Spam on my PHPBB Board!

rocco.g · Post by **rocco.g** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 2:00 pm

hi!

i have phpBB 2.0.6 installed on my server... everything worked fine since one month ago!

Since then, a lot of spammer users sign in my forum and post a lot of (porno) spam messages with only a series of links and no text!

their nicks have strange numbers and letters, i think they use a program that generate random nicknames to sign in phpBB forums... do u think is it possible?

what i can do in order to solve the problem?

rocco.g · Post by **rocco.g** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 2:07 pm

i just read another topic with the same problem...

i try to install the antispam mod, so!

i hope it will work!

Post by **KevC** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 2:47 pm

rocco.g wrote: hi!

i have phpBB 2.0.6

Forget your spam MOD for the moment. UPDATE!

You're 14 versions out of date. A few spam bots are the least of your problems right now.

http://www.phpbb.com/kb/article.php?article_id=271

Updating will add visual confirmation to your registration which will stop a lot of the bots anyway.

rocco.g · Post by **rocco.g** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 5:55 pm

Kevin Clark wrote:
rocco.g wrote:hi!

i have phpBB 2.0.6

Forget your spam MOD for the moment. UPDATE!

You're 14 versions out of date. A few spam bots are the least of your problems right now.

http://www.phpbb.com/kb/article.php?article_id=271

Updating will add visual confirmation to your registration which will stop a lot of the bots anyway.

the problem is that i can't update my phpBB2 bacause it's too long and dangerous! i think!

Post by **KevC** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 7:14 pm

Would you rather try something which might be tricky unless you try or lose the whole forum to some hackers?

If you have no MODs installed on your forum the update is really easy.

rocco.g · Post by **rocco.g** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 7:26 pm

the problem is that i have at least three or four mods installed on my phpBB2 and so i don't know if it is possible to do a correct upgrade without losing anything...

pentapenguin · Post by **pentapenguin** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 8:55 pm

As Kevin Clark said, you need to either update your forum or you will risk loosing your entire site. Since you are running such an old version, I would recommend the following:

Download the latest version of phpBB. (Download the "Full Package" ZIP file.)
Unzip the package. (If you need a ZIP program, use the free 7-Zip program.)
On your website, make a full backup of all files and the database. (Either download the files via FTP or look for a backup program in your hosting control panel.)
Once you have made a backup, delete all phpBB related files on your site except for config.php
Upload the new phpBB files except for config.php, contrib directory, and the docs directory.
Go to yoursite.com/<phpBB-install-path-here>/install/update_to_latest.php and follow the instructions.
Once you are done there, delete the install directory on your site.
Finally, reapply any MODs or styles.

For a more detailed explanation, see the Re-install / Update phpBB article in our Knowledge Base.

Thread Moved to Support

kingscott · Post by **kingscott** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 9:24 pm

You are risking a awfull lot simply because you don't want to do the work of upgrading.

rocco.g · Post by **rocco.g** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 12:10 am

i have to study a lot because i'm during the period of my university exams

however, i try to follow ur advices, guys!

i'll do this tomorrow!

but i would like to undestand something before to do it...

i have MODs installed..

so i have to backup all my data and all my sql database, then i have to upload the latest version of phpBB2 by using always my old config.php file...
but before to follow the instructions i have to clean all the tables created with my previous MODs?

but i risk to lose all my old sql db?

is it really dangerous to leave my phpBB2 forum at the version 2.0.6?

(can i use a full modded-version of the latest phpBB2? so i don't have to install again my previous MODs)

p.s. sorry for my english...

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:38 am

sure , you can use a premodded version. however,
first, you would not get support for it here.

second, you may not find one with just the MODs you want.
third, they are very prone to be insecure and not kept up to date like the version get from here.

now, to upgrade your current board. It would be better to start fresh and only install the MODs that you really want and /or need.

however, there is a way to upgrade the files manually or with easymod.
you would use the MOD style upgrade found here:
Mod Updates

none of this will affect your data because it is separate from the phpbb files.

not upgrading is very risky and you stand to lose everything. You have to be really trying, before you can lose everything while upgrading.

robert

yellowishjazz · Post by **yellowishjazz** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:55 am

I had the same problem on my forum last year. I hope you can get it fixed.

rocco.g · Post by **rocco.g** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 12:31 pm

ok...

i started the upgrade process

but i have some problems... i'll post them in the correct forum section...

thanks to all!

dizzy05 · Post by **dizzy05** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:37 pm

ok i am also having probs with bots reg and leaving links to porn sites etc my version is 2.0.18 and i have read and read and read all your advice and explinations on how to do it in the knowledge section and it all seems complicated and risky ..... and those that have done it have had probs after ...but like you say also above i dont want my site hacked ...BUT...

first i have no idea if my site as a MOD! or what one is
second alot of the explinations go right over my head. its not a matter of not wanting to do the work i just dont knw were to start or how ......why cant the update be like a msn update were u download it and it overwrites itself!!! lol

www.dizzys-rottweilers.co.uk

LVZ · Post by **LVZ** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 11:04 pm

A simple quick fix for older 2.0.1x versions:

When I removed the web site URL field from registratation, URL spammers were still registering. These had to be 'bots' that could bypass my registration page. So, I made sure that any registration with a URL was AUTOMATICALLY killed by changing two files:

File #1: templates/subSilver/profile_add_body.tpl --- at about line 100, just comment out (or delete) website & location.

Code: Select all

<!--	<tr> 
	  <td class="row1"><span class="gen">{L_WEBSITE}:</span></td>
	  <td class="row2"> 
		<input type="text" class="post"style="width: 200px"  name="website" size="25" maxlength="255" value="{WEBSITE}" />
	  </td>
	</tr>
	<tr> 
	  <td class="row1"><span class="gen">{L_LOCATION}:</span></td>
	  <td class="row2"> 
		<input type="text" class="post"style="width: 200px"  name="location" size="25" maxlength="100" value="{LOCATION}" />
	  </td>
	</tr>
-->

File #2: includes/functions_validate.php --- about line 190, insert this kill code (start at echo):

Code: Select all

	if ($website != "")
	{
            echo "DIE, SPAMMER, DIE !!!\r\n";
            $website = 'spammer - no URL website addresses allowed';
            mysql_close(); ob_clean(); exit();

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