1 Topic by chovy

  • Registered: 2009-10-30
  • Posts: 76

Topic: stopping spam bot registration outright?

I've seen akismet (works well on posts) and "stop spambot posts" challenge/response extension...but I'm tired of them being able to register in the first place -- typically the obvious accounts have the following attributes:

somebody@spam-site.info for their email
FirstNameXXX for their username
Usually no posts
Sometimes a spam-ridden signature set in their profile with links.

I'm getting 3-5 of these registrations a day now...has anyone found a good solution to this growing problem?

chovy's Website

2 Reply by colak

  • colak
  • colak
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  • From: Cyprus
  • Registered: 2005-01-25
  • Posts: 253

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

Hi chovy,

pun_approval is your friend.

Forum, Art, Architecture, Passion.

Have you ever visited the textpattern forum?

colak's Website

3 Reply by chovy

  • Registered: 2009-10-30
  • Posts: 76

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

from the description it sounds like it's a post-registration means of approving posts.
I'm more curious in heading off spam bots when they register.

chovy's Website

4 Reply by colak

  • colak
  • colak
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  • From: Cyprus
  • Registered: 2005-01-25
  • Posts: 253

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

chovy wrote:

from the description it sounds like it's a post-registration means of approving posts.
I'm more curious in heading off spam bots when they register.

It also offers a registration approval system. Check out #p133368

Forum, Art, Architecture, Passion.

Have you ever visited the textpattern forum?

colak's Website

5 Reply by chovy

  • Registered: 2009-10-30
  • Posts: 76

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

Yes, I saw that -- but isn't there a way to check registrations for spam and then simply deny them (ie: don't create the account)....or at least only flag "spammy" registrations for an approval. I do not want to have to approve *everyone* -- just the registrations that trigger the spam (much like akismet works on the posts).

chovy's Website

  • KeyDog
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  • Registered: 2008-12-12
  • Posts: 1,693

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

chovy wrote:

just the registrations that trigger the spam

You don't know that they spam until they post. And they can only post when they've registered. Also some registrations only add spam signatures minutes or hours later...

Have you really tried with each available extension: ReCatcha, Anti-Spam System etc... Also a system with user entering answer to question chosen by you could help...

7 Reply by chovy

  • Registered: 2009-10-30
  • Posts: 76

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

I didn't realize they updated their signatures later.
I think i really just need a rule to disallow XXX at the end of a user name (numbers).

chovy's Website

8 Reply by chovy

  • Registered: 2009-10-30
  • Posts: 76

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

KeyDog wrote:

Have you really tried with each available extension: ReCatcha, Anti-Spam System etc... Also a system with user entering answer to question chosen by you could help...

I've installed the ones that punbb has available officially (and the akismet ext.)

Not sure about ReCaptcha...

chovy's Website

  • KeyDog
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Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

Try ReCaptcha
http://punbb.informer.com/forums/topic/22738/recaptcha/

Antispam System 1.3.4, Stop spam from bots 0.2, Aksimet you 've tried so

your last call would afterwards would be using a mod (I know not good for updating etc)  to ask a question like: Ocean between America and Europe

Btw: I'm using pun approval on one forum and it's perfect - quick and easy to approve newcomers!

10 Reply by chovy

  • Registered: 2009-10-30
  • Posts: 76

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

KeyDog wrote:

Btw: I'm using pun approval on one forum and it's perfect - quick and easy to approve newcomers!

I'll look into it -- the spam itself isn't really a problem. I just hate having 10% real users in my User List and 90% spam accounts w/ no posts.

chovy's Website

11 Reply by KeyDog

  • KeyDog
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Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

Yeah I know exactely what you mean. Loads of cialiasxxx or so names don't make a good impression....


[Edit]
This is the mod I was talking about

"Since the mod changes the register.php file you need to apply the modification every time the register.php file is updated by a later release but updating the file only takes a few minutes so it is not a lot of work."

You just need to find the correct lines in the Pun 1.3.4 ( the mod was for 1.2.x)

  • Registered: 2010-05-11
  • Posts: 1

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

Hey chovy,  I would think the first step would be to determine if they are using bots or human farms. 

The company I work for offers solutions to control unwanted automated processes but in particular we have a free product which will help you get a much more concrete idea as to how bad your problem really is. The product is called BotAlert (http://www.pramana.com/botalert/), it installs a lot like Google Analytics and will get you a daily report detailing your human vs non-human activity for the pages you choose to install the code. It is 100% free so please don't think I am trying to get you to buy anything.

I hope that helps!

--David

13 Reply by rockman (edited by rockman 2010-07-02 10:43)

  • Registered: 2010-07-02
  • Posts: 6

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

i has lots of problems with spam registration, i has installed
some extensions:

Antispam System Version v1.3.4.
Stop spam from bots  Version v0.2.
Post and registration approval Version v1.4.0.

But i has enabled Stop bots questions too with some not easy questions, but when i check Registration approval
i get every day again spam registrations, is there no way to check bad email addresses?

Registration approval doesnt helps me, i need more time to check every day the Registrations.
Stop bots questions seems its not realy useful yet for me.

14 Reply by Slavok

  • Slavok
  • PunBB Developer
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  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2008-06-11
  • Posts: 1,238

Re: stopping spam bot registration outright?

You can ban users by e-mail in the administration menu.

Slavok's Website