Re: [Exim] verify failed for SMTP recipient

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Author: John W Baxter
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: Re: [Exim] verify failed for SMTP recipient
At 13:06 -0400 9/18/2001, Dave C. wrote:
>Actually, receiver_verify verifies ALL addresses given in RCPT TO:,
>regardless of wether they are local or remote..
>
>In the case of this specific address, the domain ghs.ssd.k12.wa.us has
>neither an MX nor an A record, so it fails verification.
>
>Eg, that isnt a valid email address - there is nowhere to deliver it to.
>If it is supposed to be (and there is no typo or other miscommunication
>of the address, then someone has made a mistake in a DNS file somewhere.
>Its far more likely the owner of that address just made a mistake when
>they gave it to you, or that you made an error when writing it down or
>entering it or something.


An unfortunately large number of hosts in the Washington state (USA)
educational establishment have messed up DNS.

In this case, the 4th level does have both A and MX records, and I suspect
that trimming off the ghs will create a deliverable message. Mail goes
out, far too often, with invalid addresses in the headers which Reply will
use. There's a good chance that is what happened here.

(It would be a good bet that ghs is Grant High School...Washington state is
somewhat "presidential" in its naming, and Seattle School District
(guessing the ssd) does have a Grant High School)

oasis.wsipc.wednet.edu is a centralized DNS service which the K-12
establishment in the state uses. And it's rather hard to get fixes made
(we usually give up and make the necessary exemptions, instead). [This is
a fairly old installation, probably...the more "modern" form would be
ssd.wednet.edu or seattle.wednet.edu or the like.]

--John

[localhost:~] john% nslookup ssd.k12.wa.us
Server: lists.olympus.net
Address: 198.133.237.19

Name:    ssd.k12.wa.us
Address:  216.186.55.1


[localhost:~] john% nslookup -type=MX ssd.k12.wa.us
Server: lists.olympus.net
Address: 198.133.237.19

ssd.k12.wa.us   preference = 10, mail exchanger = dogwood.ssd.k12.wa.us
ssd.k12.wa.us   nameserver = oasis.wsipc.wednet.edu
ssd.k12.wa.us   nameserver = sitka.wsipc.wednet.edu
ssd.k12.wa.us   nameserver = lunch.uw.wa-k20.net
ssd.k12.wa.us   nameserver = recess.uw.wa-k20.net
dogwood.ssd.k12.wa.us   internet address = 216.186.55.120
oasis.wsipc.wednet.edu  internet address = 192.206.201.4
sitka.wsipc.wednet.edu  internet address = 192.206.201.27
lunch.uw.wa-k20.net     internet address = 216.186.4.203
recess.uw.wa-k20.net    internet address = 216.186.4.188



-- 
John Baxter   jwblist@???      Port Ludlow, WA, USA