Hard Light Productions Forums

Community Projects => The FreeSpace Wiki Project => Topic started by: Snail on July 13, 2008, 09:20:28 am

Title: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Snail on July 13, 2008, 09:20:28 am
Yeah, again. Spambots have started dicking around with our Wiki again. Has the registration security thing been removed or something? What are we going to do to stop them, or have measures already been put in place?
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Stormkeeper on July 13, 2008, 09:42:56 am
Spambots?

I only see one instance of spam.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Snail on July 13, 2008, 09:58:51 am
I only see one instance of spam.
Then (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/TrtaoUvare) you (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DelcnAtroc) are (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/PasliRocaa) truly (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/ViracGetli) lost (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/MonroBasli)
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Stormkeeper on July 13, 2008, 10:58:36 am
Yea, I noticed them after I posted that reply.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Goober5000 on July 13, 2008, 11:48:05 am
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! :mad:  Somebody disabled the CAPTCHA extension.  The admins shall hear of this!
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Shade on July 13, 2008, 11:58:13 am
They seem to be operating from a fairly narrow IP range. Many attempts at account creation have already been autoblocked due to originating from the same IP as a blocked user, so even without the CAPTCHA I'd say this "invasion" is under control. Still, it'll be nice to have it back... less work is good :p

Also, I might add, these are the lamest examples of vandalism I've ever seen. You'd think if they were going to vandalise, they'd at least add an advetisement link or do some real damage instead of just inserting a single word of gibberish at the very start of the article :lol:
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Goober5000 on July 13, 2008, 12:03:57 pm
Some people just like being evil, I guess.  There's undoubtedly a special place in hell reserved exclusively for spammers.

Anyway, I've re-enabled the CAPTCHA.  It only pops up on new account registration (confirmed) or login failure (which I couldn't confirm).  We'll see what happens.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Wanderer on July 13, 2008, 12:40:40 pm
They seem to be operating from a fairly narrow IP range. Many attempts at account creation have already been autoblocked due to originating from the same IP as a blocked user, so even without the CAPTCHA I'd say this "invasion" is under control. Still, it'll be nice to have it back... less work is good :p

Also, I might add, these are the lamest examples of vandalism I've ever seen. You'd think if they were going to vandalise, they'd at least add an advetisement link or do some real damage instead of just inserting a single word of gibberish at the very start of the article :lol:
Yeah.. these ones are really boring.. During the previous incidents there were some spambots actively pleading for mercy so that their edits wouldn't be deleted :D .
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Snail on July 13, 2008, 12:43:17 pm
Yeah.. these ones are really boring.. During the previous incidents there were some spambots actively pleading for mercy so that their edits wouldn't be deleted :D .
lol wut?
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Goober5000 on July 13, 2008, 12:49:00 pm
:wtf: Bots generally don't plead for mercy.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Stormkeeper on July 13, 2008, 12:55:46 pm
Yeah.. these ones are really boring.. During the previous incidents there were some spambots actively pleading for mercy so that their edits wouldn't be deleted :D .
Wut. You sure those were real bots?
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Wanderer on July 13, 2008, 01:03:32 pm
Well.. they had within the spammed sections comments like 'please leave my edits here... i'm just trying to make a living and provide food for my starving family' etc.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Stormkeeper on July 13, 2008, 01:06:51 pm
Well.. they had within the spammed sections comments like 'please leave my edits here... i'm just trying to make a living and provide food for my starving family' etc.
Oookay. Definitely a bot. Make a living from editing wikis? And if you really had a starving family, shouldn't you sell your computer?
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Jeff Vader on July 13, 2008, 01:08:07 pm
And if you really had a starving family, shouldn't you sell your computer?
That, or feed it to them.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Stormkeeper on July 13, 2008, 01:10:30 pm
Incoming edit ! Spammer configuration!

.... Sorry, couldn't resist.

I suppose the CAPTCHA should captcha any remaining spam bots.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Snail on July 13, 2008, 01:13:18 pm
:wtf: Bots generally don't plead for mercy.
Sentient bots do.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: nubbles526 on July 13, 2008, 09:02:38 pm
:wtf: Bots generally don't plead for mercy.
Sentient bots do.
C3PO?

and what does CAPTCHA stand for? It does sound catchy though.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Stormkeeper on July 13, 2008, 09:04:41 pm
CAPTCHA captchas, as far as I know. Probably monitors incoming connections from an IP range and if they don't prove they're not bots, bans them or prevents registration.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Goober5000 on July 13, 2008, 09:43:43 pm
Google is your friend. :rolleyes:

You're on the Internet.  Use it.
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Talon 1024 on July 13, 2008, 10:57:20 pm
CAPTCHA is an internet security method that uses an image with text that is only readable by humans.  It simply asks you for what is written on the image.  It's a way to verify that you're a human and not a spambot. ;)
Title: Re: Spambot Invasion
Post by: Snail on July 16, 2008, 11:55:13 am
Quote from: Wikipedia on CAPTCHA
The term "CAPTCHA" was coined in 2000 by Luis von Ahn, Manuel Blum, Nicholas J. Hopper (all of Carnegie Mellon University), and John Langford (then of IBM). It is a contrived acronym for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart", trademarked by Carnegie Mellon University.[citation needed]