ECC+ - EasyCalcCheck Plus - Kubik-Rubik Joomla! Extensions

JOOMLA! 6 JOOMLA! 5 JOOMLA! 4 JOOMLA! 3
FREE PRO POPULAR COMMUNITY CHOICE

Name: EasyCalcCheck Plus (ECC+)
Version: 6.2.0.0 (PRO/FREE - Joomla! 6) / 5.2.6.1-PRO (Joomla! 5) / 4.4.0.0-PRO (Joomla! 4)
Type: System Plugin
License: GPLv3
Description: Protects Joomla! forms and 3rd party extensions by integrating anti-spam services and internal antispam checks.
Integrated external antispam services: ALTCHA (self-hosted version), Google reCaptcha, hCaptcha, Cloudflare Turnstile, Akismet, Honeypot Project, StopForumSpam, Botscout
Download: ECC+ - EasyCalcCheck Plus Downloads

Protects Joomla! core forms and 3rd party extensions by integrating spam protection services and adds an arithmetical problem, a hidden field and a time lock

Enhance your website's security with EasyCalcCheck Plus, a powerful plugin to protect your registration and contact forms from spam threats. This plugin works by incorporating a simple arithmetic task, a feature known to deter spambots effectively.

For added security, the plugin allows you to activate a hidden field and impose a time limit for form submission. The hidden input field is particularly effective against spambots, which typically fill in every available field, hidden or not, whereas regular users do not see or interact with it. The time limit further bolsters protection by restricting too-fast submissions, a common characteristic of bot activity.

When internal spam protection falls short, EasyCalcCheck Plus integrates seamlessly with external anti-spam services like Akismet, Mollom, and others.

But the utility of EasyCalcCheck Plus extends beyond spam protection. It offers backend security via a token system and guards against SQL injection threats, delivering a comprehensive security solution for your site.

EasyCalcCheck Plus has been honed and improved over several years, incorporating support for popular form components like FoxContact, Kunena Forum, FlexiContact, and DFContact. Its adaptable design allows for quick and easy extension to other components, offering a robust defence against spam messages and registrations caused by spambots.

As a testament to its effectiveness, EasyCalcCheck Plus holds a top position in the captcha category on Joomla! Extension Directory. Thanks to its continual development, optimization, and user-centric approach, it ranks among the best-rated extensions overall.

The plugin's continuous development journey includes bug fixes and the addition of support for various 3rd party extensions, such as ALFContact, JomSocial, and Virtuemart.

Choose EasyCalcCheck Plus to secure your website and enjoy a spam-free, seamless user experience.

Features

Arithmetical problem - Addition and Subtraction
Number of operands can be selected - 2 or 3
Numbers in words - Numbers can be represented as words
Hidden input field
Time lock
Self-defined question
Many supported 3rd party extensions
Honeypot Project, StopForumSpam, Akismet
ALTCHA, reCaptcha, hCaptcha, Cloudflare Turnstile
SQL Injection and Local file Inclusion protection
Backend protection with a token
Protection of the core forms: contact and registration forms
Autofill - entered values are automatically entered in the field if the spam check was not solved
Show spam-check only for guests
and many more! :-)

Installation

Install the plugin by accessing the administration menu of the back-end under Extensions. Then access Extensions – Plugins – System – EasyCalcCheck PLUS and customize it to your needs. Don't forget to activate it!

In the beginning, I recommend using the standard settings. If some spam still gets through, you should consider activating an external service like Akismet.

Enjoy! ;-) Spam is finally a thing of the past!

Spambots shouldn't be stopped only by ECC+ on the client-side. The majority of spambots is easily identified with the help of blacklists and prevents proactive the loading of your website. Since version 1.5-7 bots can be identified and blocked by comparing the actual blacklist from Honeypot Project or StopForumSpam.

In addition, comprehensive anti-spam services like Akismet, Mollom, reCaptcha and Botscout have been implemented to recognize and filter spam even better!

Tip: This website and all my demo sites did not receive any entries or registrations through spambots with the following configuration: arithmetic problem, hidden field, time lock and Akismet. If this configuration is not enough, then another spam service can be activated additionally.

Note: EasyCalcCheck Plus is a system plugin and not a plugin from the Captcha group. The option "Default Captcha" in the global configuration and the settings of the user management should be deactivated. Use EasyCalcCheck Captcha if you want to have a plugin using the Captcha group!

Changelog

+ = Added - ! = Removed - ^ = Changed - # = Fixed

Latest release

Version 6.2.0.0-PRO - 2026-07-13

+ Added the first official Free edition of EasyCalcCheck Plus for Joomla! 6. Version 6.2.0.0 is released simultaneously as Pro and Free edition. The Free edition is automatically created from the current Pro version using the new KRJE Free Builder Tool and provides a fully functional spam protection solution with a carefully selected feature set.
+ Added seamless upgrades from Free to Pro. The Pro package can be installed directly over an existing Free installation without uninstalling it first. Existing plugin settings are preserved automatically, allowing Pro features to be unlocked immediately after the upgrade.
+ Added locked previews for Pro-only options in the Free edition. Advanced integrations, security services and professional features remain visible directly in the configuration, making the differences between Free and Pro transparent.
+ Added the following functionality to both Free and Pro:
- Calculation check with all available options.
- Hidden fields, JavaScript validation and time lock protection.
- Complete ALTCHA integration.
- Protection of Joomla core forms including contact, registration, login, password reset and username reminder.
- Backend URL token protection.
- Autofill protection.
- Warn reference protection.
- Guests-only mode.
- Protection against direct form submissions.
- IP blocking and login lockout.
- Automatic page cache exclusion.
+ Pro additionally includes the complete advanced EasyCalcCheck Plus feature set:
- Custom calls for manual integration into any form.
- Third-party extension and AJAX integrations.
- Custom security questions.
- reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha and Cloudflare Turnstile.
- StopForumSpam, Honeypot Project, Akismet and BotScout integration.
- SQL injection and Local File Inclusion (LFI) request scanning.
- Debug logging.
- Custom injection anchors.
- Field encoding for enhanced protection against direct requests.
- Companion plugin support.
^ Introduced the new shared Pro and Free architecture. Pro remains the complete edition and primary development base, while the Free package is automatically generated from the same codebase. This allows both editions to evolve together without maintaining separate plugin versions.
^ Updated the version to 6.2.0.0 to mark the introduction of the new Free and Pro edition structure. All existing Pro functionality remains available with no breaking changes for existing installations.
^ Improved edition-specific configuration and integration handling. The Free edition focuses on protecting Joomla core forms, while advanced third-party integrations, external anti-spam services and companion plugins are available exclusively in the Pro edition.

Version 6.2.0.0-PRO - 2026-07-13

+ Added the first official Free edition of EasyCalcCheck Plus for Joomla! 6. Version 6.2.0.0 is released simultaneously as Pro and Free edition. The Free edition is automatically created from the current Pro version using the new KRJE Free Builder Tool and provides a fully functional spam protection solution with a carefully selected feature set.
+ Added seamless upgrades from Free to Pro. The Pro package can be installed directly over an existing Free installation without uninstalling it first. Existing plugin settings are preserved automatically, allowing Pro features to be unlocked immediately after the upgrade.
+ Added locked previews for Pro-only options in the Free edition. Advanced integrations, security services and professional features remain visible directly in the configuration, making the differences between Free and Pro transparent.
+ Added the following functionality to both Free and Pro:
- Calculation check with all available options.
- Hidden fields, JavaScript validation and time lock protection.
- Complete ALTCHA integration.
- Protection of Joomla core forms including contact, registration, login, password reset and username reminder.
- Backend URL token protection.
- Autofill protection.
- Warn reference protection.
- Guests-only mode.
- Protection against direct form submissions.
- IP blocking and login lockout.
- Automatic page cache exclusion.
+ Pro additionally includes the complete advanced EasyCalcCheck Plus feature set:
- Custom calls for manual integration into any form.
- Third-party extension and AJAX integrations.
- Custom security questions.
- reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha and Cloudflare Turnstile.
- StopForumSpam, Honeypot Project, Akismet and BotScout integration.
- SQL injection and Local File Inclusion (LFI) request scanning.
- Debug logging.
- Custom injection anchors.
- Field encoding for enhanced protection against direct requests.
- Companion plugin support.
^ Introduced the new shared Pro and Free architecture. Pro remains the complete edition and primary development base, while the Free package is automatically generated from the same codebase. This allows both editions to evolve together without maintaining separate plugin versions.
^ Updated the version to 6.2.0.0 to mark the introduction of the new Free and Pro edition structure. All existing Pro functionality remains available with no breaking changes for existing installations.
^ Improved edition-specific configuration and integration handling. The Free edition focuses on protecting Joomla core forms, while advanced third-party integrations, external anti-spam services and companion plugins are available exclusively in the Pro edition.

Version 6.1.0.1-PRO - 2026-06-29

+ Automated regression coverage for the registration bypass added – new PHPUnit and Playwright regression tests were added to ensure this specific attack path (see bypass fix below) remains blocked in future versions.
^ com_users context resolution hardened – the internal form-context handling now resolves registration-related tasks more reliably, even when they are posted through mismatched Joomla user URLs.
^ Spam-check success handling tightened – ECC+ now marks a request as successfully validated only when the spam-check pipeline was actually executed and passed, improving the internal safety logic.
# Possible registration spam-check bypass fixed – a regression introduced in 6.1.0.0-PRO was closed that could allow account registration through the login page URL without passing ECC+ protection checks. Thanks to fw114 (Torsten) for reporting it!
# Registration POSTs to the login URL are now protected correctly – requests using task=registration.register on the Joomla login URL now trigger the full ECC+ validation pipeline again, including direct-submission, calc, Altcha, time-check and all other enabled checks.

Version 6.1.0.0-PRO - 2026-06-19

+ Complete modernisation of EasyCalcCheck Plus added – ECC+ was fully rebuilt into a modern service-oriented Joomla 6 extension with dependency injection, readonly configuration value objects, enums and a significantly cleaner architecture.
+ Comprehensive PHPUnit and Playwright test suites added – the modernisation introduced extensive automated test coverage with >200 PHPUnit tests and >35 Playwright browser tests across native Joomla forms and Custom Call integrations.
+ Custom Call AJAX auto-detection improved – third-party AJAX form submissions can now be detected much more reliably, including better automatic support for integrations such as Easy Joomla Forms.
+ Full service interface layer added – all major ECC+ services now use explicit interfaces, making the extension much easier to test, maintain and extend in the future.
! Legacy monolithic spam-check architecture removed – the previous single-class spam pipeline structure was replaced by a modular service-based system with clearly separated responsibilities.
^ Spam protection pipeline fundamentally modernised – all 14 spam checks are now handled through dedicated specialised services, resulting in a cleaner, more maintainable and more robust validation workflow.
^ Type safety and PHP 8.3 compliance significantly improved – ECC+ now uses strict typing, readonly value objects, enums, named arguments and modern PHP patterns consistently throughout the codebase.
^ Custom Call integration made more robust – third-party form protection was refactored into dedicated services and improved substantially for field injection, verification, AJAX handling and failure responses.
^ Testing and development workflow greatly improved – the extension now follows a modern TDD-oriented workflow with characterisation tests, reusable builders, shared Joomla mocks and automated browser regression coverage.

Version 6.0.0.0-PRO - 2025-10-17

+ First Pro release for Joomla! 6.x based on ECC+ Pro version 5.2.6.0-PRO
+ The plugin "Behaviour - Backward Compatibility 6" is not required. The extension only uses supported classes in Joomla! 6.
^ Updated Altcha JavaScript library (2.2.3 -> 2.2.4)

Version 5.2.6.1-PRO - 2026-06-02

^ Delayed the loading of the language constants to solve an issue with the Joomla! Toolkit by Plesk. Thanks to Tobias for reporting it!
^ Updated Altcha PHP library (v1.1.2 => v1.3.3)

Version 5.2.6.0-PRO - 2025-09-27

+ Various code optimisations.
^ Updated Altcha JavaScript library (2.1.0 -> 2.2.3)

Version 5.2.5.2-PRO - 2025-08-23

# Fixed a possible TypeError exception thrown under a particular constellation. Thanks to hahn112 for reporting this issue in the forum!

Version 5.2.5.1-PRO - 2025-08-04

# On specific systems, browsers may send a HEAD request in addition to the initial GET requests. When this happens, the necessary session variables for performing spam checks can be overwritten. This update introduces a check for the request method before generating the spam check output for both regular and custom call types in the onAfterRender() event. Thanks to Martin (kweb) for reporting this issue!

Version 5.2.5.0-PRO - 2025-08-02

+ Added Enable logging option. With this option, the plugin logs important events with all required parameters within the process flow in the everything.php log file in the log path defined in the global settings. Use this option to debug issues with the spam checks.
Note: The option Log Almost Everything in the global settings must be enabled!
^ Updated Altcha JavaScript library (2.0.5 -> 2.1.0)
# Improved the custom call execution check if all visible spam checks are turned off, but the custom call syntax is set in an SP Page Builder form.

Version 5.2.4.0-PRO - 2025-07-09

+ Code optimisations.
^ Updated Altcha JavaScript library (1.4.2 -> 2.0.5)
^ Improved the hidden field regex handling in the custom call (this solves an issue with the privacy checkbox in SP Page Builder). Thanks to kweb (Martin) for reporting it!
^ Extended the description for the backend token protection option. The security token is transmitted as a GET parameter. Therefore, no special characters may be used that are interpreted by the browser in the URL. Safe characters for the token: a-z, A-Z, 0-9, - (hyphen), _ (underscore), . (dot) and ~ (tilde). Thanks to deltapapa (Dirk) for reporting it!
^ Updated custom field ProSecurityTokenField.

Version 5.2.3.0-PRO - 2025-04-21

+ Implemented ALTCHA - Self-hosted Captcha alternative
+ Added Enable "I'm not a bot" checkox option. Adds the ALTCHA anti-bot service. ALTCHA’s Captcha alternative is free, open-source and self-hosted, does not use cookies nor fingerprinting, does not track users. ECC+ integrates the self-hosted version of ALTCHA. No registration is required. More information at https://altcha.com.
+ Added Automatic verification of the checkbox option. Auto-verification is a feature that allows user verification to be performed automatically without requiring any action from the user. This feature is useful for simplifying and speeding up the verification process. off - Disables auto-verification. onfocus - Verification starts when the input field receives focus. onload - Verification starts when the page loads. onsubmit - Verification starts when the form is submitted.
+ Added Delay before verification in milliseconds option. The delay in milliseconds before validation begins. This can be useful to ensure the user has interacted with the form before validation. Default value: 1000 milliseconds (1 second).
+ Added Show ALTCHA logo in widget option. Adds the ALTCHA logo to the widget with a link to the ALTCHA project page.
+ Added Show footer in widget option. Adds a footer to the widget with a link to the Kubik-Rubik Joomla! Extensions website. You may overwrite the footer content with the language constant PLG_SYSTEM_EASYCALCCHECKPLUS_ALTCHA_FOOTER.

Version 5.2.2.0-PRO - 2025-03-18

+ Enhanced the functionalities "Encrypt all input fields" and "Block direct submissions" for forms using Ajax submissions in the Custom Call (e.g. ConvertForms). Thanks to jamfx for reporting the issue!

Version 5.2.1.0-PRO - 2025-02-18

+ Improved the Custom Call request variable check for multiple requests after the form has been loaded but not submitted. Thanks to WM-Loose for reporting it!

Version 5.2.0.0-PRO - 2025-01-19

+ Increased technical requirements for Joomla! 5: Increasing Technical Requirements 2025 - Core & PHP for Joomla! Pro Extensions
+ Optimising code to meet new requirements can enhance its quality, performance, and security.
+ Added support for the third-party component EShop in the custom call.
+ Optimised the "Numbers as words" option by adding support for the NumberFormatter class.

Version 5.1.3.0-PRO - 2024-10-21

+ Improved form tag detection and usage in the Custom Call feature for complex forms and added an extra property for the global extension info array. Thanks to Ribo for reporting it!
^ Multiple code updates and optimisations.
^ Updated form regex for core components to the latest state.

Version 5.1.2.1-PRO - 2024-10-10

# Improved character escaping for the autofill values option. Thanks to RMDsign for reporting it!

Version 5.1.2.0-PRO - 2024-09-17

+ Improved regex pattern for the hidden field in the custom call. Only select the label tag if the tag is used properly in the form.
^ Updated custom field for Pro Security Token.

Version 5.1.1.0-PRO - 2024-07-13

+ Optimised and fixed internal checks (Hidden field, JavaScript field and Self-defined Question) in the Custom Call for the form builder addon in SP Page Builder. Thanks to Stefan H. for reporting the issue!
+ Code optimisations.

Version 5.1.0.0-PRO - 2024-05-13

+ Subscriber Interface: The plugin has been rewritten to utilise the subscriber interface, enhancing its integration and performance capabilities.
+ Improved Pro Security Token validation check. The Pro package contains a token file with an individual security token linked to the user account that is checked against the validation server for authenticity. If the file is missing or the token is invalid, you cannot edit the settings and use the extension. The Pro Security Token field has been extended to handle incorrect tokens and blocked accounts. If you encounter an error message related to the token, download the Pro version with your Pro subscription from the linked download page and install it again!
Attention: The Pro extension will not work correctly if the token file or custom field is missing or modified. Never edit or remove the files to ensure correct functionality.
+ This major update involves fundamental changes to the plugin architecture to improve efficiency and modularity. The new minimum required Joomla! version has been increased to 5.1.0.

Version 5.0.2.0-PRO - 2024-02-29

+ Added Cloudflare Turnstile - Free CAPTCHA Alternative. Cloudflare Turnstile is a free tool to replace CAPTCHAs. Turnstile delivers frustration-free, CAPTCHA-free web experiences to website visitors. Moreover, Turnstile stops abuse and confirms visitors are real without the data privacy concerns or awful user experience of CAPTCHAs. Requires a free registration on https://www.cloudflare.com.

Version 5.0.1.0-PRO - 2024-02-27

+ Fixed "Cannot assign null to property $user" ($this->app->getIdentity()). Thanks to Phil T. (mySites.guru) and Patrick W. for reporting it!

Version 5.0.0.0-PRO - 2023-10-31

+ First Pro release for Joomla! 5.x based on ECC+ Pro version 4.2.0.0-PRO
+ The plugin "Behaviour - Backward Compatibility" is not required. The extension only uses supported classes in Joomla! 5.

Version 4.4.0.0-PRO - 2025-03-20

+ Increased technical requirements for Joomla! 4: Increasing Technical Requirements 2025 - Core & PHP for Joomla! Pro Extensions
+ Optimising code to meet new requirements can enhance its quality, performance, and security.
+ Optimised the "Numbers as words" option by adding support for the NumberFormatter class.
+ Improved the Custom Call request variable check for multiple requests after the form has been loaded but not submitted. Thanks to WM-Loose for reporting it!
+ Enhanced the functionalities "Encrypt all input fields" and "Block direct submissions" for forms using Ajax submissions in the Custom Call (e.g. ConvertForms). Thanks to jamfx for reporting the issue!

Version 4.3.4.0-PRO - 2024-10-20

+ Improved form tag detection and usage in the Custom Call feature for complex forms and added an extra property for the global extension info array. Thanks to Ribo for reporting it!
^ Multiple code updates and optimisations.
^ Updated form regex for core components to the latest state.

Version 4.3.3.1-PRO - 2024-10-10

# Improved character escaping for the autofill values option. Thanks to RMDsign for reporting it!

Version 4.3.3.0-PRO - 2024-09-18

+ Improved regex pattern for the hidden field in the custom call. Only select the label tag if the tag is used properly in the form.

Version 4.3.2.0-PRO - 2024-07-12

+ Optimised and fixed internal checks (Hidden field, JavaScript field and Self-defined Question) in the Custom Call for the form builder addon in SP Page Builder. Thanks to Stefan H. for reporting the issue!
+ Code optimisations.

Version 4.3.1.0-PRO - 2024-02-29

+ Added Cloudflare Turnstile - Free CAPTCHA Alternative. Cloudflare Turnstile is a free tool to replace CAPTCHAs. Turnstile delivers frustration-free, CAPTCHA-free web experiences to website visitors. Moreover, Turnstile stops abuse and confirms visitors are real without the data privacy concerns or awful user experience of CAPTCHAs. Requires a free registration on https://www.cloudflare.com.

Version 4.3.0.0-PRO - 2024-02-27

Increased technical requirements for Joomla! 4: Increasing Technical Requirements 2024 - Core & PHP for Joomla! 4 Pro Extensions.
^ Updated deprecated classes File and Folder
+ Fixed "Cannot assign null to property $user" ($this->app->getIdentity()). Thanks to Phil T. (mySites.guru) and Patrick W. for reporting it!

Version 4.2.0.0-PRO - 2023-08-01

+ JavaScript field - A hidden field is inserted via JavaScript in the protected form to prevent data transmission from spambots. The field will not load if JavaScript is disabled. With this feature in place, spambots that do not have JavaScript support are effectively prevented from flooding the form with spam.
+ The installation script has been updated to include a check for the highest compatible version of Joomla! to avoid any problems caused by using incompatible core versions.

Version 4.1.2.1-PRO - 2023-04-08

+ Added support for Form Builder (SP Page Builder) in the Custom Call feature and improved logic for Ajax form submissions. Thanks to Uwe and Marco for requesting it!

Version 4.1.1.1-PRO - 2023-03-16

# Allow only hidden (non-visible) checks for the Custom Call feature. Thanks to Christian H. for requesting it!

Version 4.1.1.0-PRO - 2023-03-14

+ Added Rules for transmission via AJAX option. With this option, you may enter rules for extensions that transfer form data via AJAX (JavaScript). Use this feature if the form dynamically sends the data to the server without reloading an entire page. Thus, the plugin will return the server's response to the browser in JSON format. The response contains information on whether the transmission was successful or not. The response can then be processed further with JavaScript. Enter one rule per line; you may define any number of parameters.
+ Added Custom Call support for the newsletter module from AcyMailing. Thanks to Frank D. for requesting it!

Version 4.1.0.0-PRO - 2023-02-18

Increased technical requirements for Joomla! 4: Increasing Technical Requirements - Core & PHP for Joomla! 4 Pro Extensions.
+ Added Plugin Call feature. Introduced the new plugin group "easycalccheckplus", which allows you to extend the protection of forms with dedicated plugins. Now, 3rd party extensions developers (and the community) can provide custom plugins (or rules with the generic plugin) to integrate components into EasyCalcCheck Plus. I'll share an example plugin for my own component Easybook Reloaded soon!
+ Code optimisations.

Version 4.0.3.1-PRO - 2022-11-13

+ Added CSP Nonce handling. The nonce value is set automatically for inline tags if Content Security Policy (CSP) and the corresponding Nonce option are enabled in the HTTP Headers plugin.
^ Added hCaptcha support to the Custom Call implementation. Thanks to Dirk (Deltapapa) for reporting it!

Version 4.0.3.0-PRO - 2022-10-04

+ Added support for Convert Forms using the Custom Call feature.

Enable the advanced option "Custom Call" in ECC+.
Add a "Heading" or "HTML" field with the custom syntax {easycalccheckplus} field to your form right before the submit button in the form component. Use the "Help Text" option in the "Heading" field.
Add the custom CSS class ecc-custom-call in the "Advanced" section of this field. This class will apply some rules to improve the output of the calc check input field.
Optional: Create a template override of the input fields in ECC+ using the Template Manager and adjust the output to match the form component's output. Use the files with the suffix "Custom" to edit fields from the Custom Call.

+ Added template files for all visible input fields to allow custom adjustments easily. Each input type (calc check, question and hidden) has two variants: the default load and the custom call (file name ends with Custom).
^ Improved Custom Call to handle AJAX requests and responses in JSON-Format (instead of redirects).

Version 4.0.2.1-PRO - 2022-09-30

! Updated StopForumSpam API endpoint
# Removed empty string replacement of the Custom Call syntax in the backend. Thanks to Volkmar S. for reporting it!

Version 4.0.2.0-PRO - 2022-09-01

+ Added Pro Security Token validation check. The Pro package contains a token file with an individual security token linked to the user account and checked against the validation server for authenticity.
^ Multiple internal code optimisations.

Version 4.0.1.1-PRO - 2022-06-16

# Improved ReCaptcha and hCaptcha integrations. Thanks to Dirk (Deltapapa) for reporting it!

Version 4.0.1.0-PRO - 2021-11-16

+ Added the built-in Download Key Manager support to enter your Pro Update ID without installing the update helper plugin.
Important: Please copy your personal Pro Update ID using the second copy button in the Pro ID Manager and enter the key in System - Update - Update Sites - Select the entry of the Pro extension and enter the ID into the Download Key field.
^ Code optimisations

Version 4.0.0.0-PRO - 2021-10-02

+ First Pro release for Joomla! 4.x based on ECC+ Pro version 3.3.0.0-PRO

Version 3.3.1.0-PRO - 2022-07-22

+ Updated rules for Virtuemart (4.0.6). Thanks to Klemens K. for requesting it!
^ Code optimisations

Version 3.3.0.0-PRO - 2021-04-26

+ Added IP address blocking functionality - With this option, the plugin blocks IP addresses from accessing the system entirely if they exceed the allowed number of submission attempts. All requests from blocked IP addresses are terminated directly by the plugin. After the specified block time, the IP addresses are removed from the lock list and can access the system as usual again.
+ Added Block direct submissions functionality - With this option, direct submissions of a form are not possible anymore. The form page has to be loaded first before a successful submission is possible. This is important for forms that don't support the session check provided by the core.
^ Changed the version number specification. The first number stands for the supported major Joomla! version. The following three numbers follow the Semantic Versioning Specification (SemVer), as it used to be previously.
^ Updated manifest file structure
^ Improved page cache handling - Using onPageCacheIsExcluded hook to exclude pages with forms where ECC+ is loaded
^ Updated language files
^ Code optimisations
# Fixed loginAttemtps error message

Version 3.2.4-PRO - 2021-04-01

^ Added the "email" type for the "Keep data on fail" functionality
^ Improved the handling if another form is transmitted from the same page where a form is protected by the custom call replacement. Thanks to Manuel for reporting it!
^ Syntax for the custom call is removed if the user does not have to solve the spam check, depending on the user status.
^ Updated custom field
^ Code optimisations

Version 3.2.3-PRO - 2021-01-18

^ Maintenance release
^ Extended the option "Keep data on fail" to allow this feature in custom calls ({easycalccheckplus}) in forms with empty array name attributes - for instance in BreezingForms. Thanks to Markus M. for reporting it!
^ Updated language files and custom field
^ Code optimisations

Version 3.2.2-PRO - 2020-08-26

+ hCaptcha - Added the hCaptcha anti-bot service. hCaptcha protects user privacy, rewards websites, and helps companies get their data labeled. Requires a free registration on https://www.hcaptcha.com/!
+ Multilingual Self-Defined Questions - Individual questions and answers can be set for each language.
First release with increased technical requirements: Increasing Technical Requirements - Joomla! Core & PHP for Pro & Free Extensions
^ Updated support for Community Builder (tested with 2.4.5)
^ Updated language files and custom field
^ Code optimisations

Version 3.2.1-PRO - 2019-05-12

! Removed Mollom integration since the project was abandoned. Thanks to Wilderer for reporting it!

Version 3.2.0-PRO - 2019-05-03

+ Added script file for technical requirement checks
! Removed Bot-Trap integration since the project was abandoned. Thanks to Wilderer for reporting it!
! Removed ROT13 usage
^ Improved SQL injection protection - Using raw data for checks
^ Correct IP address retrievement for forwarded addresses using a proxy
^ Kunena Quick reply button - Added new class name to the search pattern
^ Updated code style of imported 3rd party libraries

Version 3.1.6-PRO - 2019-01-16

+ First Pro release based on ECC+ version 3.1.5

Version 3.3.0.0-FREE - 2021-05-03

^ Maintenance release
^ Removed (optional) frontend link to the project page
^ Changed the version number specification. The first number stands for the supported major Joomla! version. The following three numbers follow the Semantic Versioning Specification (SemVer), as it used to be previously.
^ Updated manifest file structure
^ Improved page cache handling - Using onPageCacheIsExcluded hook to exclude pages with forms where ECC+ is loaded
^ Updated language files
^ Code optimisations
# Fixed loginAttemtps error message

Version 3.2.1-FREE - 2021-03-30

^ Improved the handling if another form is transmitted from the same page where a form is protected by the custom call replacement. Thanks to Manuel for reporting it!
^ Syntax for the custom call is removed if the user does not have to solve the spam check, depending on the user status.
^ Updated language files and custom fields
^ Code optimisations

Version 3.2.0-FREE - 2020-07-22

+ Important: This version is based on the Pro version with fundamental code changes. You have to reconfigure and save the settings again!
+ hCaptcha - Added the hCaptcha anti-bot service. hCaptcha protects user privacy, rewards websites, and helps companies get their data labeled. Requires a free registration on https://www.hcaptcha.com/!
+ Multilingual Self-Defined Questions - Individual questions and answers can be set for each language.
First release with increased technical requirements: Increasing Technical Requirements - Joomla! Core & PHP for Pro & Free Extensions
^ Updated support for Community Builder (tested with 2.4.5)
^ Updated language files and custom fields
^ Code optimisations

Version 3.1.6 - 2019-06-29

+ Added Custom Field - Pro Button
! Removed Mollom integration since the project was abandoned.
! Removed Bot-Trap integration since the project was abandoned.
^ Updated Custom Fields
^ Updated Project Page URL
^ Updated rules for Fox Contact (>= 3.8.2)
^ Improved custom call functionality
^ Correct IP address retrievement for forwarded addresses using a proxy
^ Kunena Quick reply button - Added new class name to the search pattern
^ Updated code style of imported 3rd party libraries

Version 3.1.5 - 2018-05-20

+ Mail To A Friend Form - Added support for build-in Mailto component - Thanks to Uwe F. for the feature request
^ Updated login form regex since the change in the template was reverted in the latest Joomla! version (see note for version 3.1.4)
^ Code Optimizations
^ Updated Custom Fields

Version 3.1.4 - 2018-01-31

# Login form of the core component com_users - Due to a change in the template file, the regex in ECC+ for this form did not match any more. - Thanks to Hans H. for reporting it!

Version 3.1.3 - 2018-01-28

+ reCaptcha v2 - Updated reCaptcha API to version 2 ("I'm not a robot" checkbox) - If you are still using the old reCaptcha (version 1), then you will have to create new keys in https://www.google.com/recaptcha/admin
^ Updated Custom Fields
^ Updated Language Files
^ Updated Cache Purging Function - Joomla! >= 3.8.0

Version 3.1.2 - 2017-05-21

^ Updated Custom Fields
^ ReCaptcha is loaded over HTTPS
^ Question - Added required class for client-side validation
^ Changed Update Server URL to ecc_legacy.xml (next feature version 3.2.x will exclude 3rd party extensions in separated plugins)
# Fixed Cache Purging Function - For System Cache Plugin
Tested and updated support for 3rd party extensions with the latest versions:

Easybook Reloaded - 3.3.1
Phoca Guestbook - 3.0.6
FlexiContact - 10.05
ALFContact - 3.2.6
Kunena Forum - 5.0.7
Community Builder - 2.1.2

Version 3.1.1 - 2015-12-22

# Encode Input Fields - Fixed compatibility of this feature for Joomla! 3.4.7. For more details see: https://docs.joomla.org/J3.x:Backward_Compatibility_in_Joomla_3.4.7

Version 3.1.0 - 2015-07-31

+ Donation Code Validation Process - Improved the validation process with a new server (HTTPS request) plus an independent, separated fallback server (HTTP request).

https://check.kubik-rubik.de/
http://check.kubik-rubik.eu/

+ New Download Server - Download packages are located independently of the project website on a new download server.

https://downloads.kubik-rubik.de/

+ Update Server - Added the Joomla! core functionality for the update checks

+ IProperty Real Estate

! Removed Version Check field

^ Semantic versioning - Switched to semantic versioning, see http://semver.org/ for more details. Please update manually since the core update server functionality will not recognize the new version!

^ HTTPS - Links to the services use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) versions

^ Updated Donation Code field - Uses the HTTP API for the requests and calls the check script via HTTPS

^ Links in the language files - Updated outdated links to the JED (Joomla! Extensions Directory)

Version 3-1 - 2013-11-17

+ First release for Joomla! 3 - based on 2.5-8 with important modifications and optimizations for Joomla! 3.x
+ This release is tested only with Joomla! 3.2 and core components - do not use it in a lower Joomla! version. Do not report any problems with other Joomla! versions. Only the mentioned version (and higher) are supported officially by ECC+!

Version 2.5-8 - 2013-11-15

+ New feature: Custom Call - with this feature you may execute the plugin in all forms with a special syntax. ECC+ can protect all forms of your Joomla! website now. It is not restricted on components but can also be used in modules! The syntax to load the plugin is {easycalccheckplus}. This syntax has to be added in the template file of the form. The best solution is to use a template override. This option is in experimental phase and only for advanced users who know how to create a template override to add the needed syntax! ECC+ can only be executed once per page, so you have to exclude protected modules on pages where the plugin has to be loaded in a component.
+ Improvement: Encrypt functionality - now not only 3rd party components can be protected with encryption but also all other form fields where ECC+ is loaded. Some extensions need the names of the fields to add JavaScript functionality to the forms, these fields can be excluded from being encrypted with the help of a whitelist in the definition for the certain component. Not all components were tested, so please test this function and report problems that may occur!
^ Support for Virtuemart - updated the support for Virtuemart to the latest version of the component - 2.0.24a
^ Updated Custom Fields
^ Changed - Error output message not via Get parameter but via session variable
^ Removed deprecated JRequest call
^ Code optimizations
# Encrypt feature - decode all variables as soon as possible and only if they are set in the global request variables - Thank you Frank (deweso.de) for reporting it!

Version 2.5-7 - 20-Nov-2012

+ aiContactSafe - Protection of the aiContactSafe forms - Note: ECC+ can only be used without the AJAX functionality of aiContactSafe. The values of ECC+ have to be generated new and reset in the output of the form on a request, but this is not possible in the AJAX request of the component. Open the form in aiContactSafe and deactivate the option Use AJAX to submit the form if you want to use ECC+ in your aiContactSafe form!
+ FlexiContact Plus - Akismet / Mollom checks
^ Excluded all language files (except English and German) to Transifex - Looking for your language? Then check Transifex. If your language is not fully translated or not in the list at all, then register to Transifex and join the translation team. Every help is welcome!
^ Changed "Alternative search string" priority - increased priority for this option
^ Donation Code Field - Updated to version 1.3
^ Akismet Class PHP5 - Updated to version 0.5
^ Optimized settings ordering and output
^ Improved Artisteer template recognition

Version 2.5-6 - 02-Nov-2012

+ Form recognition - Greatly improved form recognition especially for club templates (e.g. Yootheme, Rockettheme etc.) which use template overrides
+ Virtuemart - Protection of Virtuemart's - Check Out - form

Successfully tested with these current versions of supported 3rd party extensions:

Joomla! Core - Contact and Registration - 2.5.7
Community Builder - 1.9
Easybook Reloaded - 2.5-4
Fox Contact - 2.0.19
Flexi Contact - 5.12
Kunena Forum - 2.0.2
Phoca Guestbook - 2.0.6
Virtuemart - 2.0.12f

Version 2.5-5 - 16-Aug-2012

+ Implemented Versioncheck - Stay uptodate with the great new feature! The latest version can be checked once per session or on every load of the settings page.
^ Optimized Donation Code System - The entered donation code is checked only once per session.

Version 2.5-4 - 13-Aug-2012

+ Flexi Contact Plus - Protect the form of the commercial version of the popular component
# Updated the support of the component Kunena Version 2.x

Version 2.5-3-2 - 03-Aug-2012

+ Updated Dutch language file - thank you Gerard
+ Updated Chinese language file - thank you A-Bo

Version 2.5-3 - 20-Jun-2012

+ Implemented donation model
+ Login check - Protects the site against brute force attacks. After a specified number of incorrect login attempts the spam check has to be solved in the form of the component
+ Cache check - The plugin only deletes the cache if it is activated
+ Traditional Chinese language file
^ Updated Dutch language file

Version 2.5-2 - 05-Apr-2012

+ JomSocial - Protection of the JomSocial registration
+ Virtuemart - Protection of Virtuemart's - Ask a question - form
+ Danish language file - Thank you Fribse
^ Optimized check process - Don't have to do all checks if one already has failed
# Small fix in the function fillForm - Delimeter in the regular expression was not quoted correctly

Successfully tested with all current versions of supported 3rd party extensions: