On 09/10/2008 19:05, mike scott wrote:
On 9 Oct 2008 at 18:23, Harold Fuchs wrote:
...
Mike Scott: if you are right that the attacker is committing an illegal
act by forwarding [spam] mail to the victim, wouldn't the victim be
justified in taking appropriate action by attempting to unsubscribe that
attacker? The victim can only unsubscribe the attacker by virtue of the
[illegal] forwarding.
We weren't discussing the /victim/ unsubscribing for himself. My
point was that anyone here on the list sending the unsubscription
message just might be going out on a slender legal limb.
Given the crazy state of this country, I'd not risk it.
I don't believe that list-member "policeman" can completely unsubscribe
malicious list member "attacker" on behalf of non-list-member "victim".
Policeman can send an unsubscribe request on victim's behalf, either by
using the "=" form of the ezmlm command or by masquerading * as attacker
but policeman will *not* get the confirmation request. Instead, the
confirmation request goes to attacker. If forwarding is in place from
attacker to victim then victim will get the confirmation request and can
then complete the process. So victim must play at least some part in the
procedure. Policeman can send the unsubscibe request but victim must
confirm it.
Given the above, I don't see that policeman has committed any offence.
Especially if policeman gets explicit prior permission from victim.
* "masquerade", often referred to as "spoof" means to set up an e-mail
"account" (using Thuindebird's or Outlook Express's terminology") where
the "from" address is someone else's. For example I can set up an e-mail
acccount specifying [EMAIL PROTECTED] in the "from" field. Messages
sent from that account will appear *superficially* to have come from the
Count.
--
Harold Fuchs
London, England
Please reply *only* to [email protected]
