Chat bot spam

[Player]

I just started banning and now they're all gone.  I'll take all the credit.

[Harrywangs]

I don't know the command. /kill name? Full name or IP? Feel free to msg me. Are we just running in circles though?

[tk[as]]

this is the best way i know how to do it... and i guarantee there is a better way if we can get someone with a script to write the script

Get on any account on a stealthbot. log onto the server with it
get on an admin account on the war2.ru client

have both accounts in windowed mode

on the sealthbot window right click the name "copy name to clipboard"
then in the war2 client under the admin name type:

/finger (username you just copied with ctrl+v)

once you do that it will give the user's ip address (123.45.67.89)

then type /ipban add 123.45.67.*

then type /kill (ctrl+v)                           .. (ctrl+v = the username previously copied)

that's the fastest way to manually do it that i can think of.

still takes a super long time with so many bots.

[tk[as]]

but there should be a script for the stealthbot that executes all commands at once.

/finger user + /ipban user's ip + / kill user

so u can just go down the line right click name + click ban/kill

[~ToRa~]

Yeah that would be easiest.

For now things seem to be ok. But going forward if this keeps happening I'll probably tap mousetopher, frostbitten, and a couple other inactive admin accounts to help ban the bots in the future.

[Harrywangs]

We should probably be careful on what we say. Whomever is doing this is obviously reading it too. So, anything we figure out, will just give that person information to find ways around it.

IE: When we said all user names are patterned, which would make it easier or something, now they are not.

Can you not disable names being created?

[tk[as]]

spam bots are nothing new. there's no way around to get around a script that makes it possible to right click a users name and ipban/kill them.

i was able to stop an attack on the last tournament i hosted but i had to do it all manually.

they can generate new random ass names as soon as one name gets banned, then log back on.. but not if their ip is also banned.

just a numbers game.

the script probably exists.. i just dont have it.

but if we can get our hands on it, it's going to take less work for us to get rid of the bot attack than it is for them to actually set it up.

[Harrywangs]

Any way to disable the function of creating new names? That would solve it.

[~ToRa~]

Any way to disable the function of creating new names? That would solve it.

I am against this idea because that would prevent new players from joining the server.

With that being said I’m okay with doing it temporarily until things get under control.

[~ToRa~]

Player is using my name at the moment.

@Harrywangs do u want an admin account to assist and ban these bots?

[~ToRa~]

I do think it’s time to start giving out admin privileges to more players.

[{Lance}]

Dont worry about names being created right after you ban one.  It will take at least 1 min to create a new name because that's the current threshold for name creations.  1m is to low imo,  but it is what it is.  I think it should actually be 1hr (F all u smurfz out there lol) but iL has set it to 1 minute instead.  Maybe if enough users ask to have it increased,  he'll do that.  It would mean that it also affects smurf players or those that get banned from games and who like to exit and make new names to get back in (annoying but thats what happens).  At the same time,  it'll also make tupac's bot a pain to keep up with spamming because it'll just take to long to make enough names to make it worth while.  It's a quicker/easier fix than setting up IPTables and is a good solution for now until he has time to work with the IPTables rules.

[Harrywangs]

I would stop it temporarily. Let's be honest, we get like 2 new users every 3 months if we are lucky. Though, I think Lance has a better idea. This way, we can still ban them, but 1 an hour, is an easy way to ban.

Does only iL have these rights? Is it worth it to keep banning right now? Are we gaining anything or is this a break even thing?

If we are actually gaining and this process is advantageous, I'd be happy to help out. I will help out and ban them. Just need to DL a stealthbot. http://www.stealthbot.net/forum/???

Well, are any of these IPs the same? If they are not, there is no sense in putting a time limit on creating a name.

[{Lance}]

You dont need a bot to do banning,  the commands can be used from your war2 client if your account has access to them.  There is a hidden admin forum that has a list of the commands,  there's also a cheatsheet on the PVPGN site here:  https://github.com/pvpgn/pvpgn-server/wiki/PvPGN-commands  .  Only iL can set up the time limit since it's a config option for PVPGN and would require a server restart to take effect.

The IPs are not the same, however there is a limit to how many IPs you can get when using the different VPN/Proxy services.  Even TOR isnt an unlimited amount.  1hr would be enough to stop mass account creation even with the help of VPN IPs.  And getting a VPN to request a new IP isnt an instantaneous action either.  It takes time depending upon the service being used.  TOR for example,  takes about 5-15 seconds to get a new IP while some others can take 1-10 mins.  Some even have time limits on how often you can request a new IP.

Another option would simply be to not allow ANY vpn/proxy services to connect at all.  I dont know if there are even any legit players that use a VPN/Proxy to connect.  If there are, they can probably be counted on 1 hand.  Adding such a block is fairly easy but it requires IPTables rules.  This would not only stop spam bots,  it would also stop repeat offense hackers as well since most people will just connect via a VPN/Proxy if they get banned for hacking,  etc.  There really isnt any advantage to allowing these types of services.

[Harrywangs]

Well, are all these names under limited IPs or each name it it's own IP? If it's all different IPs, you're kinda sol and need to stop all name creations. If it's limited IPs (multiple names w/same IP), then you just IP ban and then kick? But that doesn't seem to be working, right? So, I assume that isn't the case.