Anoncement: Security images for Mambo

Sunday, 14 August 2005 21:56

security images
for Mambo
can help YOU

Ever been to a site where you had to register and the registration form required that you type in the same phrase that is found in a hard-to-read image? Mambo has since now not have this possibility. That's why I created an administration component com_securityimages.

The component is not release yet but will be tomorrow!!!

The engine is based on this great article at DevShed, I have only modified it to be more flexible, create an admin panel and extend it for Mambo.

In order to appreciate my work, by clicking read more You will be able to read the manual...
A GNU/GPL release ;-)

Update 15.08.2005: I will release the component soon, I have add today:

Localization: french, english and german!
The core component com_contact is also now using security images (will be installable only as patch, sorry)
A new tab in the admin panel: file logging to keep track of the bad boys posting crap to Your site...
AkoComment and AkoBook can now live/be used without hashcash and security images if required (switch on/off) in their admin panel
com_securityimages is currently in test, but no big error has been found, I am only adding functionnalities (bad before delivery ;-( )
Remarq: I can give You installable component version of all components I've changed, but be careful! only use them if You have a fresh install of mambo (or none of the component involved) or You will loose Your comments or Guestbook entries -> It may be safer to carefully overwrite all file with FTP...

Security images for Mambo

Installation

com_securityimages is a regular Mambo component, You can install it like any other component using the backend admin panel.

After installation, verify that

You can access the admin panel...
By pointing your browser to http://youhost/administrator/components/com_securityimages/imageGenerator.php You see a security image (HIT reload page or refresh to receive a new one)

Prerequisite

NONE, but this component use the GD library (PHP extension), it should be present on your Mambo server.

Already done

I already modified akocomment and akobook from Arthur Konze to support security images. You can find the component bundled in the ZIP distribution BUT if You decide to use them....

Akocomment require com_hashcash which required com_log4php -> so first intall com_log4php then com_hashcash then com_akocomment (component and mambot)
Akobook require com_hashcash which required com_log4php -> so first intall com_log4php then com_hashcash then com_akobook

Usage (for developer)

Using this framework is very simple.

In the page your code send to the user...

<?php include
($mosConfig_absolute_path.'/administrator/components/com_securityimages/client.inc');
?>
<?php echo insertSecurityImage("security_refid" );
?>
<?php echo getSecurityImageText("security_try" );
?>

The code above insert the image, and the text, You page normally submit information to the server for processing. Most of the time using the tag form action

In the server code where you process the data...

include $mosConfig_absolute_path.'/administrator/components/com_securityimages/server.inc'); $checkSecurity = checkSecurityImage($security_refid, $security_try);

if $checkSecurity = true then the user has entered the right text.

Admin panel Screenshots...

security images for Mambo is highly configurable