Filtering

Filtering is the act of restricting the access of a certain player to the Kaboom server.

Filters are created by using bots that support it and are similar to how bans work on regular servers as they both restrict the access to their respective servers. These filters are typically used on players that bot owners dislike or are considered as harmful, such as spammers, people who run kill @e repeatedly, or players who are generally a nuisance.

Methods of Filtering

iControlU

iControlU is a plugin on Kaboom that allows for another player to "control" a player by taking over the player's movement, chat, and command access for themselves. Bots use this method by creating another bot which then controls the player, resulting in the player losing the ability to chat, move and run commands. However, this method is less frequently used nowadays due to it creating spam in the chat and requiring proxies to filter more than 4 players at a time.

Kick Exploits

A kick exploit is an exploit that allows for a player to be disconnected from the server without using the /kick command, which is currently blocked on the server.

Vanilla Kick Exploits

Vanilla kick exploits work by forcing the server to send a large amount of data to the client, causing the server to disconnect the player as a result.

ViaVersion Kick Exploits

ViaVersion kick exploits work by abusing a bug in the ViaVersion plugin to disconnect the player. These exploits only work on players who are on a different version than the server.

Crash Exploits

A crash exploit is an exploit that causes a player's client to crash. These exploits can be mitigated or blocked by a mod since they are client sided.

Translate Crash Exploits

Translate crash exploits work by abusing Minecraft's translation key feature by using it to recursively duplicate a string several times and then attempting to display it. This leads to the target crashing due to memory exhaustion.

Particle Crash Exploits

Particle crash exploits work by forcing the client to render a huge amount of laggy particles, which can be done by using area effect clouds. This method is not frequently used due to the risk of crashing unintended players.

Gamemode Restrictions

Gamemode restrictions do not cause the player to be disconnected from the server, but instead reduces the player's enjoyment by forcing the player into adventure or spectator mode repeatedly.

Deopping

Repeatedly deopping the player prevents them from utilizing operator commands, which serves to reduce the enjoyment of the player as well as preventing them from doing any more harm, leading them to disconnect on their own.

Teleportation

Repeatedly teleporting the player to a specific position prevents them from moving, which also reduces the player's enjoyment.

Multiple Methods

Most bots utilize multiple methods to cause a player to disconnect, leading to a higher chance of actually kicking the player.

Methods of Detecting Filtered Players

Usernames

Username detection is the simplest type of filtered player detection. It can be used by making a bot to simply read the tab list and kick anyone that is marked to be filtered on the list.

IP addresses

IP address detection is a more complex way of filtering. It involves running the /seen command on every player that joins, then parsing the result for the IP address, and finally kicking anyone who has the IP address on their filter list.

Fingerprinting

Fingerprinting is more frequently used on bots and works by searching for a pattern of commands a bot sends when first connecting to the server, and if the pattern matches a predefined entry on the filter list, the bot is kicked.

Methods of Bypassing Filters

Alternative Accounts

Using an alternative or "alt" account can be used to bypass simple username based filtering. Due to Kaboom being a "cracked" server, a player can simply use a "cracked" or pirate launcher to join with a custom name.

VPNs and Proxies

Using a VPN or a proxy can be used to bypass IP based filtering.