[clug] [OT] spam-bot killer

[Kim Holburn]

On 2004 Apr 13, , at 11:26 PM, John Fletcher wrote:

> What is the effect of not using mailto links, but just printing an 
> email
> address in normal text on your website?  Do spambots look for that 
> stuff?

Yes

>
> John.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-bounces+fletchweb=optusnet.com.au at lists.samba.org
> [mailto:linux-bounces+fletchweb=optusnet.com.au at lists.samba.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Kim Holburn
> Sent: Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:44 AM
> To: Linux user group
> Subject: Re: [clug] [OT] spam-bot killer
>
>
> I used a perl cgi script called wpoison which did the same sort of
> thing.  I'm not sure how useful it is.  If a spambot gets stuck forever
> on a page, which happened occasionally then the operator would ban the
> page.  Better is a robots.txt enforcer.  Once an IP has read robots.txt
> it is banned if it goes where robots.txt said not to.  Most spambots
> read robots.txt to find where you don't want them to go, then go there.
>
> Simplest of all is to use the html code for "@"  which is @  AFAIR.
>   There was a study done a year ago or so that showed that spambots
> never decode even the simplest email obfuscation on web pages.
>
> On 2004 Apr 8, , at 4:43 PM, Simon Burton wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 07:18:26 +1000
>> Simon Haddon <simon at sibern.com.au> wrote:
>>
>>> Simon Burton wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> Has anybody seen this before:
>>>> http://www.bfndevelopment.com/cgi-bin/home/Members/fMail/Contacts/
>>>> 1213/List.html
>>>>
>>>> """Anti-Spam Notice:
>>>> This page was generated to trap SPAM bots in an infinite loop. The
>>>> BOT will enter using the same link you used, and record every email
>>>> address linked on this page. Then it will follow the link at the
>>>> bottom in search of more email addresses. The link at the bottom is
>>>> a randomly generated URL that links back to this script. After
>>>> logging thousands of fake email addresses and filling the hosts
>>>> computer with GIGS of useless information, the BOT
>>>>
>>> Great.  So does this mean that it will fill the hard disks of 
>>> innocent
>>> people as most (if not all) spam has spoofed headers or has 
>>> originated
>>> from some unsuspecting sole.  Doesn't sound too good to me except to
>>> chew more bandwidth usage and kill off other peoples machines.  True
>>> people should not be running open relays and have their virus 
>>> scanning
>>> up to date...... but.... in reality...  you get what I mean
>>>
>>
>> No actually, i have no idea what you mean...
>> Are you saying that innocent people would do a web spider on one of
>> these pages?
>>
>> Simon.
>>
>> -- 
>> Simon Burton, B.Sc.
>> Licensed PO Box 8066
>> ANU Canberra 2601
>> Australia
>> Ph. 61 02 6249 6940
>> http://arrowtheory.com
>>
>>
> --
> Kim Holburn
> IT Manager, Canberra Research Laboratory
> National Information and Communication Technology Australia
> Ph: +61 2 61258620 M: +61 0417820641
> Email: kim.holburn at anu.edu.au  - PGP Public Key on request
>
> Life is complex - It has real and imaginary parts.
>       Andrea Leistra (rec.arts.sf.written.Robert-jordan)
>
>
--
Kim Holburn
IT Manager, Canberra Research Laboratory
National Information and Communication Technology Australia
Ph: +61 2 61258620 M: +61 0417820641
Email: kim.holburn at anu.edu.au  - PGP Public Key on request

Life is complex - It has real and imaginary parts.
      Andrea Leistra (rec.arts.sf.written.Robert-jordan)