On Tue, 16 Oct 2001, Thomas wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I know, this question might be halfway offtopic here, it involves smtp
> servers in general,
> but since I been on this list for quite a while, I know theres guys here
> quite knowledged
> on smtp server<>client comm, so I feel this might be a good place for maybe
> getting some advice.
>
> I am in the final stages of developing a PERL script working in conjunction
> with Apache that
> kicks off on attempted http-spreading of worms like Codered and Nimda + any
> future alike by trying to notify the administrator/coordinator of the
> affected ip segment by email.
> .
> This is done by picking up the closest MX records assigned to the PTR record
> of the remote
> IP. From this list of SMTP server(s) it then tries connecting to one at a
> time
> until there's one is established. so far alles is ok.
>
> now, from here actually getting the virus notification to the right person
> on the remote domain
>  it's going to require some qualified guessing of usernames and evaluating
> the response for each,
> the script issues (as of now) RCPT TOs of uname@domain combos until 2 or 3
> are accepted
> and then shoves on the DATA and QUITs. Recipients are iterated like:
>
> PTR of attacking IP : foo.bar.domain.tld
> LIST of likely rcpts ending up in the right place: [abuse, administrator,
> postmaster]
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Here's where my knowledge ends, since it appears SMTP servers handles RCPT
> TO
> differently. Sendmail tends to accept any local address put in, while Xmail
> denies a rcpt
> not known locally ( unless the * alias is applied). It would be nice to be

I don't know too much about sendmail but if you cannot change the
behaviour of accepting all local messages, it sucks.
It sucks because it has to generate a notification message for each
failing rcpt.


> able to use the
> VRFY command at this state, but I don't have a clue if this command is
> supported or
> enabled by SMTP servers in general. Thought VRFY was explicitly required by
> the
> E/SMTP specs, until I realized it was disabled by default in Xmail.
>
> Anyone out there that can give some advice here ?
> should one try for VRFY and fallback on RCPT TO if not available (50x)
> or should I pass my hopes about VRFY to oblivion due to lack of support
> and stick with a 250 response from RCPT TO as the best deal I can get
> about whether an address resolves to an end user.

VRFY is disabled by default coz most Co. does not want to give out info.
I'd say that 98% of mail servers does not have VRFY enabled.


> >From looking at the xmail smtp-logs there are two entries for
> each remote session of an relayed email "RCPT=OK" and "RECV=OK".
> The rcpt=ok part is straightforward, but how does xmail determine whether
> the recv is ok ??  ...from the DATA END response code ?

RECV=OK does not mean that the message has reached the remote destination
but that XMail has successfully received it.



- Davide


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