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#1   10-03-2008, 04:52 AM
Nick R has a spectacular aura about Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 144 Location: Sarasota, FL
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User-Submitted Tools: MrLogin, OnlineClock
New SPAM Breakthrough


It appears that there is a new SPAM breakthrough and vBulletin is suceptible.

Quote:
It does appear that a certain spam program has released an update in the last few days that is able to decipher the image captchas of gmail, Invision, PHPBB, and vBulletin. Since gmail is broken, the script can automatically create email addresses for email verification.

The update for this program states that it hasn't broken recaptcha, but it is only a matter of time (short time at best) before it is broken as well.

To continue to devise an image captcha, that is increasingly difficult for humans to decipher, leads to a captcha that only a computer can decipher. This is why I built the image captcha to be configurable by the end user.

If you are using the image captcha, change the fonts and the backgrounds. In your forums/images/regimage directory, you will find a fonts/ and a backgrounds/ directory. Remove all of the default fonts in the fonts directory and add a collection of your own .ttf fonts. You can get freeware fonts all over the web. Pick some that are a bit strange but still readible and stick them in the directory. The backgrounds are 201x61 jpg images. Create your own, I suggest putting some text on them, that will really confuse the script, just do it so that when the captcha text is added to it by vBulletin, it doesn't confuse your registrees. The system will automatically use the fonts and images that you add to the appropriate directories.

When using the QA system, don't create questions like these:

What is 2 + 2?
Please enter the word "brown".

The nefarious script at work here can most likely handle those questions. You must ask a question that doesn't give the answer in the question. I suspect something like "If you have three apples and eat one, how many do you have left?" would work.

Adding required fields will also no longer work. The script can handle the "required field missing" errors and resubmit with those fields filled in.
[vB 3.7] How to Reduce Spam and Registration Bots - vBulletin Community Forum
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#2   10-03-2008, 06:37 AM
Send a message via AIM to Caddyman Send a message via MSN to Caddyman Send a message via Yahoo to Caddyman Send a message via Skype™ to Caddyman Caddyman is just really niceCaddyman is just really niceCaddyman is just really nice Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 3,354 Location: Delaware
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Sallie Mae to bring 1,100 jobs to Delaware
Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


can someone tell me how i DISABLED new registrations on my WPMU install and they are STILL registering....now im baffled.
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Philly Sports
Delaware Online
PA Forums
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#3   10-03-2008, 07:06 AM
Send a message via AIM to ArnyVee Send a message via Yahoo to ArnyVee Send a message via Skype™ to ArnyVee ArnyVee is a jewel in the rough Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,095 Location: South Florida
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November 20th - Daily Disney History
Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


Wow, this is interesting information. Looks like vBulletin needs to step it up with another 'security' piece of the puzzle.

Chase, that's strange how you disabled new registrations and they are still registering. Have you visited the WordPress MU forums to see if anyone else had any info?
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#4   10-03-2008, 07:21 AM
Send a message via AIM to Caddyman Send a message via MSN to Caddyman Send a message via Yahoo to Caddyman Send a message via Skype™ to Caddyman Caddyman is just really niceCaddyman is just really niceCaddyman is just really nice Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 3,354 Location: Delaware
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Sallie Mae to bring 1,100 jobs to Delaware
Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


well so far I have

cleaned up the site, files, etc....
upgraded to the latest MU
installed and got API keys for ReCaptcha
setup security question as password that has to be obtained from me
changed my admin password
re-enabled registrations

I am hoping it was a flaw in a plugin or plugin install and me cleaning up and fixing all the plugins and what not will fix it.....i hope....
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Philly Sports
Delaware Online
PA Forums
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#5   10-03-2008, 07:29 AM
Send a message via AIM to ArnyVee Send a message via Yahoo to ArnyVee Send a message via Skype™ to ArnyVee ArnyVee is a jewel in the rough Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,095 Location: South Florida
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November 20th - Daily Disney History
Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


That should do it Chase. If not, then you might want to check the flux capicitor...might not have enough jigawatts to function correctly.
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#6   10-03-2008, 11:46 AM
Soliloquy is a jewel in the rough Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,624 Location: New York City
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Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


thanks for the information, I'll try changing the captcha font to my logo font...
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Science Chats | Disabled NYC | The Chic Petite
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#7   10-03-2008, 11:58 AM
Send a message via AIM to Sweetnkky Sweetnkky will become famous soon enough Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 60 Location: TN
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Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


I change mine to ask a question and I have not had a spambot within the last couple hours. Which is a change because I was getting at least 5 within a couple hours.
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Nikky
WorldForMoms
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#8   10-03-2008, 02:07 PM
snakeair is a jewel in the rough Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 213 Location: USA, NJ
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Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


I got hit this morning and took care of the adult ad posters. I hope i didn't missing any threads since i was half asleep while browsing my forum this morning.

I left PHPBB cause of the spam bot problem's. WTF! lol
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Free To Advertise Forum
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#9   10-03-2008, 02:25 PM
popowich is a jewel in the rough Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 172 Location: Rochester, New York
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Can I transfer my AOL address book and e-mail to Verizon?
Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


I have not had any problems recently. One forum I help with got a random porn spam so I added a question and the 15+ posts to link product. On my e-mail forum i have guests posting enabled (yeah!) in an effort to get more comments on articles that I digg but have registrations from .ru e-mail addresses blocked.

-Raymond
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New York Forum | E-Mail Questions
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#10   10-03-2008, 03:08 PM
Noodles has a spectacular aura about Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 94 Location: Auckland, NZ
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Freezer Jam
Re: New SPAM Breakthrough


I've actually seen less spam posts in the last few days. I'm not sure if it's a trend or just a fluctuation though.
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Cooking Forums | Motorcycle Forums
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