Prevent known spammers

[Tom]

This code prevents known spammers (checked against the stopforumspam.com email database) from registering.

I've used it in core/modules/Registration/Registration.php within the ProcessRegistration function, as so:

// Check email for known spammer
$url = 'http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?email='.$data['email'];
$file = new CodonWebService();
$contents = $file->get($url);
$response = simplexml_load_string($contents);

if($response->appears == 'yes'){
$spammer = true;
} else {
$spammer = false;
}			

if($spammer){
$this->set('message', 'Your email appears on our spam database, we therefore assume you are a spammer and are rejecting your registration request. If you feel this is incorrect please contact us.');
$this->render('core_error.tpl');
return false;
}

It could be condensed a little, but I feel this makes it easier to understand.

[James142]

Thanks

[Strider]

Warning this will g et overwritten in an update, so keep a backup of it on your computer, so maybe nabeel can put this in there for the next update.

[Txmmy83]

great where in ProcessRegistration function should that code pasted?

[Tom]

great where in ProcessRegistration function should that code pasted?

I put it directly after the following:

$data = array(
			'firstname' => $this->post->firstname,
			'lastname' => $this->post->lastname,
			'email' => $this->post->email,
			'password' => $this->post->password1,
			'code' => $this->post->code,
			'location' => $this->post->location,
			'hub' => $this->post->hub,
			'confirm' => false
		);

As long as it's after this part it's fine, but don't put it too far down because it'll create the user before checking...

[Txmmy83]

ok then I did everything right

[Txmmy83]

getting this although registration works

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: Entity: line 6: parser error : Opening and ending tag mismatch: hr line 5 and body in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: </body> in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: ^ in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: Entity: line 7: parser error : Opening and ending tag mismatch: body line 3 and html in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: </html> in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: ^ in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: Entity: line 8: parser error : Premature end of data in tag html line 1 in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

Warning: simplexml_load_string() [function.simplexml-load-string]: ^ in /home/flyeurop/public_html/core/modules/Registration/Registration.php on line 89

so something is setup wrong I guess

thanks in advance

Thomas

[Tom]

Odd, I think I've been receiving the same error...

When I go to the page I get a normal response:

<response success="true">
<type>email</type>
<appears>no</appears>
<frequency>0</frequency>
</response>

yet it seems we're being sent something completely different when it's loaded in the script :S

Will go see if they've made changes to their API terms or something.

Update: I just printed the contents and I'm getting a 403 Forbidden error...

Are you on fivedev?

[Txmmy83]

I am on fivedev

Best regards

Thomas

[Tom]

I have a feeling they may have blocked the fivedev server IP. I wouldn't know why seeing as we'd only be using it for registrations which is ok (they block if you use it too regularly - every visit to your site).

Either that or for some reason it's a problem with our end?

[avdesigns]

Thanks I will let you know how it goes

[flyalaska]

I have used this. It worked for awhile, now all the sudden the spammers are back.

[Kyle]

it might not be working... I see that they have the API Usage limits.

I'll write something up some kind of a status checker tonight to see if the feature is actually working.

[flyalaska]

Is there anyway of catching the ip on registration, than we can block their ip through our host cp?

[Kyle]

I done that as well, I can get the code together and post it here in later tonight.

the blocking IP won't be that realistic since it would require a core change. I won't go into it.

[Tom]

If you were being use limited it would return a 403... that's what the problem was before ^^^

It's purely down to whether the person has been reported as a spammer yet or not. Obviously you're getting them before they've been added...

[Kyle]

Put in the same place what Tom said on the first post.

IP Check to see if spammer.

 // Check IP
 $getIP = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
 $url = 'http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?ip='.$getIP;
 $file = new CodonWebService();
 $contents = $file->get($url);
 $response = simplexml_load_string($contents);
 if($response->appears == 'yes'){
	$spammer = true;
 } else {
	$spammer = false;
 }					  
 if($spammer == true){
	$this->set('message', 'Your IP Address appears to be in our spam\'s provider\'s database, if you think this is not correct, please contact us.');
	$this->render('core_error.tpl');
	return false;
 }

[Tom]

A more effective solution is to check BOTH email and IP:

// Check email & IP for known spammer
$url = 'http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?email='.$data['email'].'&ip='.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$file = new CodonWebService();
$contents = $file->get($url);
$response = simplexml_load_string($contents);
$spammer = false;

foreach($response->appears as $appears){
if($appears == 'yes'){
	$spammer = true;
}
}				  

if($spammer){
$this->set('message', 'Your email address or IP appears on our spam database, we therefore assume you are a spammer and are rejecting your registration request. If you feel this is incorrect please contact us.');
$this->render('core_error.tpl');
return false;
}

(Not tested)

[simpilot]

I have added this script to my VA as well as I was getting the same problem with the roster filling up with spam accounts and have not had a real issue since. I also added a quick email function to send me an email each time a registration is rejected just to see if it was working and it is rejecting on average 10 a day from my site. No matter how detailed you get there will always be something that gets through but that is what website management is all about.

The code I am using including the email function

// Check email for known spammer
$url = 'http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?email='.$data['email'].'&ip='.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$file = new CodonWebService();
$contents = $file->get($url);
$response = simplexml_load_string($contents);

if($response->email == 'yes' || $response->ip == 'yes'){
  $this->set('message', 'Your email or IP address appears on our spam database, we therefore assume
	you are a spammer and are rejecting your registration request. If you feel this is incorrect please contact us.');
  $this->render('core_error.tpl');

	//send email that spam registration rejected
	$email = 'your email address';
	$sub = 'Spam Registration Rejected';
	$message = 'Spam pilot registration rejected using email '.$data['email'].' and
		 IP address '.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'].' on '.date('m/d/Y', time()).' at '.date('g:ia', time());
	Util::SendEmail($email, $sub, $message);

return false;
}
//end spam check

[mattia]

Hi Simpilot

I tried your code but it does not work, I tried to register with an email to my site taken from "http://www.stopforumspam.com" and the registration is successful

[simpilot]

Try it like this, I adjusted the structure some so it should work on any phpvms site.

// Check email for known spammer
$url = 'http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?email='.$data['email'].'&ip='.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$file = new CodonWebService();
$contents = $file->get($url);
$response = simplexml_load_string($contents);
$reject = FALSE;
foreach($response->appears as $data)
{
	if($data == 'yes'){$reject = TRUE;}
}
if($reject == TRUE){
		$this->set('message', 'Your email or IP address appears on our spam database, we therefore assume
			you are a spammer and are rejecting your registration request. If you feel this is incorrect please contact us.');
		$this->render('core_error.tpl');
		//send email that spam registration rejected
		$email = 'Your Email Here';
		$sub = 'Spam Registration Rejected';;
		$message = 'Spam pilot registration rejected using email '.$data['email'].' and
			IP address '.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'].' on '.date('m/d/Y', time()).' at '.date('g:ia', time());
		Util::SendEmail($email, $sub, $message);
return false;
}
//end spam check

[mattia]

Hi Dave

I tried your code works, but in the mail that i have received the spam email is not present

"Spam pilot registration rejected using email and IP address 79.4.191.124 on 05/09/2012 at 11:58am"

many thanks

[simpilot]

I had changed some things from pulling it out of my VA and inadvertently reassigned the $data variable. Try this;

// Check email for known spammer
$url = 'http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?email='.$data['email'].'&ip='.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$file = new CodonWebService();
$contents = $file->get($url);
$response = simplexml_load_string($contents);
$reject = FALSE;
foreach($response->appears as $row)
{
	if($row == 'yes'){$reject = TRUE;}
}
if($reject == TRUE){
		$this->set('message', 'Your email or IP address appears on our spam database, we therefore assume
			you are a spammer and are rejecting your registration request. If you feel this is incorrect please contact us.');
		$this->render('core_error.tpl');
		//send email that spam registration rejected
		$email = 'your email here';
		$sub = 'Spam Registration Rejected';;
		$message = 'Spam pilot registration rejected using email '.$data['email'].' and
			IP address '.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'].' on '.date('m/d/Y', time()).' at '.date('g:ia', time());
		Util::SendEmail($email, $sub, $message);
return false;
}
//end spam check

[mattia]

Many thanks Dave now works perfectly!!!

[Strider]

the code works great

[flyalaska]

I have updated since. Forgot to back up. Forgot exactly where in the Registration.php do I put the code.

[Cor]

Hello,

Last post in this topic is from 6 years ago but a must for us now.

I still not get this thing working. Is anybody using this code and wehre do I have to put it.

tnx 

Cor

[shakamonkey88]

Yes, I'm using it and it's working well. I'm using simpilots code in his last reply in this thread.

It's inserted just after line 99, but this might be a little different to your registration.php

[Cor]

This is how I have it now:

 

/**
     * Registration::ProcessRegistration()
     *
     * @return
     */
    protected function ProcessRegistration()
    {
    
           // Yes, there was an error
        if(!$this->VerifyData()) {
            $this->ShowForm();
            return;
        }
        
        $vbv="VBV";
        
        $data = array(
            'firstname' => $this->post->firstname,
            'lastname' => $this->post->lastname,
            'email' => $this->post->email,
            'password' => $this->post->password1,
            'code' => $vbv,
            'location' => $this->post->location,
            'hub' => $this->post->hub,
            'confirm' => false
        );
        
    
        if(CodonEvent::Dispatch('registration_precomplete', 'Registration', $_POST) == false) {
            return false;
        }
        
                // Check email for known spammer
$url = 'http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?email='.$data['email'].'&ip='.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$file = new CodonWebService();
$contents = $file->get($url);
$response = simplexml_load_string($contents);
$reject = FALSE;
foreach($response->appears as $row)
{
    if($row == 'yes'){$reject = TRUE;}
}
if($reject == TRUE){
        $this->set('message', 'Your email or IP address appears on our spam database, we therefore assume
            you are a spammer and are rejecting your registration request. If you feel this is incorrect please contact us.');
        $this->render('core_error.tpl');
        //send email that spam registration rejected
        $email = 'your email here';
        $sub = 'Spam Registration Rejected';;
        $message = 'Spam pilot registration rejected using email '.$data['email'].' and
            IP address '.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'].' on '.date('m/d/Y', time()).' at '.date('g:ia', time());
        Util::SendEmail($email, $sub, $message);
return false;
}
//end spam check
        

        $ret = RegistrationData::CheckUserEmail($data['email']);

        if($ret) {
            $this->set('error', Lang::gs('email.inuse'));
            $this->render('registration_error.tpl');
            return false;
        }

[shakamonkey88]

1 hour ago, Cor said:

This is how I have it now:

 

/**
     * Registration::ProcessRegistration()

.....

This is mine (core/modules/registration/registration.php) - feel free to have it.  It's cut out all the spam for us.

<?php
/**
 * phpVMS - Virtual Airline Administration Software
 * Copyright (c) 2008 Nabeel Shahzad
 * For more information, visit www.phpvms.net
 *	Forums: http://www.phpvms.net/forum
 *	Documentation: http://www.phpvms.net/docs
 *
 * phpVMS is licenced under the following license:
 *   Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)
 *   View license.txt in the root, or visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
 *
 * @author Nabeel Shahzad
 * @copyright Copyright (c) 2008, Nabeel Shahzad
 * @link http://www.phpvms.net
 * @license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
 */

class Registration extends CodonModule
{
	public function HTMLHead() {
		/*Show our password strength checker
			*/
		if($this->get->page == 'register') {
			$this->renderTemplate('registration_javascript.tpl');
		}
	}


	public function index()
	{
                //updated to Google noCaptcha 1/15
		require_once CORE_LIB_PATH.'/recaptcha/recaptchalib.php';

		if(Auth::LoggedIn()) { // Make sure they don't over-ride it
			$this->render('login_already.tpl');
			return;
		}


		if(isset($_POST['submit'])) {
			$this->ProcessRegistration();
		} else {
			$this->ShowForm();
		}
	}

	protected function ShowForm()
	{
                //Google reCaptcha
                //updated to Google noCaptcha 1/15
                $this->set('sitekey', RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC_KEY);
                $this->set('lang', 'en');

		$field_list = RegistrationData::GetCustomFields();
		$this->set('extrafields', $field_list);
                $this->set('field_list', $field_list);

                $airline_list = OperationsData::getAllAirlines(true);
		$this->set('allairlines', $airline_list);
                $this->set('airline_list', $airline_list);

                $hub_list = OperationsData::getAllHubs();
                $this->set('allhubs', $hub_list);
                $this->set('hub_list', $hub_list);

                $country_list = Countries::getAllCountries();
		$this->set('countries', $country_list);
		$this->set('country_list', $country_list);

		$this->render('registration_mainform.tpl');
	}

	/**
	 * Registration::ProcessRegistration()
	 *
	 * @return
	 */
	protected function ProcessRegistration()
	{

		// Yes, there was an error
		if(!$this->VerifyData()) {
			$this->ShowForm();
            return;
        }

		$data = array(
			'firstname' => $this->post->firstname,
			'lastname' => $this->post->lastname,
			'email' => $this->post->email,
			'password' => $this->post->password1,
			'code' => $this->post->code,
			'location' => $this->post->location,
			'hub' => $this->post->hub,
			'confirm' => false
		);

        // Check email for known spammer
        $url = 'http://www.stopforumspam.com/api?email='.$data['email'].'&ip='.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
        $file = new CodonWebService();
        $contents = $file->get($url);
        $response = simplexml_load_string($contents);
        $reject = FALSE;
        foreach($response->appears as $row)
        {
            if($row == 'yes'){$reject = TRUE;}
        }
        if($reject == TRUE){
            $this->set('message', 'Your email or IP address appears on our spam database, we therefore assume
								 you are a spammer and are rejecting your registration request. If you feel this is incorrect please contact us.');
            $this->render('core_error.tpl');
            //send email that spam registration rejected
            $email = 'YOUR@EMAILHERE.COM';
            $sub = 'Spam Registration Rejected';;
            $message = 'Spam pilot registration rejected using email '.$data['email'].' and
								 IP address '.$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'].' on '.date('m/d/Y', time()).' at '.date('g:ia', time());
            Util::SendEmail($email, $sub, $message);
            return false;
        }
        //end spam check

		if(CodonEvent::Dispatch('registration_precomplete', 'Registration', $_POST) == false) {
			return false;
		}

		$ret = RegistrationData::CheckUserEmail($data['email']);

		if($ret) {
			$this->set('error', Lang::gs('email.inuse'));
			$this->render('registration_error.tpl');
			return false;
		}

		$val = RegistrationData::AddUser($data);
		if($val == false) {
			$this->set('error', RegistrationData::$error);
			$this->render('registration_error.tpl');
			return;
		} else {

			$pilotid = RegistrationData::$pilotid;

			/* Automatically confirm them if that option is set */
			if(Config::Get('PILOT_AUTO_CONFIRM') == true) {
				PilotData::AcceptPilot($pilotid);
				RanksData::CalculatePilotRanks();

				$pilot = PilotData::getPilotData($pilotid);
				$this->set('pilot', $pilot);
				$this->render('registration_autoconfirm.tpl');
			} else { /* Otherwise, wait until an admin confirms the registration */
				RegistrationData::SendEmailConfirm($email, $firstname, $lastname);
				$this->render('registration_sentconfirmation.tpl');
			}
		}

		CodonEvent::Dispatch('registration_complete', 'Registration', $_POST);

		// Registration email/show user is waiting for confirmation
		$sub = 'A user has registered';
		$message = "The user {$data['firstname']} {$data['lastname']} ({$data['email']}) has registered, and is awaiting confirmation.";

		$email = Config::Get('EMAIL_NEW_REGISTRATION');
		if(empty($email)) {
			$email = ADMIN_EMAIL;
		}

		Util::SendEmail($email, $sub, $message);

		// Send email to user
		$this->set('firstname', $data['firstname']);
		$this->set('lastname', $data['lastname']);
		$this->set('userinfo', $data);

		$message = Template::Get('email_registered.tpl', true);
		Util::SendEmail($data['email'], 'Registration at '.SITE_NAME, $message);

		$rss = new RSSFeed('Latest Pilot Registrations', SITE_URL, 'The latest pilot registrations');

        $pilot_list = PilotData::GetLatestPilots();
		foreach($pilot_list as $pilot) {
			$rss->AddItem('Pilot '.PilotData::GetPilotCode($pilot->code, $pilot->pilotid)
							. ' ('.$pilot->firstname .' ' . $pilot->lastname.')',
							SITE_URL.'/admin/index.php?admin=pendingpilots','','');
		}

		$rss->BuildFeed(LIB_PATH.'/rss/latestpilots.rss');

	}

	/*
	 * Process all the registration data
	 */
	protected function VerifyData()
	{
		$error = false;

                //Google reCaptcha
                //updated to Google noCaptcha 1/15
                $resp = null;
                $reCaptcha = new ReCaptcha(RECAPTCHA_PRIVATE_KEY);
                // Was there a reCAPTCHA response?
                if ($_POST["g-recaptcha-response"]) {
                        $resp = $reCaptcha->verifyResponse(
                        $_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"],
                        $_POST["g-recaptcha-response"]
                    );
                }

                //check if reCaptcha response was valid
                if ($resp == null) {
                     $error = true;
                     $this->set('captcha_error', 'reCaptcha Validation Error');
                }
                //end Google reCaptcha

		/* Check the firstname and last name
		 */
		if($this->post->firstname == '') {
			$error = true;
			$this->set('firstname_error', true);
		} else {
		  $this->set('firstname_error', '');

		}

		/* Check the last name
		 */
		if($this->post->lastname == '') {
			$error = true;
			$this->set('lastname_error', true);
		}
		else {
		      $this->set('lastname_error', '');
		}

		/* Check the email address
		 */
		if(filter_var($this->post->email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) == false) {
			$error = true;
			$this->set('email_error', true);
		} else {
            $this->set('email_error', '');
		}


		/* Check the location
		 */
		if($this->post->location == '') {
			$error = true;
			$this->set('location_error', true);
		} else {
            $this->set('location_error', '');
		}

		// Check password length
		if(strlen($this->post->password1) <= 5) {
			$error = true;
			$this->set('password_error', 'The password is too short!');
		} else {
            $this->set('password_error', '');
		}

		// Check is passwords are the same
		if($this->post->password1 != $this->post->password2) {
			$error = true;
			$this->set('password_error', 'The passwords do not match!');
		} else {
            $this->set('password_error', '');
		}
		
		//Get customs fields
		$fields = RegistrationData::getCustomFields();

		if(count($fields) > 0) {
		    foreach ($fields as $field) {
			$value = Vars::POST($field->fieldname);
			$value1 = DB::escape($value);
			if ($field->required == 1 && $value1 == '') {
				$error = true;
				$this->set('custom_'.$field->fieldname.'_error', true);
			} else {
				$this->set('custom_'.$field->fieldname.'_error', '');
			}
		    }
		}

		if($error == true) {
			return false;
		}

		return true;
	}
}

Just change the email in the spam part - in the above code, it shows as YOUR@EMAILHERE.COM