Stop Spammer

[busterone]

That is odd snoopy.  I have seen this mod automatically stop hundreds of spammers myself over the last year.  Example- I happen to look at the who's online list and see an ip that is registering for an account. I manually check that IP in SFS database and I see that it is listed. I then wait and see what the registration outcome is and it never makes it to admin approval.  It simply gets stopped cold. I have observed this many times. If it was not intended to do so, then there is a serious issue going on.  My stopped spammer count is over 14000 at this time, and I daresay, the number of admin approvals in the last year are less than 200.
I am puzzled now..

[MCK]

Would love to install this mod on my RC4 forum but don't want to risk the manual install. Any ETA on the RC4 update? I'm running the excellent httpBL mod with great results so I can't wait to install this one as well.

I really look forward to be able to scan my existing member IPs against the known spammer database which I think is only possible with this mod. Thanks for making it happen.

[cypdevil]

I receive several tens of spambot registrations/day and they fall into 3 categories:
1. Registration started but not activated (16)
2. Registration started and activated (18)
3. Registration started, activated and a spam message posted (2)
The figures between parentheses were the number in each category yesterday.

On the advice of another user, I tried to install Stop Spammer, hoping it will deal with all 3 categories, banning and deleting them as automatically as possible.

Does it do all these?

I had enormous difficulties because SMF seemed corrupt with a mixture of vv 1.1.11 and 1.1.12. Finally, I manually reinstalled it and it now seems better. I then downloaded Stop Spammer using the Package Manager and then set it going. It went through to the page where it lists all the files and their status (all the language files except English stated Skipping file while the 1st nine were tested successfully. However, it did not appear to test the final ones:
19.    Extract File    ./Sources/StopSpammer.php    
20.    Extract File    ./Themes/default/images/icons/spammer.gif    
21.    Extract File    ./Themes/default/images/icons/suspect.gif    
22.    Extract File    ./Themes/default/images/icons/moreinfo.gif    
23.    Execute Code    install_1.php

Anyway, I clicked the 'Install Now' and got the error message:
"Fatal error: require() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/usr/www/users/psa/cypenv/smf/Packages/temp/./install_1.php' (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /usr/www/users/psa/cypenv/smf/Sources/Packages.php on line 556"

My line 556 reads:
"require($boarddir . '/Packages/temp/'  . $context['base_path'] . $action['filename']);"

I've tried adding many combinations of the two paths and have not succeeded in finding the exact meaning of the Fatal error. I always get some form of error message.

Could you please rewrite for me how the line 556 should appear with my paths, so that I can copy/paste it? You will understand that my knowledge of php code is almost zero and I need my hand held at this stage.

Thank you in anticipation.

[Wizzlefits]

That is odd snoopy.  I have seen this mod automatically stop hundreds of spammers myself over the last year.  Example- I happen to look at the who's online list and see an ip that is registering for an account. I manually check that IP in SFS database and I see that it is listed. I then wait and see what the registration outcome is and it never makes it to admin approval.  It simply gets stopped cold. I have observed this many times. If it was not intended to do so, then there is a serious issue going on.  My stopped spammer count is over 14000 at this time, and I daresay, the number of admin approvals in the last year are less than 200.
I am puzzled now..

@busterone,
This to I've seen quite a bit. From what I've gathered the person running xrumer hasn't got it setup correctly. Meaning it will hit the registration page and mug up and go on to the next site and do the same thing. Or just sit there for awhile bouncing then leave.
So basically, Stop Spammer is not turning them away, THEY are turning themselves away.

@Snoopy,
Really don't think the code is to blame! Think it has a lot to do with bots hammering the registration page.
My record so far for registration attempts (from the same IP) is 16 per second. That one got banned via htacess. lol

Oh, just a suggestion, comment, question, whatever ya want to call it.
Have you ever thought of combining the two mods into one install package? Since the two really do work so well together. I know M-DVD created Stop Spammer and all.... just a thought!

@MCK
You don't have to do a complete manual install, just one line needs to be changed manually.
see busterone's post

[busterone]

@busterone,
This to I've seen quite a bit. From what I've gathered the person running xrumer hasn't got it setup correctly. Meaning it will hit the registration page and mug up and go on to the next site and do the same thing. Or just sit there for awhile bouncing then leave.
So basically, Stop Spammer is not turning them away, THEY are turning themselves away.

That could be the case then, it does make sense. Idiot spammers can't even use their own software.   

So when they botch their own registration, the mod still adds that botched attempt to the stopped spammer totals I am presuming. I any case, they don't get in. 

[Wizzlefits]

@cypdevil
The path (I don't think) should have a period in it.

Code Select Expand


/smf/Packages/temp/./install_1.php

Should be like;

Code Select Expand


/smf/Packages/temp/install_1.php

Line 556 is correct. Somewhere a period is getting thrown in the file path. I know it has to be a simple fix, but I'm no coder.

[SD-X]

Thank you to those that provided the tiny SMF2 RC4 fix. Everything is working great again! The only issue I still have is the non-existent members that are still requiring approval. The bug is very well known and will not go away. Other than that, everything is running perfectly!

[Wizzlefits]

Thank you to those that provided the tiny SMF2 RC4 fix. Everything is working great again! The only issue I still have is the non-existent members that are still requiring approval. The bug is very well known and will not go away. Other than that, everything is running perfectly!

I just found another work around.
Lets say you have 4 waiting approval. You check them and they are spammers, now instead of "deleting" them, (after reporting them first) hit "Reject".
They're gone and the bug never appears.

For the non-existent ones....
Admin >> Forum Maintenance >> Recount all forum totals and statistics
seems to clear the number in RC4

[MCK]

@  Wizzlefits - It works!!! Thanks so much! Weeding out the existing members now.

[SD-X]

For the non-existent ones....
Admin >> Forum Maintenance >> Recount all forum totals and statistics
seems to clear the number in RC4

Tried that a few times. Doesn't seem to work. It's likely caused by the fact that I upgraded from SMF1. The bug is quite old and I've seen multiple places on the internet complain about it in the past.

[cypdevil]

@cypdevil
The path (I don't think) should have a period in it.

Code Select Expand


/smf/Packages/temp/./install_1.php

Should be like;

Code Select Expand


/smf/Packages/temp/install_1.php

Line 556 is correct. Somewhere a period is getting thrown in the file path. I know it has to be a simple fix, but I'm no coder.

Thanks for the reply! I tried that, got a different error message! What I don't understand is what the heck I'm supposed to do with "(include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php')" in the error message. Without being rude, can you please tell me where to put this and how, which is why I asked for a corrected line 556?

[SD-X]

For the non-existent ones....
Admin >> Forum Maintenance >> Recount all forum totals and statistics
seems to clear the number in RC4

Tried that a few times. Doesn't seem to work. It's likely caused by the fact that I upgraded from SMF1. The bug is quite old and I've seen multiple places on the internet complain about it in the past.

Forget what I said. It suddenly corrected itself today. I'm amazed. It's finally working!

[snoopy_virtual]

Bufff... Too many different subjects to answer at the same time. Let's see if I can organize them a little:


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

• New version for the mod

Would love to install this mod on my RC4 forum but don't want to risk the manual install. Any ETA on the RC4 update?

Cannot give you any estimate time. It can be anything between a week and a year. Sorry.


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

• Combining the two mods into one install package

Oh, just a suggestion, comment, question, whatever ya want to call it.
Have you ever thought of combining the two mods into one install package? Since the two really do work so well together. I know M-DVD created Stop Spammer and all.... just a thought!

Yes, I thought about it. I see too many pros and cons about it, so if we start talking about it here we could be talking for ages. So, the only thing I will say just now is:

Maybe yes maybe not. Who knows. 


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

• The problem with the spammer's counter

Really don't think the code is to blame! Think it has a lot to do with bots hammering the registration page.

That was my first idea when I saw it. It's very difficult the code has a mistake in that part, because it's a very simple thing. Very straight forward. But I would like to look into it anyway some day. Maybe there are other possible things to consider here ... You never know ...

Anyway, as it's only a number for statistics and information and it's not really important for the way the mod works, it's not in my high priority list.


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

• The problem with the non-existent members that are still requiring approval

I definitely want to have this problem sorted for the next version. I think I have now a pretty good idea about how to sort it. (hope)

In the mean time we will need to continue using any of the work-arounds available.


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

• Compatibility with RC4

I have not been too worried about it because busterone's solution is very easy (just need to edit one line of code).

Anyway, if I see the next version is going to take me longer than what I thought, maybe I will do just an intermediate version (something like a small update) with just a couple of things sorted in it. That will give me time to do the proper next version without rush.


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

• cypdevil's problem

I think all the above problems are only small things compared with the problem cypdevil has. This is really an urgent and big problem. Let's try to concentrate in sorting it:

I receive several tens of spambot registrations/day and they fall into 3 categories:
1. Registration started but not activated (16)
2. Registration started and activated (18)
3. Registration started, activated and a spam message posted (2)
The figures between parentheses were the number in each category yesterday.

On the advice of another user, I tried to install Stop Spammer, hoping it will deal with all 3 categories, banning and deleting them as automatically as possible.

Does it do all these?

Yes. That's exactly what this mod does (and more). That's why I said this is an urgent problem. You need to sort it so you can fight the spammers.

Could you please rewrite for me how the line 556 should appear with my paths, so that I can copy/paste it? You will understand that my knowledge of php code is almost zero and I need my hand held at this stage.

As Wizzlefits already told you, line 556 is correct. The problem cannot be there.

I have sorted similar problems in numerous occasions, but the solution is not general. It always depends on too many things (the kind of server you are using, how is the server configured, the problems you may have with your SMF installation, etc etc).

So we can sort it using 2 different methods:

Either I can post here a lot of questions about the specific things I need to know about your server and SMF installation. Wait for your answers. Ask some more questions, etc etc. Or we can connect using a chat program and do all the process in private.

I think it will be a lot faster if we do it through any messenger program, and anyway, as I said, normally that's not a general problem, so your solution may not be any use for the rest of the people.

It's up to you. Let me know how you want to do it.

[butchs]

The past several weeks I have been working on upgrading my site.  So I made a RC4 version of stopspammer.  See attached.


Someone owes me some beer!

[Wizzlefits]

@cypdevil
Just a suggestion.
Make sure you don't have a corrupted installation of SMF. This will eliminate soooo many "unknowns".
You can do this in about 10 minutes by doing a clean install of
SMF 1.1.12.
Just install into a folder something like yoursiteurl.com/testcopy/.
Setup a different database for the "test" copy too. That way you can play...ah test all you want without effecting your main site.
Note: Do NOT change the default settings, unless you have to. You want to keep it as "default" as possible, eliminating as many variables as possible.

Now... grab a clean copy of Stop Spammer and install it.
In theory...it should install without a hitch.
If it goes good...then your live forum in /smf/ is corrupt.

[Wizzlefits]

The past several weeks I have been working on upgrading my site.  So I made a RC4 version of stopspammer.  See attached.

LOL! You package modder you!

Someone owes me some beer!

[Eudemon]

Someone owes me some beer!

lol u guys are funny
have some beers
so, actually what did you change for 2.0rc4
for the rc3 one i added 2.0rc4 in info and installed fine
just wondering

[butchs]

LOL! You package modder you!

I think i have an illness!  I lost track of the code I wrote this year...   

For some strange reason I have a hankeng for some Spanish beer.

[butchs]

for the rc3 one i added 2.0rc4 in info and installed fine
just wondering

Eeee... That should not work with RC3, there was some code changed between versions.  Attached is my RC3 version.

One more Spanish beer???

[snoopy_virtual]

For some strange reason I have a hankeng for some Spanish beer.

Sorry butchs: Every time we bet a beer I win.

If you want a Spanish beer you should do some code better than me and then bet me a beer about it. If I accept the bet and you prove me wrong you will win a Spanish beer.

Or we could bet something else ...

Eeee... That should not work with RC3, there was some code changed between versions.  Attached is my RC3 version.

If you are doing a different version for this mod you should give it a different name. Something like "StopSpammer_buctchs_version" or something like that.

If you put it here with the same name as M-DVD's and mine that would lead people to confusion. For example I can see now Eudemon is confused:

so, actually what did you change for 2.0rc4
for the rc3 one i added 2.0rc4 in info and installed fine
just wondering

My version for SMF 2.0 RC3 is the official one here:

http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1547

For SMF 2.0 RC4 I have tested 2 different solutions:

• Install the official one doing the small manual change suggested by busterone here:
  http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=283309.msg2837547#msg2837547
  
  That would make the mod work for SMF 2.0 RC4 exactly the same as it works for RC3
  
  
• Install the official one ignoring the error.
  
  That would make the mod work almost the same. The only difference will be that the number of non-existent members that are still requiring approval will be a little worst than it is now. But anyway that number has not been working properly never. So it's not really a big deal.

I haven't tested the 2 versions (for RC3 and RC4) butchs put here today, so I don't know what is in there.

@cypdevil
Just a suggestion.
Make sure you don't have a corrupted installation of SMF. ...

etc

I have been working with cypdevil today through Skype and we have found out the problem was the FTP program he was using was giving the wrong CHMOD values to a lot of files and folders, so his Package Manager was not working properly and couldn't install any mod at all.

He is going to install a new FTP program and re-install again SMF properly. We will see tomorrow if that has sorted the problem or if there is any other problems on his server.