Problems with imgverify in Firefox

[mbest]

I’m really hoping someone here can help me. Over the weekend I downloaded formmail.php, using the configuration wizard, and then following the instructions in How-To, I configured my HTML guestbook, and uploaded the formmail.php. I also downloaded, configured and added the CAPTCHA/verifyimg.php to my HTML guestbook, and uploaded the php to my server.

Now, the problems…

The html form works fine in IE. The form executes perfectly. I have the form configured to require imgverify, which also works fine. With IE, if I don’t enter the image verification string, I’m sent to a page saying there’s information missing from the form – the image verification characters. I am then able to click the “back” arrow on my browser, go back to the form, enter the character string, and submit the form. No problem. If I enter the incorrect characters, I also get a page telling me the characters didn’t match, and I’m able to go back to the form and enter the correct character string, and successfully submit the form. Again, this is all with IE.

However, with Firefox, I’m ONLY able to successfully submit the form if I enter in the correct image verification string correctly the FIRST time. If I leave the image verification box blank, I’m taken to a page an appropriate page saying:

An error occurred while processing the form .

The form required some values that you did not seem to provide.
Image Verification
Your form submission was processed by (7.15), available from www.tectite.com.

However, if I then go back to the form and correctly enter in the characters, and click “Submit”, I’m taken to a page that says:

An error occurred while processing the form .

Our staff have been alerted to the error .
We apologize for any inconvenience this error may have caused.
Your form submission was processed by (7.15), available from www.tectite.com.

I then receive a “Formmail script error” email (even though I have formmail.php set to not send me error messages), and the email says:

The following error occurred in FormMail :
verify_failed
**********
Error=Image verification string missing. This is probably a fault on the server.

This does not happen in IE, and it doesn’t happen if I correctly enter the image verification string correctly the FIRST time in Firefox… only if, in Firefox

• I leave the imgverify box blank the first time, and go back and enter the characters in correctly, and click “submit”, as well as
• I enter the characters incorrectly the first time, and then go back and enter the characters in correctly, and click “submit”.

In both cases A and B, when trying to resubmit the form after entering the characters correctly, I get a page with “Our staff have been alerted to the error .
We apologize for any inconvenience this error may have caused.”

And I get the Formmail script error email saying:

The following error occurred in FormMail :
verify_failed
**********
Error=Image verification string missing. This is probably a fault on the server.

I’ve also been receiving several of the above “Formmail script error” emails triggered by spammers… like:

The following error occurred in FormMail :
verify_failed
**********
Error=Image verification string missing. This is probably a fault on the server.


email: asade%40google.com
realname: Park

age: '20_110'
titleoccupation: 'hhfgdgdf'
organization: 'Park'
state: 'Kansas'
country: 'Zealand'
message: 'Lucky+to+find+you%2C+keep+on+the+good+workk+guys%21+Best+of+luck.t'

So, what I want to know is, why won’t the image verification work correctly in Firefox? What do I need to do to make it work correctly? People need to be able to go back and enter in the image verification string if they forgot or didn’t get it right the first time, without me getting a script error email (and I definitely don’t’ want to get those error emails triggered by spammers).

I did check the cookie settings in Firefox, and it’s set to accept cookies.

As a next step, I decided to change my guestbook HTML form to a php and use the script in the sampleimgverify.php form configured for my guestbook page. However, with this attempt I have another problem – in both Firefox AND IE, if I leave the image verification box blank, I get a 404 page.

I’m also then getting the same problem as outlined above in Firefox, when I go back to enter in the correct image verification string, I get the page saying that “Our staff will be alerted about the problem”, etc. and I get the Formmail script error email. With the HTML form of my guestbook, I didn’t receive the 404 pages when leaving the image verification box blank, so I’m not sure what the problem is with my PHP version.

Sorry if this is too long and/or confusing, but it has my head spinning… but I SO want this to work. I feel like I’m very close, but really need this last glitch or two smoothed out. I’m really hoping someone here can help.

[crabtree]

However, if I then go back to the form and correctly enter in the characters

u can't go back using the browser back button...that breaks the next image verify

u need to use the fmbadhandler to go back successfully

[mbest]

[/font]

u can't go back using the browser back button...that breaks the next image verify

u need to use the fmbadhandler to go back successfully

Thanks so much for the speedy reply!

How do I learn more about "fmbadhandler"? Is there a "how to" page about it, or something that tells me how to configure that in my form?

Also, any idea why I'm getting a 404 page when the image verify box is left blank in the .php version of my guestbook?

[crabtree]

How do I learn more about "fmbadhandler"? Is there a "how to" page about it, or something that tells me how to configure that in my form?

the how to guides are ur friends:
http://www.tectite.com/fmhowto/guides.php

u want this 1:
http://www.tectite.com/fmhowto/adverror.php

Also, any idea why I'm getting a 404 page when the image verify box is left blank in the .php version of my guestbook?

sorry, no

[mbest]

the how to guides are ur friends:
http://www.tectite.com/fmhowto/guides.php

u want this 1:
http://www.tectite.com/fmhowto/adverror.php

Thanks for the help, crabtree! I have fmbadhandler set up now and it seems to have solved my Firefox problem with a charm!

Now another problem... I still seem to be getting "Formmail script error" emails initiated by spammers... such as the following:

The following error occurred in FormMail :
verify_failed
**********
Error=Image verification string missing. This is probably a fault on the server.


email: kjoaiu%2540google.com
realname: kjoaiu%252540google.com

username: 'kjoaiu%252540google.com'
age: '20_110'
titleoccupation: 'hhfgdgdf'
organization: 'Kim'
state: 'Arkansas'
country: 'Rico'
useremail: 'kjoaiu%2540google.com'
message: 'Thanks+so+very+much+for+taking+your+time+to+create+this+very+useful+and+informative+site.+I+have+learned+a+lot+from+your+site.+Thanks%21%211'

Since I had this happen in Firefox, during my testing, when I used the browser back button to return to the form (prior to setting up fmbadhandler), could the spam bot be triggering this same process? And if so, does anyone have any idea about how I can take care of this with formmail, or some other means? I don't want to keep getting these "Formmail script error" emails triggered by spam, and I've already turned off the formmail setting for receiving emails re: errors.

[crabtree]

yep, the spammers are just submitting the form without handling the PHP session stuff

so, ur form specifies "imgverify" (and the spammers do too) but theres no php session data from verifyimg.php

formmail tells u about the fault.

russ has put in an attack detection thingy for this: ATTACK_DETECTION_IGNORE_ERRORS

read the doco above it tho.....u should only enable this when ur happy that everything is working ok

[enicola]

I had a similar problem with captcha with same error about server issue, to fix it i made sure that (imgverify) field in the form was the full URL rather than just a link to a file within my folders AND i made the field *Required.

Like this....
<img src="http://www.mydomain.com/verifyimg2.php" alt="Image verification" name="vimg" border="0" />

NOT like this....(i had it before like this)
<img src="verifyimg2.php" alt="Image verification" name="vimg" border="0" />

and it now works fine, i did a cross browser test on it and it works in all browsers i tested (firefox, IE etc) hope that info helps!

[mbest]

russ has put in an attack detection thingy for this: ATTACK_DETECTION_IGNORE_ERRORS

crabtree, thanks so much! I'll set this condition once I know for sure things are running smoothly.

I'm rather proud of myself for setting all this up (formmail, imgverify, bad handler, templates, etc). It's laid out rather well - definitely doable, but a lot of steps to get each piece in place.

I'd like to ask one last question (though no promises that this really will be the last - but I think I'm getting towards the end of getting everything finalized)...

I created an ini file to hide both the recipient email address, as well as to require imgverify. This is working, but upon testing the image verification requirement, if I don't type anything in the image box, only "imgverify" is listed:

The form required some values that you did not seem to provide.

• imgverify

When I'd rather have something more understandable to the viewer, such as "Image Verification", as it was when I only had the image verfication requirement through the actual form:

<input type="hidden" name="required" value="imgverify:Image Verification" />

What I have in the INI file is:

[special_fields]
required = "imgverify"

It seems the INI form is why I'm only getting "imgverify" listed on my error page, instead of something more descripitive and understnadable, at least "Image Verification".

My question is, how can I accomplish this with an INI file. Can I do it the same as the required field in the form... in other words, would I write?:

[special_fields]
required = "imgverify:Image Verification"

And just so you know, I DID read the How To page about INI Files - read it several times, but it doesn't address this issue.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

[crabtree]

[special_fields]
required = "imgverify:Image Verification"

i think that will work - try it.

[mbest]

i think that will work - try it.

Yes! That did the trick! Thanks so much!