Combating email-based spam in game bug reporting system

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1

Hey everyone,

I’m working on a bug reporting tool for my game. Players can submit reports via HTTP, and if that fails, they can save their report to send later using the reporter, a web form, or email.

While I’ve managed HTTP spam by checking IP addresses, I’m stumped on securing email reports. How can I prevent automated scripts from sending a flood of legitimate JSON attachments?

I’m mainly worried about someone writing a script to generate valid JSON and spamming my tracker. Any ideas or strategies to counter this?

# Sample script demonstrating potential spam
import json
import random

def generate_spam(count):
    for _ in range(count):
        report = {
            'error': random.choice(['crash', 'freeze', 'bug']),
            'details': 'Sample error details',
            'os': random.choice(['Windows', 'Linux', 'MacOS'])
        }
        send_email(json.dumps(report))

# Spammer might run this
generate_spam(10000)

Thanks in advance!

2

hey there! have u thought about using email verification codes? Like, send a unique code to the player’s email when they wanna submit a report. It’d make it harder for bots to spam ya. Also, maybe add a cooldown period between submissions? Curious to hear what u think bout these ideas!

3

As someone who’s dealt with similar issues, I can offer a few strategies to combat email-based spam in your bug reporting system. First, implement a sender verification system; require users to verify their email address before submitting reports. This adds a layer of authentication and deters automated scripts.

Consider rate limiting based on email addresses by setting a maximum number of reports that can be sent within a specific timeframe, preventing bulk submissions from a single source.

Another effective approach is to use CAPTCHA or reCAPTCHA for email submissions. While this adds an extra step for users, it significantly reduces automated spam.

Lastly, employing machine learning algorithms to detect patterns in spam reports can help filter out suspicious submissions based on content and frequency. Combined with your existing IP checks, these methods should provide robust protection against email-based spam.

4

have u considered using a honeypot field in ur form? its an invisible field that bots fill out but humans dont. if its filled, reject the submission. also, maybe add a unique token to each email that expires after use. this way, automated scripts cant reuse the same email over and over.