EasyPHPBB

merwin10 · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:22 pm Post subject:

Hi -

Just thought I would report in on the changes made to catch the BOT's! So far there is a dramatic decrease in the number of BOT's that are able to sign in but not all! Still get a few that get past the new software about two per week! I see nothing in common about them to say that they are originated at a particular IP address or from a particular person. The only thing that is constant is that the email addresses they give are invalid.

All in all an improvement over what the 20 – 30 per day!

Thanks
Mike - Wink

_________________
Mike -

EasyPHPBB · EasyPHPPB Owner Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 407

How are the emails invalid?

merwin10 · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 12:35 am Post subject:

Hi -

I use a email validation checker! Here is a printout of my email address being validated:

============================================
Validation results

canonical address: <merwin10@comcast.net>

MX records preference exchange IP address (if included)
5 mx2.comcast.net [76.96.30.116]
5 mx1.comcast.net [76.96.62.116]
SMTP session

[Contacting mx2.comcast.net [76.96.30.116]...]
[Connected]
220 IMTA22.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net comcast ESMTP server ready
EHLO Network-Tools.com
250-IMTA22.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net hello [67.222.132.194], pleased to meet you
250-HELP
250-SIZE 15728640
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-8BITMIME
250 OK
VRFY merwin10
502 5.5.0 VRFY command not implemented
RSET
250 2.0.0 OK
EXPN merwin10
500 5.5.1 command unrecognized
RSET
250 2.0.0 OK
MAIL FROM:<admin@Network-Tools.com>
250 2.1.0 <admin@network-tools.com> sender ok
RCPT TO:<merwin10@comcast.net>
250 2.1.5 <merwin10@comcast.net> recipient ok
RSET
250 2.0.0 OK
QUIT
221 2.0.0 IMTA22.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net comcast closing connection
[Connection closed]

==============================================

I don't know how correct it is but when I do it on an invalid email address it comes back not found or not our customer!

here is an invalid email address!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Validation results

error: Recipient rejected

canonical address: <steve.joli10@comcast.net>

MX records preference exchange IP address (if included)
5 mx1.comcast.net [76.96.62.116]
5 mx2.comcast.net [76.96.30.116]
SMTP session

[Contacting mx1.comcast.net [76.96.62.116]...]
[Connected]
220 IMTA26.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net comcast ESMTP server ready
EHLO Network-Tools.com
250-IMTA26.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net hello [67.222.132.194], pleased to meet you
250-HELP
250-SIZE 15728640
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-8BITMIME
250 OK
VRFY steve.joli10
502 5.5.0 VRFY command not implemented
RSET
250 2.0.0 OK
EXPN steve.joli10
500 5.5.1 command unrecognized
RSET
250 2.0.0 OK
MAIL FROM:<admin@Network-Tools.com>
250 2.1.0 <admin@network-tools.com> sender ok
RCPT TO:<steve.joli10@comcast.net>
550 5.1.1 Not our Customer
[Address has been rejected]
RSET
250 2.0.0 OK
QUIT
221 2.0.0 IMTA26.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net comcast closing connection
[Connection closed]

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

hope this helps!

Mike -
_________________
Mike -

agate · EasyPHPBB Poster Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 36

My board has been plagued by bogus registrations (between one and 15 a day for many months), all from gmail addresses. Once in a great while there would be a day or two without any, but they always came back.

In the last week or 10 days, there haven't been any. Somebody must have fixed something so they can't register any more. Whatever was done, I'm really grateful!

I don't know if this is of any help to others with this problem, but everyone registering on my board has to make some choices, such as what language the board will appear in and a choice of templates. The first choice of languages is "simplified Chinese." They have to scroll down and choose English if they want English.

In over two years of administering this board, I've never known a bona fide member to opt for "simplified Chinese."

So if it's a gmail account, with no choice of template and "simplified Chinese" as the language of choice, I assume it's a bogus registration and I don't even activate the account. I just delete it.

agate · EasyPHPBB Poster Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 36

No bogus registrants so far this morning--I really appreciate your help.

The problem has been particularly noticeable in recent weeks.

EasyPHPBB · EasyPHPPB Owner Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 407

Added an extra check on registration

agate · EasyPHPBB Poster Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 36

In the last week or so my board has been getting up to a dozen bogus registrants per day.

They are very annoying.

agate · EasyPHPBB Poster Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 36

I don't know what was done but for many months I've had very little trouble with bogus registrations.

Unfortunately, in the last few weeks they've been back--several a day. Dealing with them is time-consuming and annoying. I really hope this problem can be solved.

EasyPHPBB · EasyPHPPB Owner Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 407

Tied another one of my block list tools to help reduce spammers on boards.