Overview

Description

(M.A.C.) Multiple Accounts Checker

Overview

Multiple Accounts Checker is a powerful security tool for Invision Community Suite v5 that detects and prevents multiple account registrations using advanced multi-layered tracking technology.

Detection Methods

Device Cookie Tracking

• Assigns unique persistent cookies to each device

• Tracks device fingerprints and user agent information

• 1-year cookie expiration for long-term monitoring

Browser Fingerprinting

• Integrates FingerprintJS v4 for advanced browser identification

• Persists across cookie clearing and incognito mode

• Optional feature with independent enable/disable

IP Address Monitoring

• Tracks registration IP addresses

• Supports IPv4 and IPv6

• Cross-references with existing accounts

Registration Prevention

• Set maximum accounts per device, fingerprint, or IP address

• Configurable exclusion lists for whitelisting

• Real-time validation during registration

• Clear error messages for blocked registrations

• Frontend-only validation (doesn't affect ACP or logins)

Administrative Tools

Monitoring Dashboards

• Cookie ID Management: View shared devices and associated accounts

• Fingerprint Management: Track shared browser fingerprints

• IP Address Management: Monitor shared IP addresses

• Toggle between "Shared" and "Single" account views

• Search, filter, and delete capabilities

Automatic Topic Creation

Two Tracking Modes

• Per-Identifier: One topic per device/IP/fingerprint

• Per-Member: One topic per suspicious member

Detection Options

• Track by device cookie, IP address, fingerprint, or combination

• Trigger on registration, login, or both

• Set minimum account threshold before creating topics

Topic Configuration

• Choose detection forum and topic author

• Auto-pin and auto-lock options

• Custom topic prefixes

• Fully customizable templates with dynamic variables

Key Features

✅ Three independent detection methods
✅ Configurable registration limits with unlimited option
✅ Exclusion lists for trusted devices/IPs/fingerprints
✅ Automated staff alerts via forum topics
✅ Comprehensive admin monitoring tools
✅ Granular permission system
✅ Frontend-only tracking (no ACP interference)
✅ Clean uninstall with full data removal
✅ IPS v5 native with modern architecture

Use Cases

• Prevent spam account creation

• Detect ban evasion attempts

• Identify sockpuppet accounts

• Monitor suspicious registration patterns

• Maintain community security and integrity

Protect your community with comprehensive multiple account detection for Invision Community Suite v5.

Version Updates

Version 2.0.2

Added

1. - Per-member auto-topic template variables:

   1. - {matched_members} for the full matched member list with front-end profile links

   2. - {matched_members_plain} for a plain-text matched member list

   3. - {matched_members_short} for compact title output such as name1, name2 (+3)

   4. - {matched_member_count} for the total matched member count

2. - Added a normalized per-member detection-state snapshot to support reply deduplication.

3. - Added ACP member links in M.A.C. report tables so usernames now open the related ACP member page.

IMPROVED

1. - Per-member forum report defaults now include the matched member list directly in report content.

2. - Per-member topic titles now use a more moderator-friendly compact matched-member summary by default.

3. - Per-member template help text and editor tag menus now document the richer matched-member variables.

FIXED

1. - Fixed per-member auto-topic detection so fingerprint-only matches are no longer missed when the fingerprint is first stored by the deferred AJAX save.

2. - Fixed duplicate per-member forum replies being generated when the detected match state has not changed.

3. - Fixed M.A.C. ACP report tables so member names are no longer rendered as plain text where ACP member links are available.

Version 2.0.1

Added

1. Added mac_registration_enabled to let admins disable device-cookie tracking and device-based registration checks.

2. Added mac_ipaddress_enabled to let admins disable IP logging and IP-based registration checks.

3. Both settings default to enabled during upgrade so existing communities keep current behavior until changed in ACP.

Improved

What was added

1. - Retention settings for cookie IDs, IP addresses, and fingerprints.

2. - A reusable cleanup manager used by both the scheduled MACCleanup task and ACP sidebar actions.

3. - Task Settings, Prune Now, and Delete Now sidebar buttons on the device, IP, and fingerprint log controllers.

4. - first_seen and last_seen tracking on multipleaccountscheck_devices so cookie/IP retention is based on actual activity timestamps.

Cleanup behavior

1. - Prune Now deletes only rows in the current view that are older than that view's configured retention period.

2. - Delete Now deletes all rows in the current view immediately.

3. - Shared views operate on identifiers used by more than one distinct member.

4. - Single views operate on identifiers used by exactly one distinct member.

Legacy data

1. - Existing device/IP rows created before last_seen existed will have 0 until that member/device combination is seen again.

2. - Cleanup treats those legacy rows as stale so they can be cleared by prune actions or the scheduled task.