Shoutbox spam even with no guest access in settings

[Dianna]

Site:  www.schreeandbaby.com/index.php
SMF: 1.1.8
TinyPortal: v1.0 beta 3 (LOVE IT!)
Mods: TPShout, Zcommunity Blog, SMF Media Gallery


Hey you guys!  Yes, I'm back, still plugging along.

Having a crazy problem, my tp shoutbox is shouting waaaaaayyyy too much with spam!  I haven't even opened my site yet and I'm getting pummeled with it.  I realized that I needed to change it to "no" on the guest access in my settings. However, that hasn't stopped the spam. I don't know how they are getting access. 

I've cleared out all spammers from the forum so not sure how they are getting there. It seems the no guest settings isn't setting? 

I definitely need to install some more spambot guards for my forum registration. That's next on list. But the shoutbox makes no sense. I didn't see anyone here with this issue of still getting spam even with no guest access.  Of course I would have to be to be the oddball.   

If you look at my site, note that I just cleared them off. I've been a slave to clearing them out. But I'm sure they will be adding in not time. 

ETA:  Hang on, I may have JUST found it just as soon as I send this question. I just found 3 spammers hidden in my members list that I was able to do a sort by "last on the forum" and it was easy to see them since no real forum members know how to get to the new forum yet. So I may have found my culprits.  I should delete this question, but I'll leave it in case someone else has the sam eissue. Or in case it doesn't work, I'll be back and append to this. 

[Zetan]

Hey Dianna, good job on finding the problem :up:
I suggest installing one, or more of the security mods from SMF.

Have a read of this topic:
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=273816.0

I personally use reCAPTCHA and haven't had any rogue spammers successfully register in a while. There are other mods if you prefer. Antibot puzzles, like a simple math question, or a series of question / response text fields.

Please leave the topic up, it's a good reminder for everybody to keep aware of the sneaky ways that they use to spam.. like Sleeper members.

[Dianna]

Hi Zetan!  Thanks!  Yep, it worked.  Those 3 spammers that I found in the member list were my culprits. They were spamming my shoutbox like it was their job. Oh wait, I guess it is their jobs. haha! 

So if anyone else has the same problem after checking no guest access, BE SURE to comb your member list. Do a "last on the forum" sort and it may help you see who they are. 

Zetan, thanks for the link, I'm going to go check it out now. I think I'm also going to add the puzzle mod.  I've set my settings to authorize all new registers for now so I can manually stop the spam, but that's NOT ideal for new members having to wait or having to work that hard to authorize new registers.  I think I'll also try the puzzle mod, I saw that.

I'm now realizing how important it is to put the stop spam measures in place on a new forum.  Amazing how they can find you!  URG. 

p.s. Ichbin mentioned Firebug to me and I see you have a link to it from your profile. Cool, I need to check that out as well! :-)

[Zetan]

It's been a bane for a long time, spam. You just have to keep on top of it, unfortunately, somebody's site usually suffers new exploits found, and hopefully they do the right thing and report it. Usually you'll get a wave of hits across several sites.

Whether you had guest access checked or not, they weren't guests. they were registered members?


Firebug is useful, one amongst many useful extensions for Firefox.

[Dianna]

Yep, they were REGISTERED members and not guests. 

So anyone still getting spammed after checking off the guest access, look at your member list. 

I was just looking at firebug, can't wait to install over on my mac and try it out. I'm hoping it can help with some CSS issues I'm having. ;-)