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Re: the "implicit-MX" rule and a proposed BCP

2004-02-14 07:12:21
On Fri, Feb 13, 2004 at 05:20:55PM -0500, Meng Weng Wong wrote:

I feel a BCP coming on that deprecates the implicit MX rule and
recommends that all envelope sender domains should have an MX record in
addition to an A record.  And an SPF record, too, obviously.

If that became the custom, then we wouldn't have to add SPF records for
A-only subdomains.

This would probably be best situated in a more generic BCP that discusses
other issues with forgery, virusses and spam.

You already corrected yourself: An MX record is enough, no need for an A
record to exist as well.

Maybe we could take the existing BCP and update this?  Or, if that's the
way it works (I dunno) provide input to the responsible party?


I used to be opposed to the idea of having an MX record as a MUST.  Today
I'm not so sure anymore.

So, for starters, what about these (the concept, not the text please):

- A domain being used as a RHS in email MUST have at least one MX record.
  This MX record SHOULD return at least two different A records, or there
  SHOULD be at least two MX records with different A records.
  The practice of the implicit MX record is deprecated. This means a RHS
  without an MX record MUST not be used to send nor receive mail.

- The resulting addresses MUST NOT be special-use addresses (RFC3330) [1]

- The resulting addresses MUST have PTR records, and these PTR records
  MUST match the host.  The following lookups will still work but are
  discouraged:
  somehost -> a.b.c.d; a.b.c.d -> otherhost; otherhost -> a.b.c.d

  The following will NOT result in a valid lookup:
  somehost -> a.b.c.d; a.b.c.d -> otherhost; otherhost -> p.q.r.s


cheers,
Alex

[1]  http://www.rfc-ignorant.org/rfcs/rfc3330.php

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