spf-discuss
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Re: Request for Input on the meaning of "pass".

2005-06-02 12:06:06
Mark wrote:

'authenticate' the identity on "pass"

| Verify (i.e., establish the truth of) an identity claimed by
| or for a system entity.

'authorized' to use the identity

| (1.) An "authorization" is a right or a permission that is
|      granted to a system entity to access a system resource.
| (2.) An "authorization process" is a procedure for granting
|      such rights.
| (3.) To "authorize" means to grant such a right or permission

Definitions found in RfC 2828.

LMAP - Lightweight MTA Authentication Protocol
draft-irtf-asrg-lmap-discussion-01 (expired 2004-08-03) said:

| LMAP attacks the forgery problem by checking that the host
| from which the message was sent is authorized to send mail
| using the a domain in the message's envelope.

| SMTP recipients can look up the authentication data when a
| domain name is used in EHLO/HELO and/or MAIL FROM.

| This verification scheme is weaker than cryptographic systems
| but stronger than the current SMTP model.

A "fresher" acronym:  MARID - MTA Authorization Records In DNS.

find a way to make it clear to publishers that they must
assume responsibility if they authorize an MTA.

"v=spf1 +all" is a perfectly valid and honest sender policy.

Probably I don't understand the question.

The old megwong-01 version had also a fine PASS definition:

| Pass (+): the message meets the publishing domain's
|           definition of legitimacy.  MTAs proceed to apply
|           local policy and MAY accept or reject the message
|           accordingly.

The Marid-protocol-03 PASS was minimalistic and very elegant:

| Pass     (+): the <ip> is in the permitted set

What "pass" really means/implies touches upon the very core
of SPF.

When "something" / "somebody" sends MAIL FROM xyzzy resulting
in a PASS then it's 100% my problem if that was spam or abuse.

But it's not guaranteed to be spam or abuse from me personally,
it can be the known cross-user forgery case.  I'm responsible
to fix it on my side (e.g. talk to abuse@ my ISP)

instead of ruling on it immediately, we decided to bounce the
issue back to the spf-discuss forum

HARDPASS vs. PASS has been discussed here in numerous threads.
A complete chapter in the draft addresses cross-user forgery.

An additional draft defining op=auth "HARDPASS" is ready to
be submitted in the same hour when the SPF Council wishes it.

                         Bye, Frank