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Re: [ietf-dkim] Mailing lists as 2822-Sender

2007-12-05 06:03:54
On Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:32:26 -0000, Mark Martinec <Mark(_dot_)Martinec+dkim(_at_)ijs(_dot_)si> wrote:

I'm observing regular cases of originator signature breakage
by mailing lists which DO NOT modify mail body or header in
intrusive ways. This happens every time the poster included
a Sender header field in its original posting, and then sign it.
A mailing list which replaces the original Sender by its own
causes a signature breakage, quite unnecessarily.

But if RFC 2822 is followed, then Sender SHOULD NOT be present unles there are explicit reasons for doing so. The usual examples given are:

1. The secretary is sending on behalf of her boss
2. There are multiple entries in the From (in which case the Sender MUST be included).

Neither of those commonly arises in mailing lists.

In the few cases where an already signed Sender arrives at a mailing list, then the mailing list should do the same as if it makes any other change which invalidates the signature. My preference for that situation is for the mailing list to:

1. Check the existing signature (and maybe reject outright if it is 'suspicious'). 2. Record his (hopefully correct) check result in an Authentication-Results header.
3. Re-sign the message, including that new Authentication-Results header.

Unfortunately the RFC 4871 wants a Sender signed:

  The following header fields SHOULD be included in the signature,
  if they are present in the message being signed:
    o  From (REQUIRED in all signatures)
    o  Sender, Reply-To ...

Yes, but I would be inclined to modify that by only signing it where it was NOT identical to the From (i.e. in the secretary and multiple Froms cases above).

--
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
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