SpamBlacklist (MediaWiki)

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  1. SpamBlacklist (MediaWiki)

The SpamBlacklist is a crucial feature within MediaWiki installations, serving as a primary defense against unwanted and disruptive content – commonly known as spam. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the SpamBlacklist, tailored for beginners, covering its function, configuration, usage, and troubleshooting. Understanding and effectively utilizing the SpamBlacklist is vital for maintaining the integrity and usability of any wiki.

What is the SpamBlacklist?

In essence, the SpamBlacklist is a list of regular expressions that MediaWiki uses to identify and block potentially spammy edits. When a user attempts to save an edit containing text matching an entry in the SpamBlacklist, the edit is flagged, and the user is presented with an error message. This prevents the insertion of advertisements, malicious links, and other undesirable content. Unlike a simple blocklist of usernames or IP addresses (handled by other MediaWiki features like IP Blocking and User Blocking), the SpamBlacklist focuses on *content* patterns. It's designed to catch spam even when posted by new or unregistered users attempting to circumvent IP/user blocks.

The SpamBlacklist is not a perfect solution. It relies on identifying patterns, and sophisticated spammers constantly evolve their techniques to bypass these filters. Therefore, regular maintenance and updates to the SpamBlacklist are essential. The effectiveness of the SpamBlacklist is also dependent on the specificity of the regular expressions used; overly broad expressions can lead to false positives, blocking legitimate edits.

How Does it Work?

MediaWiki compares the text of each attempted edit against each entry in the SpamBlacklist. This comparison is done using regular expressions, which are powerful tools for pattern matching. If a match is found, the edit is considered suspicious. The SpamBlacklist operates at the server level, meaning the comparison happens *before* the edit becomes visible to other users. This prevents the spam from even being temporarily displayed on the wiki.

The process can be broken down as follows:

1. **User Submits Edit:** A user attempts to save changes to a wiki page. 2. **Text Extraction:** MediaWiki extracts the text content of the edit. 3. **SpamBlacklist Comparison:** The extracted text is compared against each regular expression in the `MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist` page. 4. **Match Detection:** If a regular expression matches any part of the edit text, a spam detection event is triggered. 5. **Edit Prevention:** The edit is prevented from being saved, and the user receives an error message. The error message can be customized (see section below on configuration). 6. **Logging:** The event is logged for review by administrators.

Accessing and Viewing the SpamBlacklist

The SpamBlacklist is stored on a special page within your wiki called `MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist`. To access it:

1. Log in to your wiki as an administrator or a user with the `editspamblacklist` permission. 2. Type `MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist` into the search box and press Enter, or directly navigate to the URL (e.g., `https://yourwiki.com/MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist`).

The page will display a list of regular expressions, each typically on a separate line. Comments, starting with the '#' character, are used to explain the purpose of each expression. These comments are crucial for understanding why an entry exists and for avoiding accidental deletion or modification.

Understanding Regular Expressions

Regular expressions (regex or regexp) are the language used to define the patterns that the SpamBlacklist searches for. They can be complex, but understanding the basics is essential for effectively managing the SpamBlacklist. Here are some fundamental regex concepts:

  • `.` (dot): Matches any single character except a newline.
  • `*` (asterisk): Matches the preceding character zero or more times.
  • `+` (plus): Matches the preceding character one or more times.
  • `?` (question mark): Matches the preceding character zero or one time.
  • `[]` (square brackets): Defines a character class. For example, `[abc]` matches 'a', 'b', or 'c'.
  • `()` (parentheses): Groups parts of the expression.
  • `|` (pipe): Represents "or". For example, `cat|dog` matches either "cat" or "dog".
  • `\`: Escapes special characters, treating them literally. For example, `\.` matches a literal dot.
  • `^`: Matches the beginning of a line.
  • `$`: Matches the end of a line.
    • Resources for Learning Regular Expressions:**

Configuring the SpamBlacklist

The primary configuration of the SpamBlacklist involves adding, modifying, and deleting regular expressions on the `MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist` page. However, there are also some related settings that can be adjusted.

  • **`$wgSpamBlacklistSettings`**: This global variable in `LocalSettings.php` allows for more advanced customization of how the SpamBlacklist operates. For example, you can define different levels of spam detection based on the severity of the match.
  • **Custom Error Messages:** The default error message displayed to users when their edit is blocked by the SpamBlacklist is rather generic. You can customize this message using the `MediaWiki:SpamBlacklist-error` page. This allows you to provide more helpful information to users, such as a link to the wiki's spam policy.
  • **Blacklist Whitelisting:** Sometimes, a legitimate edit might inadvertently trigger the SpamBlacklist. MediaWiki allows you to temporarily whitelist specific users or pages, bypassing the blacklist for those cases. This is typically done through administrative tools.
  • **Spam Threshold:** The `$wgSpamThreshold` variable in `LocalSettings.php` determines the level of certainty required for a match to trigger the SpamBlacklist. Lowering this value will increase the sensitivity of the blacklist, but also increase the risk of false positives.

Adding New Entries

When adding new entries to the SpamBlacklist, consider the following:

  • **Specificity:** The more specific the regular expression, the less likely it is to generate false positives.
  • **Comments:** Always include a clear and concise comment explaining the purpose of the entry.
  • **Testing:** Before saving a new entry, test it thoroughly to ensure it matches the intended spam patterns and does not block legitimate content. Use an online regex tester for this purpose.
  • **Avoid Overlap:** Be careful not to create overlapping entries that could lead to unpredictable behavior.
  • **Regular Updates:** Spammers constantly evolve their tactics, so the SpamBlacklist needs to be updated regularly to remain effective.
    • Examples of SpamBlacklist Entries:**
  • `# Common spam link`: `https?://(?:www\.)?example\.com` (Blocks links to a specific spam website)
  • `# Advertisement for weight loss`: `weight loss pills?` (Blocks common phrases used in weight loss advertisements)
  • `# Link to a phishing site`: `hxxp:\/\/example\.phishing\.com` (Blocks a known phishing link, using 'hxxp' to obfuscate the actual protocol)
  • `# Promotion of gambling`: `online casino|betting|gambling` (Blocks keywords related to online gambling)
  • `# Affiliate link pattern`: `[a-z0-9]{8,}-[a-z0-9]{4,}-[a-z0-9]{4,}-[a-z0-9]{4,}-[a-z0-9]{12}` (Blocks a common pattern found in affiliate links)

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • **False Positives:** If legitimate edits are being blocked, review the SpamBlacklist entries to identify the culprit. Modify the regular expression to be more specific, or temporarily whitelist the affected user or page.
  • **Spam Getting Through:** If spam is still appearing on your wiki, examine the spam content to identify patterns that are not currently covered by the SpamBlacklist. Add new entries to address these patterns.
  • **Performance Issues:** A very large and complex SpamBlacklist can impact wiki performance. Optimize the regular expressions and remove any unnecessary entries.
  • **Regex Errors:** Invalid regular expressions can cause errors in MediaWiki. Test your regex thoroughly before saving it to the SpamBlacklist. Use an online regex tester to validate the syntax.

Related MediaWiki Features

  • AbuseFilter: A more powerful and flexible system for detecting and preventing abuse, including spam. AbuseFilter can be configured to perform more complex actions than the SpamBlacklist.
  • Captcha: Used to prevent automated spam submissions by requiring users to solve a challenge.
  • Email Confirmation: Requires users to verify their email address before being allowed to edit the wiki, reducing the number of anonymous spam accounts.
  • Account Creation Restrictions: Restricts who can create new accounts, preventing spammers from easily creating multiple accounts.
  • List of blocked users: Allows administrators to block specific users from editing the wiki.
  • List of blocked IP addresses: Allows administrators to block specific IP addresses from editing the wiki.
  • RevisionDelete: Allows administrators to hide or delete unwanted revisions, including spam.
  • Watchlist: Allows users to monitor changes to specific pages and revert any unwanted edits.

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