spf-discuss
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Re: Response to DDoS using SPF

2005-03-23 15:59:07
On Wed, Mar 23, 2005 at 04:21:39PM -0600, Andy Bakun wrote:

Consider example-spammer.com's record:

        v=spf1 mx:%{l} -all 

Now, all I need to do is commandeer a bunch of machines with access to
aol.com's or comcast.net's MTAs and send through them with MAIL FROM set
to:

        aol(_dot_)com(_at_)example-spammer(_dot_)com
        comcast(_dot_)net(_at_)example-spammer(_dot_)com

Well:

o  If spammers forge mail as being from domains with strict (ending in
   "-all") spf records, and their mail doesn't authenticate, we can reject
   their messages as obvious forgeries.

o  If spammers *do* authenticate themselves, say by the rules of their
   own published spf records, we can reject based on their domain names.

So it would be very convenient if example-spammer.com did the thing you
suggest above, as their domain would make it into domain-name blocklists
even more quickly.  Of course, they could just make things easier on
themselves and everyone else by simply publishing "v=spf1 +all".

In any event, do you know of any cases in which allowing macros to end
in things other than %d wll create a problem for mailservers or for
legitimate uses of mailservers?  (I don't see how in your example above
what advantage example-spammer.com would gain by using the sort of txt
record you suggest.)

-- 
Mark Shewmaker
mark(_at_)primefactor(_dot_)com


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