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Spam bots
Topic Started: Apr 23 2009, 07:53 AM (1,315 Views)
Striking Fire-ZNS
Member
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Recently my board has been attacked by a huge amount of spam bots, and the only way I know I can remove them are by banning IPs and removing them through remove members.

Are there better ways to prevent these things from coming? Isn't there a way to add the 2x2 question in the registration thingy?

http://phantomgaming.co.cc
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Bluezone777
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Have they posted any topics or posts? If so t hen link us to them if you haven't deleted them and the accounts. This can help ZB staff to figure out what the bots that are getting through are doing so they can be stopped.
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Striking Fire-ZNS
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I deleted all the bots,but next one that shows up, I'll let you guys know.
One of the topics posted by them is here.

http://phantomgaming.co.cc/topic/1540153/1/#new

the articles and such posted are much like this, and revolve mainly around Ipods.
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Amanda
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Love, Reign O'er Me
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That's a lot like the spam that's been hitting this place lately.
I must have reported about a dozen of them in recent weeks but they appear to have quietened down now (fingers crossed).
Not exactly sure if they are bots or what they are though, as ZB anti bot measures are pretty advanced.
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Bluezone777
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That could be a human manually posting that. You never know for sure as it doesn't look like a typical spam bot post that I seen in the past.
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Striking Fire-ZNS
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are there any ways to prevent them from joining?

@ bluezone, nah, I've recieved about 10-20 of them, some with the exact same IP. they aren't human.
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Brian
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Go Irish!

If you get what you think might be a bot posting, in the future, move it to someplace out of the way and ban, but don't delete the account that posted it. This will allow us to investigate if you report it through a support ticket.

Brian
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Striking Fire-ZNS
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they usually join daily, but when one does, I'll send it a ticket. Thanks for the help.
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swytie
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Dashing Administrator
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I was about to post this myself. I have had a surge of them. I haven't deleted the accounts yet, but I have temporarily enabled Admin Validation.

Board URL: http://www.dashing.co.nr

Some of the topics:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1545401/1/
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1545408/1/
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1511508/1/#new

Oh, this hasn't just been happening on Zetaboards. It's been attacking practically all the forum software at the moment, including ones like Proboards, IF and phpBB3.
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Brian
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Go Irish!

swytie
Apr 24 2009, 03:26 AM
I was about to post this myself. I have had a surge of them. I haven't deleted the accounts yet, but I have temporarily enabled Admin Validation.

Board URL: http://www.dashing.co.nr

Some of the topics:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1545401/1/
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1545408/1/
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1511508/1/#new

Oh, this hasn't just been happening on Zetaboards. It's been attacking practically all the forum software at the moment, including ones like Proboards, IF and phpBB3.
Not sure if you meant to do it, but those are all the same topic.

I've seen that one a few times. We're working on an update that will prevent even these few stray ones from getting through :)
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Axonite-ZNS
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I actually logged onto one of my theme test boards and saw that 3 bots had posted in one of the forums.
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swytie
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Dashing Administrator
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Brian
Apr 24 2009, 08:49 AM
swytie
Apr 24 2009, 03:26 AM
I was about to post this myself. I have had a surge of them. I haven't deleted the accounts yet, but I have temporarily enabled Admin Validation.

Board URL: http://www.dashing.co.nr

Some of the topics:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1545401/1/
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1545408/1/
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1511508/1/#new

Oh, this hasn't just been happening on Zetaboards. It's been attacking practically all the forum software at the moment, including ones like Proboards, IF and phpBB3.
Not sure if you meant to do it, but those are all the same topic.

I've seen that one a few times. We're working on an update that will prevent even these few stray ones from getting through :)

Actually, they're not. They all just have similar URL addresses.

Eh, we'll try again:
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1511508/1/#new
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1545408/1/#new
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1538850/1/#new
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1540270/1/
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1545401/1/#new
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1530408/1/
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1540140/1/
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1530514/1/
- http://s1.zetaboards.com/Dashing/topic/1511671/1/#new

Quote:
 
Not exactly sure if they are bots or what they are though, as ZB anti bot measures are pretty advanced.

I don't see how that's the case. There is no potential "error-checking" sort of thing for the custom profile fields (for example, there is no way to lock an account if they pick the "dumb" answer from a field saying something like "Are you a bot?"), nor is there even CAPTCHA (and if there is, I've yet to come across it). The only real option you have is to have a text field with the max on 5 and just hope that the bot types with more than 5 characters, but what is the likeliness of that? -_-
Edited by swytie, Apr 24 2009, 09:42 AM.
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Striking Fire-ZNS
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a bot has joined again, i have sent a ticket.
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Jonathan
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Thanks. If you keep replying to the ticket with links, we'll look in to them. :)

Jonathan
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Striking Fire-ZNS
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that will take a couple of days. They usually join when I'm asleep.
I just got two bots, each with a topic.
First one, by Janeric
http://phantomgaming.co.cc/topic/1562913/1/#new
Second one, by Goldfish 99
http://phantomgaming.co.cc/topic/1563558/1/#new

Let me know if these seem to be human,not bots, cause if so, I know who to yell at.
The problem has gotten worse. About 6 others joined.
I sent a ticket, but any other help here would be useful.
Edited by Striking Fire-ZNS, Apr 29 2009, 07:54 AM.
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