/* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Discuss general Uzebox topics here: features, wish list. nice to have, etc.
User avatar
nicksen782
Posts: 714
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:23 pm
Location: Detroit, United States
Contact:

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by nicksen782 »

So, I've noticed that we are being hit with spam bots again. I've updated the anti-spam bot and have had it in continuous operation for a couple of weeks. I'm just going to leave it on. The users "BrantHop" and "GalenCab" are bots. I would like to request that their accounts be deleted. I have records of all deletions by the anti-spam bot. Additionally, the moderator logs will show it. Each deleted post also includes a the reason for its deletion.

Are there some additional rights that I could have that could help me with the forum's built in protection?
User avatar
Jubatian
Posts: 1563
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:44 pm
Location: Hungary
Contact:

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by Jubatian »

I did some deletions by the logs, wiping out users which were targeted by the anti-spam bot (neither of them did anything useful ever).

I also switched the antispam protection of the registration form to Q&A with some I guess not too difficult Uzebox-related questions. People genuinely interested in us should be able to answer them (I think).

Maybe all zero post users should be purged, I am fairly certain that we are very much full of them, most likely all of those were spam registrations (maybe such users more than a year old, those are rather unlikely to be bound to any real person caring any more).
User avatar
nicksen782
Posts: 714
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:23 pm
Location: Detroit, United States
Contact:

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by nicksen782 »

419 posts deleted today thus far by the anti-spam bot.

I have IP addresses, post times, topic text, and usernames. If that info helps you then PM me for it.

We have had a handful of spam messages over the last month but today it is already over 400. Clearly they are stepping up their game again.

Alec did purge quite a bit of the 0 post users. We compared the member list with a list of users that the spam bot deleted the posts for.
User avatar
Jubatian
Posts: 1563
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:44 pm
Location: Hungary
Contact:

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by Jubatian »

nicksen782 wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:00 pm 419 posts deleted today thus far by the anti-spam bot.

I have IP addresses, post times, topic text, and usernames. If that info helps you then PM me for it.

We have had a handful of spam messages over the last month but today it is already over 400. Clearly they are stepping up their game again.
I saw that in the moderator logs (maybe only an admin can view those), the "BrandtHop" user was even someone who I remember deleting before (apparently re-registered with the same name).

If the Q&A is OK, we will see what they can do with it. If they are all bots then this should halt them, it should also keep out real people spammers (or possible registrations made by real people which are then passed over to bots).
User avatar
nicksen782
Posts: 714
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:23 pm
Location: Detroit, United States
Contact:

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by nicksen782 »

Their usernames remain in the anti-spam bot's black list so if they re-register then their posts are deleted. I remember adding branthop within the last month. I can read the moderator logs. Today took up 5 pages worth.

I'm really glad that I kept I Hate Spam up to date.

Thanks Jubation.
User avatar
D3thAdd3r
Posts: 3222
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:00 am
Location: Minneapolis, United States

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by D3thAdd3r »

Awesome, thanks for this!
User avatar
Kilo
Posts: 330
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:43 pm
Location: AC, Germany

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by Kilo »

It heads up...
Every day new spam topics which I delete.
As a mod I am not able to ban these spam user. I can only delete the topics.
The last digit of Pi is 7! I calculated this, as I counted to infinity yesterday!
User avatar
L4rry
Posts: 242
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2014 7:19 am
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by L4rry »

Kilo wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:15 am It heads up...
Every day new spam topics which I delete.
As a mod I am not able to ban these spam user. I can only delete the topics.
Much appreciated. I momentarily got excited about what the new game 'Hot Galleries' might be all about... :lol:
User avatar
Kilo
Posts: 330
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:43 pm
Location: AC, Germany

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by Kilo »

I was already looking forward to this game :lol:

Damn... today it is very frustrated to delete all this threads.
Always new users every few minutes
The last digit of Pi is 7! I calculated this, as I counted to infinity yesterday!
User avatar
nicksen782
Posts: 714
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:23 pm
Location: Detroit, United States
Contact:

Re: /* Bot Spam and IP Bans */

Post by nicksen782 »

My anti-forum-spam bot acts as a mass post deleter. During it's creation we had lots of posts from the same usernames and ip ranges. It was not based on keywords or post contents for fear of deleting a legitimate post. However, any thread whose last post comes from a known trusted member wouldn't be deleted.

I'm an admin now and I deleted a few accounts yesterday. But, I can also see the recently created accounts list. I expect they are spam accounts that will be used in the future.

I'm more concerned that these accounts could be created. There is a spam counter measure that is supposed to be enabled with up to 10 questions about Uzebox that a bot wouldn't know. I don't think they are working or they can be easily defeated.

I wonder, perhaps we can move to admin approved new accounts? It would be hassle but we aren't super high traffic anyway. I don't want this spam here any more than you do.
Post Reply