We have updated the extension for phpBB versions 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3. The new version introduces three changes that significantly enhance your forum’s security. Here is a breakdown of what has changed and why you should install this update.
Bot Detector Comes to phpBB
This is the most important new feature. Bot Detector is a lightweight JavaScript library that runs in the visitor’s browser, gathering additional data about the user’s environment and behavior. When a form is submitted, these parameters are sent to the cloud along with the other data, allowing for a decision based on a complete picture of the situation.
Bot Detector has already been used for some time in our plugins for WordPress, Drupal, XenForo, and other platforms. Now, it is available for phpBB as well. Look for the “Use CleanTalk JavaScript library” option in the extension settings. Be sure to clear the page cache after enabling this feature.
Using Bot Detector ensures more accurate differentiation between bots and humans, so we highly recommend enabling this option.
Spam Checks for All Users, Not Just Newcomers
Previously, the extension only checked messages from users in the “Newly Registered Users” group – meaning checks stopped once a member posted enough messages to be moved to the standard user group by phpBB. After that, their messages were no longer screened.
Spammers are, of course, aware of this. The scheme is simple: register, post a few harmless messages, leave the “newly registered” group, and then start sending spam.
Version 5.8.1 adds a “Check all registered users” option. When enabled, messages and topics from all users – not just newcomers – are checked for spam, including those who have already moved beyond the “newly registered” status. As before, spam is either rejected or sent to a moderation queue. This option is disabled by default; therefore, if your forum has experienced spam from “old” (established) accounts, we recommend enabling it.
Personal Lists in SpamFireWall
SpamFireWall blocks requests from known spam addresses before phpBB even begins processing them. Prior to this version, the SFW database in phpBB relied exclusively on CleanTalk’s global blacklist. Now, SFW also takes into account the personal lists you manage via the Dashboard. Add an IP address or subnet to the blacklist, and SFW will block them on your forum, even if they do not appear in the global database. Add an address to the whitelist, and it will never be blocked under any circumstances. The latter option is particularly useful for your own services, integrations, and colleagues connecting via IP addresses with poor reputations.
You can manage your personal lists here: https://cleantalk.org/help/blacklist-usage
Other Changes
In addition to these key new features, this release includes several fixes that improve the extension’s reliability:
- The SFW component has been moved to CleanTalk’s shared libraries. Firewall fixes and improvements will now appear in phpBB simultaneously with updates for our other plugins.
- Path detection has been fixed for forums installed in a subdirectory (e.g., example.com/forum/). Issues that previously occurred with SFW in such configurations should now be resolved.
- The
ct_prev_referercookie no longer interferes with page caching. - Firewall statistics are now transmitted via
fw_stats; the old method (via configuration) has been removed. - A PHP 8.2 notice has been fixed, and fatal errors occurring in older PHP versions have been fixed.
- Requests to the cloud service now use the HTTP/1.1 protocol by default; this reduces the likelihood of issues with proxy servers and non-standard hosting configurations.
- The mechanism for resolving CleanTalk server addresses has been updated.
How to update
Create a backup, step-by-step update instructions: https://cleantalk.org/help/update-phpbb31
After updating, open the extension settings: ensure the “Use CleanTalk JavaScript library” option is enabled, clear the cache, and – if necessary – activate the “Check all registered users” function.
Full changelog and source code: https://github.com/CleanTalk/phpbb3.1-3.2-antispam/releases/tag/5.8.1
If anything does not work as expected, please contact support: https://cleantalk.org/my/support/open
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