Ideas and best practices to secure a member registration system

[modifiedcontent]

I have my own register-login-profile/account page system. I know that Ryan recently released an official module for this, but there may be an advantage to having my own custom solution. Anyway, it seems to work well.

But, I have been getting annoying Russian hack attempt accounts, mostly as 'guests' that don't bother to use the activation link.

Most if not all of these accounts have this in the name field:

No Subscription Detected
Not Recognized

...which makes them relatively easy to filter out from real name accounts.

Where do these "strings" come from? I can't find them in Processwire's source. Are the hackers using some kind of tool that inserts these for some reason? Or is it a PHP thing? Does anyone recognize them? Does it mean they are using some kind of backdoor instead of the registration form?

In general, what are the best practices to secure my registration form, prevent spam accounts, etc.?

I'll start with adding a check to block IP addresses that try to register with 'Not Recognized' etc. in the name field I guess.

 

 

[abdus]

User agent blocking may help. From Perishable Press:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^$|\<|\>|\'|\%|\_iRc|\_Works|\@\$x|\<\?|\$x0e|\+select\+|\+union\+|1\,\1\,1\,|2icommerce|3GSE|4all|59\.64\.153\.|88\.0\.106\.|98|85\.17\.|A\_Browser|ABAC|Abont|abot|Accept|Access|Accoo|AceFTP|Acme|ActiveTouristBot|Address|Adopt|adress|adressendeutschland|ADSARobot|agent|ah\-ha|Ahead|AESOP\_com\_SpiderMan|aipbot|Alarm|Albert|Alek|Alexibot|Alligator|AllSubmitter|alma|almaden|ALot|Alpha|aktuelles|Akregat|Amfi|amzn\_assoc|Anal|Anarchie|andit|Anon|AnotherBot|Ansearch|AnswerBus|antivirx|Apexoo|appie|Aqua_Products|Arachmo|archive|arian|ASPSe|ASSORT|aster|Atari|ATHENS|AtHome|Atlocal|Atomic_Email_Hunter|Atomz|Atrop|^attach|attrib|autoemailspider|autohttp|axod|batch|b2w|Back|BackDoorBot|BackStreet|BackWeb|Badass|Baid|Bali|Bandit|Baidu|Barry|BasicHTTP|BatchFTP|bdfetch|beat|Become|Beij|BenchMark|berts|bew|big.brother|Bigfoot|Bilgi|Bison|Bitacle|Biz360|Black|Black.Hole|BlackWidow|bladder.fusion|Blaiz|Blog.Checker|Blogl|BlogPeople|Blogshares.Spiders|Bloodhound|Blow|bmclient|Board|BOI|boitho|Bond|Bookmark.search.tool|boris|Bost|Boston.Project|BotRightHere|Bot.mailto:craftbot@yahoo.com|BotALot|botpaidtoclick|botw|brandwatch|BravoBrian|Brok|Bropwers|Broth|browseabit|BrowseX|Browsezilla|Bruin|bsalsa|Buddy|Build|Built|Bulls|bumblebee|Bunny|Busca|Busi|Buy|bwh3|c\-spider|CafeK|Cafi|camel|Cand|captu|Catch|cd34|Ceg|CFNetwork|cgichk|Cha0s|Chang|chaos|Char|char\(32\,35\)|charlotte|CheeseBot|Chek|CherryPicker|chill|ChinaClaw|CICC|Cisco|Cita|Clam|Claw|Click.Bot|clipping|clshttp|Clush|COAST|ColdFusion|Coll|Comb|commentreader|Compan|contact|Control|contype|Conc|Conv|Copernic|Copi|Copy|Coral|Corn|core-project|cosmos|costa|cr4nk|crank|craft|Crap|Crawler0|Crazy|Cres|cs\-CZ|cuill|Curl|Custo|Cute|CSHttp|Cyber|cyberalert|^DA$|daoBot|DARK|Data|Daten|Daum|dcbot|dcs|Deep|DepS|Detect|Deweb|Diam|Digger|Digimarc|digout4uagent|DIIbot|Dillo|Ding|DISC|discobot|Disp|Ditto|DLC|DnloadMage|DotBot|Doubanbot|Download|Download.Demon|Download.Devil|Download.Wonder|Downloader|drag|DreamPassport|Drec|Drip|dsdl|dsok|DSurf|DTAAgent|DTS|Dual|dumb|DynaWeb|e\-collector|eag|earn|EARTHCOM|EasyDL|ebin|EBM-APPLE|EBrowse|eCatch|echo|ecollector|Edco|edgeio|efp\@gmx\.net|EirGrabber|email|Email.Extractor|EmailCollector|EmailSearch|EmailSiphon|EmailWolf|Emer|empas|Enfi|Enhan|Enterprise\_Search|envolk|erck|EroCr|ESurf|Eval|Evil|Evere|EWH|Exabot|Exact|EXPLOITER|Expre|Extra|ExtractorPro|EyeN|FairAd|Fake|FANG|FAST|fastlwspider|FavOrg|Favorites.Sweeper|Faxo|FDM\_1|FDSE|fetch|FEZhead|Filan|FileHound|find|Firebat|Firefox.2\.0|Firs|Flam|Flash|FlickBot|Flip|fluffy|flunky|focus|Foob|Fooky|Forex|Forum|ForV|Fost|Foto|Foun|Franklin.Locator|freefind|FreshDownload|FrontPage|FSurf|Fuck|Fuer|futile|Fyber|Gais|GalaxyBot|Galbot|Gamespy\_Arcade|GbPl|Gener|geni|Geona|Get|gigabaz|Gira|Ginxbot|gluc|glx.?v|gnome|Go.Zilla|Goldfire|Google.Wireless.Transcoder|Googlebot\-Image|Got\-It|GOFORIT|gonzo|GornKer|GoSearch|^gotit$|gozilla|grab|Grabber|GrabNet|Grub|Grup|Graf|Green.Research|grub|grub\-client|gsa\-cra|GSearch|GT\:\:WWW|GuideBot|guruji|gvfs|Gyps|hack|haha|hailo|Harv|Hatena|Hax|Head|Helm|herit|hgre|hhjhj\@yahoo|Hippo|hloader|HMView|holm|holy|HomePageSearch|HooWWWer|HouxouCrawler|HMSE|HPPrint|htdig|HTTPConnect|httpdown|http.generic|HTTPGet|httplib|HTTPRetriever|HTTrack|human|Huron|hverify|Hybrid|Hyper|ia\_archiver|iaskspi|IBM\_Planetwide|iCCra|ichiro|ID\-Search|IDA|IDBot|IEAuto|IEMPT|iexplore\.exe|iGetter|Ilse|Iltrov|Image|Image.Stripper|Image.Sucker|imagefetch|iimds\_monitor|Incutio|IncyWincy|Indexer|Industry.Program|Indy|InetURL|informant|InfoNav|InfoTekies|Ingelin|Innerpr|Inspect|InstallShield.DigitalWizard|Insuran\.|Intellig|Intelliseek|InterGET|Internet.Ninja|Internet.x|Internet\_Explorer|InternetLinkagent|InternetSeer.com|Intraf|IP2|Ipsel|Iria|IRLbot|Iron33|Irvine|ISC\_Sys|iSilo|ISRCCrawler|ISSpi|IUPUI.Research.Bot|Jady|Jaka|Jam|^Java|java\/|Java\(tm\)|JBH.agent|Jenny|JetB|JetC|jeteye|jiro|JoBo|JOC|jupit|Just|Jyx|Kapere|kash|Kazo|KBee|Kenjin|Kernel|Keywo|KFSW|KKma|Know|kosmix|KRAE|KRetrieve|Krug|ksibot|ksoap|Kum|KWebGet|Lachesis|lanshan|Lapo|larbin|leacher|leech|LeechFTP|LeechGet|leipzig\.de|Lets|Lexi|lftp|Libby|libcrawl|libcurl|libfetch|libghttp|libWeb|libwhisker|libwww|libwww\-FM|libwww\-perl|LightningDownload|likse|Linc|Link|Link.Sleuth|LinkextractorPro|Linkie|LINKS.ARoMATIZED|LinkScan|linktiger|LinkWalker|Lint|List|lmcrawler|LMQ|LNSpiderguy|loader|LocalcomBot|Locu|London|lone|looksmart|loop|Lork|LTH\_|lwp\-request|LWP|lwp-request|lwp-trivial|Mac.Finder|Macintosh\;.I\;.PPC|Mac\_F|magi|Mag\-Net|Magnet|Magp|Mail.Sweeper|main|majest|Mam|Mana|MarcoPolo|mark.blonin|MarkWatch|MaSagool|Mass|Mass.Downloader|Mata|mavi|McBot|Mecha|MCspider|mediapartners|^Memo|MEGAUPLOAD|MetaProducts.Download.Express|Metaspin|Mete|Microsoft.Data.Access|Microsoft.URL|Microsoft\_Internet\_Explorer|MIDo|MIIx|miner|Mira|MIRE|Mirror|Miss|Missauga|Missigua.Locator|Missouri.College.Browse|Mist|Mizz|MJ12|mkdb|mlbot|MLM|MMMoCrawl|MnoG|moge|Moje|Monster|Monza.Browser|Mooz|Moreoverbot|MOT\-MPx220|mothra\/netscan|mouse|MovableTy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[NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ - [F,L]
</IfModule>

Or block requests directly if `name` parameter includes your strings

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (^|&)name=(Not%20Recognized|No%20Subscription%20Detected)(&|$)
RewriteRule ^(.*) - [F]

11 minutes ago, modifiedcontent said:

Are the hackers using some kind of tools that inserts these for some reason?

11 minutes ago, modifiedcontent said:

No Subscription Detected

It looks like "hackers" are using a paid tool with expired/pirated/trial license

 

[bernhard]

One very easy and effective solution is to use honeypots. Ryan also uses this technique for Formbuilder and has (like me) very good results.

Just remember to turn off the autofill option for the input to prevent the browser from filling your hidden field and marking it as spam.

[Juergen]

I have also written the login/logout system on my own (I needed UIKit Markup and some other customizations).

To prevent spam I use this Honeypot class and I have no problem since then. It make several tests before letting the user go further. I have installed it via composer so updating is also no problem.

So its a look worth while.

Best regards

[modifiedcontent]

Thanks bernhard and Juergen.

I have implemented a very basic version of a honeypot. It has so far cut the dumb "hack" attacks to zero. There are plenty of ways to make the honeypots more difficult to pass. Great approach. Happy I don't have to resort to captchas etc.

Turned autofill off as follows, also prevented tabbing to the hidden field:

<input name=some_name class=some_class value='' tabindex='-1' autocomplete=off>

Hidden via css; dozens of options to do that, make it harder for bots to figure out. Then in the process:

if($input->post->some_name) { ... foad ...}

I couldn't figure out Juergen's "Honeypot class" - still confused about composer, should I use it? - but see it also checks for minFormCompletionTime. Bots fill out forms inhumanly fast. That is another way to recognize them and block them.

[tpr]

FYI, one site I rewrote recently the honeypot fails entirely. I wouldn't like to add a captcha so added sblam, whuch works fine so far:

https://sblam.com/en.html

[Juergen]

Hello @modifiedcontent

Composer safes you a lot of time on updating and installing PHP-libraries which you want to use in your project. I use more than 1 external PHP library on my projects, so it makes really sense in my case. Honeypot class is only one of them.

If you have time you could read how to install it on your system. It seems to be difficult at the beginning, but there are also tutorial videos on Youtube that are really good and easy to follow. The only thing to mention: you have to work with the CLI (command line interface).

If you want to install for example the Honeypot class you only have to write

composer require dominiquevienne/honeypot

into your CLI and if you want to update it later you only have to write

composer update

Thats all and the latest version will be installed. No need to look for updates manually. No need to install updates manually. So its a really useful solution to install libraries and keep them up to date with less work.

[abdus]

49 minutes ago, tpr said:

I wouldn't like to add a captcha

There's invisible recaptcha that only shows up in case of suspected bot activity

https://developers.google.com/recaptcha/docs/invisible

[bernhard]

17 hours ago, tpr said:

FYI, one site I rewrote recently the honeypot fails entirely. I wouldn't like to add a captcha so added sblam, whuch works fine so far:

https://sblam.com/en.html

Do you have more information why it failed and how exactly you did the setup (field names, time checks..)?

[tpr]

Nothing special. It's named like hpt_pw_confirm, made hidden with inline style. It gas its own url too, /contact/, maybe that's why (previously it was an SPA site with no dedicated url).

Invisible captcha sounds great, I heard the term before but didn't know it works like that. The problem is that the form is a custom module and a captcha would require more time to add, but it seems I cannot skip that.

[bernhard]

I'm always using field names like password, email, name or the like. I guess most bots are more likely to fill fields with those names than any cryptic names.. would be interesting to try that in your case and see if that helps