable.

Mike Erwin
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Mike -

EasyPHPBB · EasyPHPPB Owner Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 408

There is a random code already on the deafult theme.Check under general configuration.

fatboy · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 4:15 am Post subject:

Was wondering if there has been any more ideas how to correct this BOT issue? I have the random code set and I still get 10-20 bogus accounts created everyday. Any help on correcting this issue would be greatly appreciated. I'm sorry if sounds like a stupid question but I am new to the admin position...

Casey

merwin10 · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:57 pm Post subject:

Hi

I had been working with this for months and there does not seem to be a fix! On my site I turn the code on and the BOTS got smarter and found a way of reading the code and entering it as a real person.

What I did was turn off the code and turned on enable activation to administrator in the general configuration under general board settings. When a new member enters his data whether real or a BOT it sends me a message that someone has joined the board. It also sends the person or BOT a message that the account needs activation.

Next I login as administrator and research the new member using the tools available. If the IP address is bogus I delete the new member, if it is so what real I activate the account, if it is questionable I send them a email that asks them to identify there interest. If it is a BOT it will not reply with any interest.

This is the only way I have found to stop the porn and spam! I have not got any solution from Nightmare that stops the BOTS. For now it seems to be working! It is allot of work and fustrating as hell as some days I have gotten as many as 50 BOTS signing on as members.

Mike -
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Mike -

merwin10 · Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:59 pm Post subject:

Hi -

Almost a forgot Casey - IT IS NOT A STUDIP QUESTION!

Mike -
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Mike -

EasyPHPBB · EasyPHPPB Owner Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 408

Bots are a huge issue with the forms I battle with them every day.

The main thing is they like to get in guest posting.

I am working on a spam solution for these phpbb forums which should help limit.

I need to see some samples for your site such as ip's and membername's

The more membername's and email addresses I get the better I can stop the bots.

merwin10 · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:02 am Post subject:

Hi

Great! I have converted many email addresses over to IP addresses that have a common zone most end in .ru (russia)! of course I also limit any real users from those IP addresses.

Here are the converted usernames email addresses to IP addresses.

217.11.233.183
90.156.169.213
81.0.195.177
82.208.60.203
92.214.169.177
82.99.30.53
90.156.169.213

Once banned IP's my BOTS drop by 90%, usernames and email ids seem to be BOT generated they usually don't make any sense. here are a couple I had recently, now banned -

hlkasnmuisd@mail.ru and escarmavora@mail.ru

Make any sense to you, me either!

What usually happens when you allow one of these is that your web site fills up with Porn and other undersirerable things - One BOT did a mass email of this crap -

One of the recent BOT's defeated the visual confirmation, I caught it by administrator account activation! Seems to the only way to insure none of this crap gets on our family oriented fourm! We have youth members that don't need to see the dark side of the internet! Although they most likely already know!

Of course you also have the useful BOT's like the Yahoo and Google BOT's that track hits and topics. Loading their search libraries!

I enabled all topics to members only, there are no guests!

Mike Erwin
Account Administrator
pacemakerboatownersg.easyphpbb.com
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Mike -

fatboy · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:51 am Post subject:

Thanks for the input guys. I have been going thru and deleting the bogus members as well. But as you are aware, it sucks having to delete 20-40 a day!

It seems all the BOTS I see have a gmail.com email addy. Here are some examples:

margie.tugmand36f@gmail.com
samuel.cravens403@gmail.com
violet.pierpoint1d9@gmail.com
penny.wesley6c6@gmail.com

IP's
66.249.65.74
66.249.65.36
0.0.0.0
66.249.65.49

Username's:
Robert_Abneyhastingsaf64
George_Powersfded3
August_Shimminf8fa
Moses_Lowery25d8
Tybalt_Hollidayf1e9a

Hope this info helps!!

Casey
http://nscs.easyphpbb.com/

merwin10 · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:28 pm Post subject:

Hi -

I to have had my share of @gmail.com This is a tough one! As the IP is google and the Google BOT comes in on these addresses. I have not banned them for that reason. Thus the administrator account activation is the way I handle them!

This BOT issue is a real problem and is growing!

Mike
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Mike -

EasyPHPBB · EasyPHPPB Owner Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 408

Added some extra checks that should help reduce the number of bots.

merwin10 · Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 12:30 pm Post subject:

Hi -

Are the checks automatic or do us administrators have to do something on our sites?

Mike -
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Mike -

EasyPHPBB · EasyPHPPB Owner Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 408

Takes affect automatically.

Made it a little tougher too.

fatboy · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 3:10 am Post subject: