Victoria's Blog | VSF Simple Block

VSF Simple Block

** This plugin is still in development and as such cannot be guaranteed to even install correctly. However, I have been using it on three sites with success. **

If you have an existing installation of this plugin, please make sure you do a database backup before upgrading. And if you need to install 0.2.1 because 1.X doesn’t work, 0.2.1 is available below

Simple Block does what it says really. It’s effectively a software firewall of sorts. Enter an IP Address (or an IP range) or a host or a browser summary into the block rules table and save it. Then watch as visitors that match those entries are bounced and cannot access your site.

Block Rules:
IP address is an exact match.
IP range is an exact match to the specified range.
Host is a like match, so if you enter for example google, anything that has google in the host anywhere will be blocked.
Browser summary works just like Host. Add in a value like spider and any hit on your website that contains spider in the browser summary anywhere will be blocked.

In the settings page enter a bounce address of your chosing which will be used to “forward” the users on to if they match a record in the block table.

Filter Rules:
There is also a filter table which is read before the bounce address. Values in this allow hits from users that match in exactly the same way as the block table. Because this is queried before the block table any matches will be allowed through.

Block Records:
Is a list of all hits that have been bounced and also a single reason why. for example if you have a block record for browser summary – bot – and the google bot arrives on your site, you will get a record that the google bot has been bounced. (I don’t recommend blocking the google bot)

Also:
Auto block is not (coded) enabled yet. Work in progress.
Import and Export does work, but hasn’t been used a lot yet.

Please note that this plugin has the ability to block you if misused! Please be very careful when using this plugin. This plugin requires database rights to create tables and also create and run a stored procedure. Without those database rights this plugin will not be able to function.

Requirements

WordPress 3.0+ (but it will probably work on lower versions)
MySQL (as there is a query which will probably not port as is)

Screenshots

Version

1.1 – 01/01/2012 Bug fix to the stored block stored procedure as it wasn’t logging IP blocks (as identified by Sylvain). Also an improvement to the logging which is now in a separate stored procedure rather than being copied around the code.
1.0 – 27/02/2011 Added url blocking.
0.2.1 – 20/01/2011 Added spider trap information and page to the project.
0.1 – 12/11/2010 Initial version.

Please consider donating!

If you’ve found this plug-in helpful, please consider donating! Buy me something from my wish list: Amazon.co.uk wish list. That way I’ll feel more inclined to add new features and fix bugs!