On Sun, 3 Oct 2004, Mark Lentczner wrote:
1) HELO domain checking clause
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The last SPF draft (draft-mengwong-spf-01) includes language that
allows mail receivers to lookup SPF records for the HELO/EHLO domain
and test for a non-Fail result. This is a separate test, performed
even in the normal case of a non-null MAIL FROM. Note: the language
doesn't specify what to use for a sender-mailbox during such a test, so
it is incomplete at present.
Python Milter http://bmsi.com/python/milter.html does this.
It is pretty clear for SPF1 that the HELO name of your mail servers should
pass SPF - for the null sender if nothing else. (And that implies that
'postmaster' should be the localpart used. SES people - are you paying
attention?)
What is not spelled out is how a receiver should make use of this information.
I don't think this spec should spell out how to make use of HELO either. There
is wide latitude in how strictly a receiver enforces the requirement that HELO
passes SPF. For a non-null sender, you could require that both HELO
and MAIL FROM pass. You could require that either HELO or MAIL FROM pass
(which is what Python Milter does - especially useful with guessed SPF
records). Or you could check HELO only for null sender.
I don't know how recently this language was added. Do any
implementation of SPF do this? Do people consider this part of SPF
Classic, or is this an add-in from the Unified SPF work?
This is definitely part of SPF classic. Specifications for how to
use HELO checking as part of a forwarding scheme could be in a later spec.
2) The Received-SPF Header
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The SPF drafts have always had a section on the Received-SPF header. I
am presuming that this should be in the draft. Does itm, as it appears
in draft-mengwong-spf-01, reflect any implementation?
Yes, Received-SPF should be in the draft. The Python Milter implementation
copies the recommendation in draft-mengwong-spf-01.
3) New DNS RR Type
...
understanding. Do people agree? Or should I remove it?
I agree, keep the mention of RR type.
--
Stuart D. Gathman <stuart(_at_)bmsi(_dot_)com>
Business Management Systems Inc. Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
"Confutatis maledictis, flamis acribus addictis" - background song for
a Microsoft sponsored "Where do you want to go from here?" commercial.