This morning we had a spam attach - I'm not sure it is advertising or just crap but mostly in non-English / repeating posts. More than 40 according to user's profile page. Almost every sub-forum impacted.

No moderator on duty.

I think the problem could be solved in the future if new users are limited to starting 2 or 3 new threads in 24-hours.

 

I think it's "having" a spam attack, not "had"-- the tsunami of garbage is still coming in, with 200+ posts in just over an hour under numerous usernames.

The solution you suggest would certainly work, though I would tighten it up even more, perhaps to one new thread a day or even less.

 

I would still limit the appearance of new members of the forum, or limited the possibility of creating one new topic by a new user.

 

I would also welcome a 24- or 48-hour timeout between new user registration and when the new user is allowed to post anything. That would pretty much eliminate attacks like this one, in which the spammer is repeatedly registering new user names to post his garbage from.

 

I would also welcome a 24- or 48-hour timeout between new user registration and when the new user is allowed to post anything. That would pretty much eliminate attacks like this one, in which the spammer is repeatedly registering new user names to post his garbage from.

It would suck for students logging on to ask their first homework question. Or someone creating an account to ask a question about their current emergency breakdown/repair project.

 

Wow. The tide continues to rise: an hour and a half after it began, we're now closing in on 300 spam posts. And still no moderator in sight. The first one to arrive on board is going to have one helluva nasty surprise.

 

At least my Amazon order was not cancelled again. Again.
And my EBay account STILL needs me to log in and verify that I'm stupid enough to fall for it.(I don't have an account)

Bored chinese script kiddies learning how to hack.

 

Wow. The tide continues to rise: an hour and a half after it began, we're now closing in on 300 spam posts. And still no moderator in sight. The first one to arrive on board is going to have one helluva nasty surprise.

I think all of the other Mod's will be thinking, "gee, i wish I could have found that spam mess, I would have handled it like a Boss. That would have been a great story to keep telling the other mods... Crap, the mod that found it will keep telling ME this story!"

 

MrChips has arrived. I hope he will relieve us of this plague.

and jrap is right behind him.

 

Wow, impressive.

 

I would guess stopping the attack is a jrap issue. Moderators will need to assist in cleaning up the mess.

 

I would guess stopping the attack is a jrap issue. Moderators will need to assist in cleaning up the mess.

I imagine they are both just looking at their screen with their jaws hanging open - scrolling, scrolling and saying ssshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit...

 

I've never had Chrome offer to translate AAC for me.
It's a real Chinese invasion!

 

I think the problem could be solved in the future if new users are limited to starting 2 or 3 new threads in 24-hours.

I think you have a Bingo. I suspect that no valid user has ever opened 3 valid Threads in 24 hours.
I know I haven't, and I've been here for 7 years.

I've never had Chrome offer to translate AAC for me.
It's a real Chinese invasion!

I tried Google Translate. It failed.

 

attacks like this one, in which the spammer is repeatedly registering new user names to post his garbage from.

Might be countered with an ip address search...or not.
Hackers can spoof their ip address.
See: smurf attack

 

I think you have a Bingo. I suspect that no valid user has ever opened 3 valid Threads in 24 hours.
I know I haven't, and I've been here for 7 years.

Then the script kiddies will create a new user every three posts.

Obviously, it's too easy to register. Need to add Captcha as a requirement.

 

Need to add Captcha as a requirement.

+1

 

Well, the tide seems to be receding; someone's been deleting posts like mad, and now there are only about 50 of them left.

Kudos and thanks to the Mod who's doing it.

 

Has to be a Moderator or Administrator's worst nightmare to run into all that garbage first thing when they visit. A CAPTCHA (a backronym for "Completely AutomatedPublic Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart") is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether or not the user is human. Should work for Spam Bots and I liked Gophers suggestion as to limiting a new member to 3 post in their first 24 hours or along those lines.

Ron

 

Then the script kiddies will create a new user every three posts.

Obviously, it's too easy to register. Need to add Captcha as a requirement.

We have Google Captcha, a 'hidden' captcha, honeypots, ban specific email domains, and ping out to 2 different spam services to check username/email/IP. It's unfortunately always going to be an ongoing battle.

I agree with the suggestion of limiting the number of threads or replies a new member can make. That's a great idea.