Autor: Mike Lima Data: A: exim-users Assumpte: [exim] abuse report
Dear Friends,
I am a user of Exim since beginning, but now I have to report a
condition of abuse of those, controlling realtime black lists.
As far as I am on the web, since 1996, I am fighting against spam. I do
not do spam and I run lists of subscriptions when I want to send someone
an email. The problem is that those guys controlling realtime black
lists, used by exim, are blocking the entire internet, punishing those
who have nothing to do with spammers.
I give you an example. Lists like Sorbs.net, block IPs of dial up
accounts, dynamic IPs and entire blocks of IPs, the first time a spam
comes from one IP within the block. Imagine blocking from ip 1.1.1.1 to
1.1.1.255, just because 112 sent spam. Doing that you are causing damage
to people that have nothing to do with the matter. They are blocking
nameservers, as you know, machines controlling hundreds, thousands of
domains. My server is now on a nameserver that is blocked. They are
blocking large free email accounts, as Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. They feel
like prepotent and arrogant gods with final decision to block countries,
continents, etc, at the first spam they receive from those places.
I agree that you can create a block list, but not by IP. As you know,
spammers use dynamic IPs or invade systems and use their resources. So,
a list by IP is a picture of a moment in the past. Once blocked a
spammer will seek another way to send spam.
Lists like sorbs forces you to pay 50 dollars for charity, to have your
name dropped from the list.
Let's see my case for example: I had a site using NukePHP. My system was
invaded and the cracker used Nuke webmail module to send spam during 2
days. They included my IP on the list without warning. When I started to
receive bounced mail from several servers, I contacted sorbs. Then, I
discovered that my server was invaded. I fixed my server. Even then, I
continue on the list. They say I am guilty of being invaded, cause I
should I could be. So, they are causing me harm. I verifyed also, that
except for AOL, most part of ISPs are blocked.
The problem is not on just sorbs. They are just the guys forcing you to
donate. They tell that the money is to pay for their work of taking you
in and out the list. The problem is that they cannot charge for
something nobody asked them to do.
I think exim could analyze this issue of power abuse on all these guys
and review the possibility of not using it on the future.
I agree with domain block but I have to disagree when you drop groups of
machines, people, countries, etc. That is abuse of power, arrogance and
prepotence.
I hope exim could keep the good work and I will continue using it, exept
for the IP check.