Spam Bots

Nuke Cadet Joined: Apr 08, 2009 Posts: 3

I'm being seriously overran by spam bots... around 20 new registrations a day, plus the spam on the board.

My install is running phpbb 2.0.22, and it says it should be upgraded to 2.0.23... is this the way to fix my problem? If so, can you point me in the right direction to install 2.0.23? My searches are turning up diddly.

I believe I have 7.6 installed, but it has been so long since I installed it I cannot remember how to find it!

Thanks for your help,
-bort

Site Admin Joined: Aug 17, 2003 Posts: 12482

You want BBToNuke 2.0.23
But of course, spambots have already broken it. Every CAPCHTA I've seen has been bypassed, sooner or later.

Nuke Cadet Joined: Apr 08, 2009 Posts: 3

Argh, you are right.... a few short hours after installing the upgrade and cleaning them out of my user database, they are back. Is there nothing to be done?

-bort

Captain Joined: Sep 13, 2003 Posts: 355

Install bbantispam or Advanced Textual Confirmation. I have not had a single spam since I installed it 2 years ago. It introduces a simple question that should be answered correctly once. Put the installation code in config.php, because then all type of spam in PHP-Nuke is stopped.

http://www.bbantispam.com
http://www.bbantispam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=305

Nuke Cadet Joined: Apr 08, 2009 Posts: 3

You are a prince amongst men... So far, it does a great job catching the posts... I put it into the "Your_account" section as well, but it doesn't block the creation of an account, only the login. Any ideas on where to put it in order to prevent the bot from even making an account, and therefore cluttering my user database?

Thanks,

-bort

Captain Joined: Sep 13, 2003 Posts: 355

I have the installation code for bbantispam in config.php and then all spam in PHP-Nuke is stopped. I have not had a single spam registered member in two years. If your site has a non-english language also translate bbantispam questions to your language to stop human spammers from abroad.

Captain Joined: Oct 10, 2004 Posts: 563

After serval yrs and also =http script kiddies and attacks by machies controled by bots mainly cause over 80% of OS are not update and/or pirate versions....
I and a lot of other web masters have hand enough of countries/isp doing nothing and dont follow up complaints

Damn near all come out of Brazil, turkey, Russia, eastern bloc, Iran, somesth American countries...So I have blocked most of these countries
Plus many isp s in France, Ngermany, Italy, poland and USA sit around with their fingers up their bum

So have taken them out to with CIDR...
I have not blocked a single member, or legit visit...hits per day, not including search engine bots drope from 4500 to 5000 to 1500 to 2200

Happy chappie

The only way this crap will ever be sorted is webmaster blanket blocking these countries/isp then their customers will either jump up and down cause very limited access to the net and or change isps.

I used to get hacked 1 or 2 times a yr...havnt for 18 months

Extreme? yeah!!

Oh hi guys, havnt been around for a while...couple yrs, busy breeding endangered parrots, grand children, restoring old cars and heaps of work.
Hope all is still well with you
Cheers
Steps

Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:09 am

Almost no spam since i started using bbantispam like a year ago its awesome. I too also have resorted to blocking certain countries, which i hate to do, but without doing so cant get any sleep before my phone will ring telling me to wake up theres problems.

those two things did the trick! my staff and i can sleep at night.