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Re: [Asrg] Round 2 of the DNSBL BCP

2008-04-01 12:41:01
Matt Sergeant wrote:
On 1-Apr-08, at 1:07 PM, Chris Lewis wrote:

2.1.  Transparency

   A DNSBL SHOULD carefully describe the criteria which are the cause
   for adding, and the criteria for removing an IP address or domain
   name on the list.

Here we talk about IP addresses or domain names. I think we should  
stick with "Listing" or "Entry".

Fixed.

And did you add something somewhere about how a Listing/Entry might  
map to >1 "thing" in the list? e.g. a range/ASN/whatever?

Should I?  Or is John's document the right place for that?

3.3.  DNSBLs SHOULD Provide Operational Flags

   Most DNSBLs follow a convention of entries for IPs in  
127.0.0.0/8 to
   provide online indication of whether the DNSBL is operational.  In
   other words, the result of a DNS lookup will be in the range of
   127.0.0.1 through 127.0.0.255.

I don't think this "in other words" fits. The first talks about  
operational entries, the second talks of results. And the first talks  
of a /8 and the latter the /24.

Yes, confusing.  Redrafting:

Most DNSBLs follow a convention of entries for IPs in
127.0.0.0/8 (127.0.0.0-127.0.0.255) to
provide online indication of whether the DNSBL is operational.

  Many DNSBLs arrange to have a query
   of 127.0.0.2 return an A record indicating that the IP is  
listed, and
   a query of 127.0.0.1 return no A record (NXDOMAIN).  When both of
   these indicators are present, this indicates that the DNSBL is
   functioning normally.  See [DNSBL-EMAIL].

There is a problem with the above.  The reason for the "MUST NOT list 
127.0.0.1" (elsewhere) is that listing it will cause many mail servers 
to block _themselves_ (eg: MSA/MTA configurations of sendmail).  This is 
something that Vixie said years ago.  Yet, we're telling them to 
explicitly list it here. Which is almost as bad as a 0/0 listing.  Tho, 
a little more obvious ;-)

Does anybody know what the current thinking on 127.0.0.1 listing for 
"DNSBL down" is?  Or should I just yank that?

I can't remember where I saw this recommendation (of listing the .1 for 
"DNSBL down").  It was a strong one, otherwise, it wouldn't be there. 
Maybe I misremembered.

   Some mail systems are unable to differentiate between these various
   results or flags, however, so a public DNSBL MUST NOT include
   opposing or widely different meanings -- such as 127.0.0.23 for
   "sends good mail" and 127.0.0.99 for "sends bad mail" -- within the
   same DNS zone.

Not sure why this is a MUST NOT. If people are dumb enough to use a  
mixed list in a broken way they get what they deserve. What's the  
justification?

"Suicidal administrator" prevention.  JD suggested it.  I like it, but 
I'm not committed to it.  Thoughts?
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