Subj : CAPTCHA with Synchronet
To   : Havok
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Tue Feb 28 2023 00:50:00

 Ha>  With a Windows install of Synchronet you may want to try Peerblock small
 Ha>  little foot print program that has a option to make a list bad ip's in
 Ha>  any and all countries. I did a search and found one place that you can
 Ha>  make a list from of bot type peeps and it has worked very well.

  I already have PeerBlock set up and running. However, for some of the ham
radio traffic nets that I do, I had to disable it, as I couldn't connect to
certain "reflectors" with the D-Star mode.

  At least for the nets that I run, I can leave Peerblock enabled. The fee 
to renew the data files each year is only around $10...you can't get a good 
meal for that anymore!!

  As I was telling Nightfox, I found the ORIGINAL CAPTCHA utility that was
done by Lord Blackfair. It first only had one set number with it (he later 
released another version, which generates a different number with each new
connect)...but I was able decompile it with the UNBAJA utility (if I recall
correctly).

  Then what I did (this was before he released the version that generates a
different number with each connect), was to make 144 copies of the file. 
Next, I used a Random Number program for Windows to generate such...and I 
edited that into the file, which basically was a combination of ACEMTRX.SRC
and the different CAPTCHA.SRC files...the latter which were renamed to 
HOUR####.SRC, where #### was a 24 hour time digit from 0000 (12:00am) to 
2355 (11:55pm), in 5 minute intervals around the clock. Then, I compiled 
each of these with the Baja module.

  Next, I created 144 simple batchfiles, with the same name as the HOUR####
files noted earlier. All that did would copy the HOUR####.BIN file to the
ACEMTRX.BIN file within the \exec directory. And to finish it off, I used
the Task Scheduler under Windows 10 to set up the times to run the needed
batchfiles.

  Admittedly, it was tedious to do it this way...but at least I have a 
CAPTCHA deal at logon, after the ANSWER.MSG screen, and before ACEMTRX
kicks in. The bots aren't likely to see the numeric string, anyway...and
I also lowered the "inactivity timeout" for "dumb terminals" from 30 to
10 seconds. Before then, the bots were slamming the ports, and tying up
all the nodes.

Daryl

.... I don't drink and drive, but I swig at stoplights.
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