Prevent Bot Registration using Botscout v.0.0.2

A very simple method to prevent automated web scripts, A.K.A. bots, from registering on webid, polluting the databases and spreading spam.
With this mod we check the IP's and email addresses that are used during the registration. We send these details over to Botscout.com to check if either have been registered as bots and automatically halt the registration process if they are.
A free API key is required for this to work, from http://botscout.com/. Registration and use is all free, and once registered an API key will be allocated to you.
Just to be aware, the current daily limit with an API Key is 300 queries per day.

Upload the attached BotScout.php to your includes folder (your_webid_site/includes).
Open the file BotScout.php file and enter in the configuration details (line 26) your API key.
If you would like to have an email sent over to you every time a bot gets blocked with details of the bot's email and ip address you can change $send_alerts from $send_alerts='0' to $send_alerts='1';
Thats it with the BotScout.php, save it now and exit.


Now to add it into the registration page.

In register.php find on line 211

PHP:

if (!isset($ERR))
    {
        $birth_day = (isset($_POST['TPL_day'])) ? $_POST['TPL_day'] : '';


and replace with

PHP:

if (!isset($ERR))
    {
        include $include_path . 'BotScout.php';
       
        $birth_day = (isset($_POST['TPL_day'])) ? $_POST['TPL_day'] : '';


Around line 255 find

PHP:

elseif (!empty($birth_month) && !empty($birth_day) && !empty($birth_year) && !checkdate($birth_month, $birth_day, $birth_year))
        {
            $ERR = $ERR_117;
        }


and replace with

PHP:

elseif (!empty($birth_month) && !empty($birth_day) && !empty($birth_year) && !checkdate($birth_month, $birth_day, $birth_year))
        {
            $ERR = $ERR_117;
        }
        elseif ($ERR_BOTSCOUT) // BotScout.com "BotBuster" check
        {
            $ERR = $ERR_BOTSCOUT;
           }


Download BotScout.php for webid now
View attachment 2502