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Browse - computer tips - backscatter

Date: 2006May16, 2007Feb23
Subject: backscatter

Backscatter is when spammers use your server to send spam via bounces.

The solutions is to REJECT and not BOUNCE unrecipient mails.

- If you are using Postfix 1.x, upgrade to Postfix 2.x

- Use these Postfix options:

	unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 550
	smtpd_error_sleep_time = 0

  They'll reject (not bounce) unknown recips

- If you are using Mailman, make sure you have:

	autorespond_postings=no

  For all lists.

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In postfix 1.x you might be tempted to do:

	root "| exit 67"

in the /etc/postfix/aliases file.  This generates a user unknown
message.  But in, Postfix 1.x, its sent as a bounce.  A spammer
sender might have intended this and forged a return address.
This is called backscatter.

A solution I found is to weed out these addresses in the
/etc/postfix/regexp_table file.

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